The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-08-12
DEMOCRATIC FRACTIONAL
STRIFE GETTING WORSE
Chairman G. Semmes HamilI Comes
In For Much Criticism.

Tuesday mornings issue Of the Bal
timore American published the follow
ing as a special telegram from Oakland
under date Of Monday, the 9Th. and the
same is herewith republished for the
benefit of our readers:
The bitterness which existed before
the primaries between the two factions
Of the Democratic party in Garrett
county has since the primaries been in
creasing daily. The insurgents. led by
Hamill, carried the county by about 40
majority. The Browning forces were
under the leadership of ex-senator r.
. I. Browning The feeling is so bitter
that families are divided. some favoring
one side and some the other. and in one
instance disagreement has occurred
between partners who have been en-
gagged in business for a numbered years
and dissolution of partnership has re-
suited.
The preliminaries Of the actual fight,
however, did not occur until Tuesday
morning last at Oakland, when the com
mittee, under the law, was supposed to
meet and canvass the vote. to certify
the result Of the election to the state
convention. At the hour the return
/ judges met at their office. G.. Semmes
HamiiI, Jr., chairman Of the committee.
being present in his official capacity.
and L. 7. Browning, also a member Of
the committee, as a spectator. I'M
/ mediatcly after tha Judges met writ
ten protest, was handed to the chair
man, in which the legality of the call
for the primaries was attacked. setting
forth the fact that under the law the
committee, and not the chairman, was
/ empowered to make the call.
The protest was based on the fact
that the call for the primaries had been
made by the chairman of the committee
acting alone, who signed the names of
the members of the committee to the
same without consulting them and with
out their authority
/ The law gives the power to the state
central committee Of the counties to
make primary call, but in this instance
two members Of the committee did not
get the opportunity to voice their senti-
/ ments as the chairman, without call
ing a meeting of the committee. die
tated the manner of the procedure. is
sued the call, signed the names of the
other members to it, apportioned the
amount that each candidate was to be
assessed to defray the costs, recommen-
ded all the judges and clerks, and can
vassed the returns without consulting
his colleagues. The other member Of
+ the committee present stated that as
he had not been consulted in any other
manner, it was not necessary for him to
take part in that
I The question Of the eligibility of c. V.
/ Guard, one of the insurgents candidates
for delegate, was also raised and pro-
test filed, Mr.. Guard being one of the
election supervisors, whose duty it was
to appoint judges and clerks for the
primary at which he was candidate.
When the protest was laid before the
chairman he entered into discussion of
its merits holding that the primary call
was legal, even though made by min
GRITTY member Of the committee. This
led up to several speeches made by diff
ferent adherents of the factions, where
in Mr.. Hamlll was accused of double
dealing in having p. A. Chisholm APP
pointed election supervisor sometime
ago, when it was understood that King
Delawder was to be appointed
DIR. f. H. Bartlett in a speech declar-
ed that the chairman, Mr. Hamill, had
called on the governor and had himself
appointed chief judge Of the Orphans
Court, to fill a vacancy, when it was
agreed that another was to be recon-
mended for this appointment, and, fur
ther, that he Mr. HamilD continued
to fill the office until informed by the
court that he was Ineligible to practice
hNAoAN AiHlA u ibuiIdl, he re-
signed.
William Miller, for many years the
chairman of the Democratic state CEN
trial committee and leader of his party
IN the county, who several times has
been its nominee for senatorial honors.
always leading his ticket at the cleo
ton, claims that he was forced to resign
recently from the school board, due to
the treachery of certain members of his
party. Following this he resigned
as a member of the state central COM
mittee, and publicly declars he will not
have. anything further to do with
Democracy.
The feeling between the two factions
is very bitter and is daily growing in
intensity. The seat of war will this
week be transferred to the state con-
vention. The insurgents feel confident
of their position, and it is rumored, if