Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-07
MAKING OUT EXCUSES
Democrats Trying to Explain
Defeat in Maryland.
FIGURES BELLE CLAIMS
Franchise Amendment Vote Runs
Behind Head of Ticket.
BALTIMORE LEADERSHIP BAD
One Reason Assigned for Party
Losses There-Fraud Charged in
Wilson Law Counties.
BALTIMORE LEADERSHIP BAD
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
BALTIMORE, November 6. 1904.
Now that the election of 1909 is q thing
of the past, the democratic leaders are
endeavoring to explain how it all hap
pened that the republicans walked on
with a majority of the city offices In ad-
dition TO defeating the franchise amend
ment They claim that the amendment
was beaten because the negroes voted
solidly against 1t, and attempt to show
that a majority of the white voters OF
the state were against its defeat. They
place the negro vote at $1,000. and claim
that it went full against the Straus
measure. This explanation looks good
at first glance. but when a little investi-
CATION into the returns is made it does
not look so good.
The unofficial returns show that Joshua
w. Herring democratic candidate for
state controller. received 1926 votes in
the state. These same returns show that
the amendment polled S9.iN votes, just
12.421 votes less than DR.. Herring re-
eeived 1t is hardly likely that the demo-
cratic leaders will claim that II, 421 re-
publicans voted for DR.. Herring. There
fore IT must be concluded that 1242l
democrats who voted for DR.. Herring did
at the same time vote against the fran
chise amendment.
The democrats lost the city this time
because they failed TO realize that in poll
tics nothing is go uncertain as sure
thing. No one could induce the state
leaders to think for one moment that
the amendment could be defeated. And
the city leaders regarded the fight as
won before the polling places were opened
on election day.
Lost Art of Leadership.
The defeat of the democratic party in
Baltimore is due to the fact that the
party lacks real leadership. The ward
and precinct leaders never know whether
they are going or coming The political
game, as played in the days of German
and Rasin. is a lost art. Sonny Mahon
who is supposed TO be Initiating the man
| tie worn for a quarter of century by
Rasin, got jolt last Tuesday that caused
him to sit up and take notice. His clos
est friend and admirer is Max Ways. clerk
of the circuit court, who was defeated by
| w. =. Carson, a republican and prac-
tically unknown in city politics. The poll
ticianS are therefore questioning the
right of Mahon to the title of city boss.
They also point to the fact that former
Sheriff Padgett, who is the left bower of
MahOn, also went down to defeat in the
contest for register Ct wills. Howard W..
Jackson, republican. defeating him by a
substantial majority.
AS matter of fact. there was not
a single MahOn man who won out among
the few democrats who were elect
ed. The defeat of Ways was the great
est blow to the state and city leaders.
Ways was always close to Senator John
Waller Smith, the state boss-was re-
garded as the right-hand man of Smith
when he was governor. Col. Smith
thought so well of Ways shat as gov
ernor. he named him as president of the
liquor license board OF Baltimore city, a
position regarded only as second in politi-
cal power in the city to that of presi-
fore, in his campaign for clerk of the
circuit court had the support of Senator
Smith. as well as the solid backing of
the Mahon machine. His defeat, there
fore. coupled with that of Padgett, can
have but one meaning. and that is tnat
the days of the democratic city Organiza-
ti0n under its present leadership are
numbered.
Charges Of Fraud.
The republican state leaders claim that
with a fair election law in all the coun-
ties they would have made good
showing on the legislative returns. From
all the counties affected by the Wilson
law came the cry Of fraud; and while
this is a usual cry at these times, there
is more than the element of trulh in 1t
this year. Jared from the use Of --ack
| lines under the names of democratic
| candidates by the decision of the at
torney general, the democratic super
visors in these counties constructed bal
lots along lines that made them marvels
in the way of political tricxery. In dis
cussing the fraud practiced In the coun-
ties by the democrats. Republican State
| Chairman Hanna said to The Star cor
| respondent today:
I'VE will not take any steps until we
have thoroughly scrutiniZed the minutes
of the meetings of the supervisors I'm GER
u 10 ffnS han f1nra fo
sible way for us to reach them by
criminal procedure we shall certainly do
SO. In certain counties the democratic
supervisors absolutely took matters into
| their own hands, ignored the opinion of
Attorney General Straus. and consum-
mated whatever frauds they desired.
They had enough leeway on the Will
son ballots, but, aside from that. their
whole proceedings were illegal. And IL
they can do such things i'm the Wilson
law counties every county i'm the state
could and would be doing the same thing.
If this gross violation of the law on sthe
eastern shore passes unpublished. the same
thing could be done in Baltimore city and
the public would never be sure Of a fair
| election. We do not intend to allow such
open violation OF the law to pass unno-
| ticed: but. on the contrary. every culp-
able man of them will be prosecuted If
there is a way to reach them.
Il have heard from our workers in the
| counties what the democratic supervisors
did in those counties. but before we pro-
coed against them We are going to be abb
solutey certain Of what they did In do
ing this IL is not only to protect our
selves but the public as well, against
corrupt elections. II the democratic SUI
pervisors are to be allowed to continue
as they did at this election ii will be USE
less to have republican supervisor"
May Attempt Legislation.
There is some talk among the demo-
cratic leaders of presenting bill before
the next legislature which would dis
franchise the negro I'm Baltimore munich
pal elections as he is already disfran-
chised by a similar law i'm Annapolis,
where the negro has been practically
eliminated from politics. and the demo-
Gratis have things all their own way.
Some of the more hot-headed among the
democrats assert that to force the An
napolis law on Baltimore city would be
| d mere matter of action by the legisla-
ture. They say that there would not
have to be any referendum vOte-that
Baltimore would not be asked whether
| il liked il or not. The law would be
= passed. and the next time the city voted
: il would find the grandfather's clause
$ and the educational clause and the prop
erty clause and all the other familiar
\ features of the discredted disfranchise-
: ment amendment in full operation here.