Evening star., 1907-08-18
MARYLAND POLITICS
Democrats Present a Divided
Front This Year.
REPUBLICANS HARMONIOUS
Honest Elections Will Be the Great
Issue.
BALTIMORE THE BATTLE-GROUND
Mr.. Gather, the Republican Nominee
for Governor, Has His Greatest
Stronghold There.
BALTIMORE THE BATTLE-GROUND

Special Correspondence of The Star.
BALTIMORE, Nd, August II, 1907.
The opening of state campaigns in Mary
land have, a rule, in the past, found
the democratic party united and the repub-
licans split into factions. This year, how
ever, the conditions are reversed, and with
MIR. Gather at the head of the ticket the
republicans throughout the city and state
are as one man. The democrats, the
other hand, in bad shape. Many of the
Independent democrats are outspoken in
their denunciation Of the manner in which
Gov Warf1eld has been treated by his
party and declare that between Judge
Crothers and Mr.. Gather they will vote
for the latter.
These independents would have followed
the governor to the last ditch, and the dem
ocratic machine will find a hard task ahead
when they are asked to explain why War
field was not honored with denomination.
The governor has shown that he knew how
to lose gracefully, and while he has de-
clared that he will support the ticket he
cannot control his independent following.
Is Smiths Candidate.
These independents realize that Judge
Crothers is the candidate of former Gov
John Walter Smith, who occupied the eX-
ecutive chair at Annapolis when the pres
ent iniquitous election law was passed and
that the signature to this election law was
John Walter Smith, governor And they
have not forgotten, either, that 1t was Gov
Smith who at the behest of the democratic
boss Of the state, called the extra session
of the legislature for the purpose OF pass
ing this election law in order TO insure the
return of Senator German to the United
States Senate. They argue that II Crothers
should be elected Col Snnth would be the
boss de facto ct de jure of Maryland, and
that if Smith would go to the extreme he
did in 1901 for the benefit of others, what
would he not do to make sure his election
to the United States Senate and tighten his
grasp upon control of the state. Col. Smith
is an Immensely wealthy man, and has
always contributed princely sums to state
campaigns, and it is safe to assume that
where his own interests are directly con-
cerned he will be even more liberal.
Talbot in Distress.
Perhaps the most detected democratic pol
itician in Maryland today is Representative
Talbot He knows that with Col. Smith in
the saddle in party management he stands
a mighty poor chance to capture a sena-
torial plum, something that he has been
playing for ever since the death of Senator
German. Talbot is the shrewdest politician
in the democratic camp today, and months
ago he foresaw in the chaotic condition of
the party chance for the eastern shore
millionaire as he calls Col. Smith, to step
in at the proper moment and walk of with
| the gubernatorial candidate. And Talbot S
worst fears were realized, for the party
managers must now turn to Col. Smith for
| the sinews of war" and Col: Smith will
| be able to dictate terms. Talbot knows
| that Smith has an old score to settle with
| the machine leaders for the Ihrowdown
| in the senatorial fight before the legislature
| in 1904, and he also knows that he Will be
| one of the first to fell the shifting of the rod
| in the hands of Boss Smith in the event
that Crothers is elected. Hence it may be
readily seen that there is little incentive
| for Talbot to roll up his sleeves and work
| for the ticket.
| The Campaign Issue.
The issue on which the campaign will be
| fought Is clearly defined-honest elections
| and the democrats are placed on the de-
| fensive. The republicans will have little
trouble in finding campaign material They
| have only to turn back to the election of
! 1906 and compare the vote cast with the
registered vote. At the congressional cleo
| ton last year there were counted 1926 re-
publican votes, a2, 366 democratic, 3,410 pro-
hibiton and g. 1U3 socialist, total of 1913, 154.
| The registered vote of Maryland is 225, $50
white and 80 301 colored, a total OF 277, $50.
| Deduct the vote counted from the registered
vote and it is Gear that 10, Ij6 voters either
| stayed at home or If they voted their bal
| lots were not counted, either because of
| connivance of election officials or because
| of defects in the ballots. These figures are
| really astounding, when it is remembered
| that the rejected vote of Maryland is twice
| as large the vote of Delaware; larger
| by 10000 than the vote of Rhode Island,
Montana and North Dakota; as large as the
| vote of Oregon and three times larger than
| that of Wyoming. The absence of 20, 1856
| voters from the polls cannot wholly be eX-
planned by rejected ballots, but shows that
the voters of Maryland are dissusted with
elections which do not register their senti-
ments.
Democrats Fear Gather.
The nomination of Mr.. Gather was the
| thing most feared by the democratic ring
sters. They recognize that Baltimore is the
battle-ground and that Mr.. Gather is strong
er with the voters of this city than any
other man in either party. He has been
prominently before the people of Baltimore
for many years, and his record as vice
mayor during the administration of Mayor
Timanus is fiawless. He is immensely pop
ular with the great independent element
that swings Baltimore back and forth like
a pendulum between the two parties. The
democrats wilr find that their cry of negro
domination If raised this fall will lost its
force with Mr.. Gather as the nominee.
The campaign will have to be fought out
strictly on its merits as between Gather
and Crothers and the democratic candidate
carrying a handicap in the form of dishon-
est election laws.
Warfield for Senate.
There is a great sentiment developing
among the followers of Gov. Warfeld and
the independent element that the governor
declare himself a candidate for the United
States Senate. A prominent Independent
democrat in discussing the situation said
to The Star correspondent today: After
the character of administration given the
people of Maryland by Gov. Wartield and
his splendid fight for clean politics in the
state convention, it appears to be his duty,
whether he wants to make the fight not,
to become candidate for the United States
Senate Gov. Warfield is exponent of
the peoples democracy. For the years he
has been governor of this state their well
fare has been safely guarded. and they
have never been refused full, free and fair
hearing at his hands. At the recent con-
vention he fought successful fight in their
behalf and among other reforms accom-