Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-06
BAL |MORE ELECTION
Mayor and Other City Officials
to Be Chosen Tomorrow.
A DIGNIFlED CAMPAIGN
Personalities and Sensationalism
Avoided.
TO TRY NEW PRIMARY LAW
Voters to Decide on the Policies They
Deem Best for the Welfare Of
the Community.
% TRY NEW PRIMARY LAW


the Community.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
BALTIMORE, May 4, 1907
Next Tuesday, May 7, the people of Balti-
more will elect a new mayor and other city
officials for terms of four years, and the
campaign. now going on, is in striking con-
trast to that which recently occurred in
Chicago. IT is a gentlemans campaign.
Personalities are not INDUCED in; sensa-
tional effects are not attempted. but the
time has been devoted to businesSike dis
cussions OF business problems of big mu-
nicipality like Baltimore-those which are
permanent and those which have grown out
of the late fire-and the voters are asked to
decide for themselves In a businesslike way.
which Of the candidates is most competent
and which Of the policies they represent is
most suitable for the welfare OF the COM,
munity. This election has also given an
opportunity to try the new primary law,
which is the result of a reform movement
undes the leadership of the Independent,
press of the city.
The primaries were held April 2, when
candidates for every office were selected:
all aspirants were required to declare them
selves and to make small deposits of money
with the board of supervisors. The pri-;
mary campaign was carried on in the news
papers. In the clubs and wherever citizens
met for the exchange of opinions There
were no public meetings. The democrats
voted direct, and ]. Barry Mahool. having
received the highest vote for mayor, be-
came the nominee of that party for the,
Office. Mr.. Mahoo1 is a commission ner-
chant, and has been in politics all his life.
He has won public confidence by tie intel.
iigence. integrity and ability he has shown
as member Of the city council, and Is now
president of that body. The remainder Of
the ticket was made up In the same way,
and Is composed Of excellent men who are
Endorsed by decrepit democratic organi-
zation. .
Mayor Timanus Rencminated. !.
The republicans did not nominate di-,
rectly, but elected delegates to a city con-
vention, which renominated E. Clay tt
manus, the present mayor, who has made a.
splendid record since he succeeded Robert
McLane, in Nal. 1904, after the latter's
DEATH Mr. Timanus, like his opponent. Is
a commission merchant and has also been
active in municipal politics for many years.
Previous to assuming the responsibilities Of
the mayorahy his record In the common
council was not satisfactory to the reform
ers. He was denounced as boodler, ETC.,
but when he stepped into the mayors
shoes no became a different man. There
has been no scandal in his administration
1t has been honest, clean and satisfactory
to all concerned. and his political opponents
admit as much with commendable candor. /:
The issue Is, therefore. the comparative
fitness Of the two men who. should they
come into power. will have the expenditure.
Of fifteen or twenty millions of dollars for
public improvements.
The worst objection that has been offered
against Timanus is his obligations to the
republican machine, which is supporting
him with great energy. The democratic ma
chine went to pieces few months ago.
when l. Freeman Rasin. the democratic
boss of Baltimore, died. 1t had been badly
crippled and had Leen hmping along for
several years under Rasin's nursing. but
when he died there was no one to take his
place, and the organization collapsed.
Redemption Of Baltimore.
iHow Baltimore was redeemed from boss
RULE by the development, under the leader
ship of an independent press, of sporting
interest In the elections among the masses
OF the voters" is an interesting story, told
me the other day by Charles H. Grasty.
editor of the Baltimore Evening News, who
has been foremost in the lght:
THE misruie in our cities has always
been one Of the strongest indictments
against the experiment we are making In
democracy In this country" said Mr..
Grasty. "It has been contended, especially
by politicians, that while foreign cities can
apply business methods In municipal gov
eminent, something =deep-seated in our
political civilization makes 1t impossible for
US to do So And, as a fact. our great
municipalities have been plague-spots In
our democracy. From these centers de-
moralizing influences have radiated and
affected adversely the politics of the sew
eral states and of the Union itself. We
have had to depend upon the soundness of
the rural districts for moral protection
against the constant downward tendency
OF our cities, and at times 1t has appeared
that the evils of bossism, to which the
cities furnish the main support. threatened
the political health of the whole country.
Fifteen years ago Baltimore was hope
lessly ring-ridden. Today she is city
without graft and practically free from
bossism. The story of our regeneration
contains practical lessons for every other
American city.
Popular apathy is the root-cause of bad
municipal government. Baltimore's solu-
ton Of the problem consisted in getting the
people interested without getting them ex-;
cited. The failure to make good against
bossism in other cities has been attributa-
bic to the spasmodic character Of the effort
The public has now and again been dashed
into fury of indignation against political
evils only to lapse back into apathy after
the inevitable reaction from excitement In
Baltimore there has been no hysteria-no
'brainstorm.' After fifteen years of steady
and continuous EFFORT the electorate of this
city has become a highly trained body with.
a sustained interest in politics and a sound
intelligence. We have brought about re-
form In this city through processes of nor.
NAL human interest instead of periodical
appeals at long intervals to the sense of
duty of our voters. Such appeals after
little use, become like long sermons-ex-
tremely tedious--and lose their power to
arouse the people.
Spirit of Fair Play Aroused.
1.-THE essentials In the system adopted in
this city are the spirit of fair play and an
appeal to the spertsmanlike instincts that
lie deep In all human nature. In England
every parliamentary election is a sporting
contest. Every suffragist Is keen for It,
men, women and children become Interested
on one side or the other. Baltimore has
worked out the problem of popular rule and
business government on the same lines
Under this system politics becomes attract
i've to decent men. We have had in our
| city councils for several years number OF
men who have been actuated by the high
| est motives; men who have gone in over the
4! heads Of the bosses and have been selected
| by the people. At the primary election on
April last we had In one ward three high
| class young men making a fight for the
nomination to the first branch Of the city