Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-31
NOD|SFRANCH|SEMENT
ShibboIeth of Maryland Re-
pubIiCanS This Year.
ISSUE OF POLITICAL FIGHT
Cardinal Gibbons Declaration
Poser for the Democracy.
COMMENT OF THE DEMOCRATS
Gov. Crothers Forgets All About
Ante-Election Promise to
Warfield.
ISSUE OF POLITICAL FIGHT
COMMENT OF THE DEMOCRATS
Special Correspondence Of The star.

Special Correspondence Of The star.
BALTIMORE. Md, January 20. 1890
The big political fight I'm Maryland Ibis
year will be made on the Straus disfran-
chisement amendment. The battle against
this measure the object OF which plainly
stated is to create a political olgarchy.
is already being waged by the republ-
cans and this party will be reinforced by
a great army of democrats who opposed
the Poe amendment and defeated IL In
1905 The wiseacreS in the democratic
camp seem to have overlooked the TACT
that former Gov. Warfield has not de-
clared himself in favor Of the measure.
Warfield's silence on this point has led
those who followed in the strenuous cam
paign of four years ago to assume that he
Is still against such an amendment, even
in the Straus form.
Former Gov Warfield. it is understood.
Is not in favor of the present form or the
amendment, and at the proper time will
declare himself. Warfield has really httie
or no reason to come to the AID Oh Inc
regulars in this party crisis.
1t is not generally known, but IL ~
fact nevertheless, that every appolntee OF
Gov Warfield at Annapolis has long
since been removed from office and the
places filled by men and women VIM
wear the organization stripes upon theiI
arms PraCIlcdlIy lUe
the Warfield administration at Annapolis
is an old colored man who Is the MAJOR
domo al the executive mansion
His Only Request Denied.
Practically the only request made by
Gov. Warfield when he relinuuished the
ship of state was that Col. Oswald Thigh
man, then secretary Of state, should he
made state librarian. Gov. Crothers ac-
A., Mr. Warfip16
did not give the matter of patronage
another thought. To Warfields surprise,
however Crothers named a near relative.
to the office and Col. T1lShman was left
out in the cold. From that time onward
Crothers appeared to make a studied eff
fort to remove every employe VINO mad
been named by .his predecessor
1t must not be forgotten in this con-
nection that Warfield named Crothers TO
a judgeship. In making this appointment
Gov Warfield was advised by his closest
friends to pass up Crothers and name
another man. Warfield, however. always
independent in action, sent for Crothers
and had a heart-to-heart talk with him.
Crothers assured Warf1eld that the sum
total of his ambition was to round out
his career on the bench. and that he had
no other political ambition.
The governor was impressed with the
ardent sincerity of Crothers. and. despite
the advice Of his friends, named the
Cecil county lawyer to the bench. When
Crothers doomed up as gubernatorfal
candidate there was no man In Maryland
more surprised than Gov. Warfield
Cardinal Creates Sensation.
The sensation of the week was the
declaration against the amendment by
Cardinal Gibbons. The greatest interest
in the cardinals news was taken naturally
by the democrats. In discussing the prob
able effect one prominent democrat said
to The Star correspondent today: 1T ia
easy enough to understand why the car
dnal looks at the amendment as he does.
The cardinal has always been warm
friend of Mr.. Taft and his stand on the
Philippine question some years ago proved
it. Now that Taft is to be President
after March the cardinal naturally de-
sires TO feel that his present position or
having open sesame at the White House
should be continued. The cardinal knows
that Mr.. Taft, as republican, Is OPP
posed to the Acknowledgement amendment.
and it is quite natural that the cardinal
should agree with Taft on this proposition.
because the cardinal, if he mixes in poll
tics. must play country wide and not state
politics. Cardinal Gibbons, therefore.
could hardly be expected to be in favor
of the amendment with Taft against it.
Another democrat. in discussing the
stand of the cardinal. declared that the
st atement of the head of the Catholic
Church in America one of the best
arguments that could be made in favor
of the amendment
View of Another Democrat.
The cardinal makes it plain said
this democrat to The Star correspondent.
that he is opposed to the amendment
simply because it purposes to deprive the
negro of his vote, and he is opposed to
any and all amendments which have such
purpose i'm view. And this is the
strongest argument the democrats could
desire. If-and this is the big point-the
democrats can make the white people
understand that their voting privilege
will not be interfered with or destroyed,
and that the purpose of the amendment
is simply to disfranchise the negroes. then
the cardinals statement Is indeed helpful.
for il will bring home to them the very
point the democrats believe in and they
will support il gladly. The great trouble
is and has been that the democrats cannot
convince the white voters. especially the
foreigners, that the amendment was not
meant TO dsfranchise them" j. NJ. ID.