Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
SEE TROUBLE AHEAD
Some Politicians in MARYLAND
Making Sour Faces.
CONDITION Is PECULIAR
republicans Are United, Democratic
Party Divided.
FIGHT ON DISFRANCHISEMENT
Unwilling to Take Chance-Money
Of No Avail-Give Voice to
Dissatisfaction.
CONDITION is PECULIAR
FIGHT ON DISFRANCHIsEMENT
special Correspondence of The Star.


BALTIMORE, Md, January - 1909.
me new year opens with rather pc
euliar condition in politics fo~ Maryland.
II finds the republican party united and
is one man against the disfranchisement
amendment. while the democratic party
Is house divided against itself on this
same question. The fight against the
amendment on the part of the republic
ans Is being led by William F. Stone
the republican leader of the city, and in
all likelihood, after the next battle of
ballots, the leader of the state. The
democrats, being divided, have no leader
around whom to rally, and the prospect
OF getting together grows less day BY
day.
1t IS generally understood that the fight
for the amendment will be decided on
al meeting of the democratic state CEN
ira! committee to be held next month.
and that Chairman Vandiver will be the
con1mander-in-chief. There has also
been some talk of a big democratic har-
mony dinner next week, and the chances
are that the dinner will be pulled off on
schedule time, but the party managers
are dubious about the harmony end of
the affair The only expression heard
within democratic circles Is that there
IS grave doubt that any man now high in
the councils of the party could bring
about harmony at this stage of the game
me breach Is already too wide, and he
would indeed be brave big chief in the
democratic wigwam who would offer to
assume command
Unwilling to Take Chance.
While there has always been more or
less talk that the republican party as a
whole would be much stronger by the
wholesale abolition of the negro vote. the
of hot
that way, and they believe from what is
said and known the life of the party de-
ponds upon their ability to defeat the
proposed amendment. which would for
ever eliminate all possible chance of fu-
lure republican success in Maryland
When the Poe amendment was present.
ed for ratification by the old German
Ratsin machine the republicans felt salts
ned over what the result would be- be-
cause OF the big interparty row. and be-
cause such prominent democrats as Gov.
Warheld, Attorney General Bryan Leigh
Bonsal and William L. Marbury were
frankly outspoken against the amend
mcnt- These and other big democrats of
an independent frame of mind toured the
STATE and let the people know what would
be the result of the passage of such an
amendment-an oigarchy political such
as state had never before known They
set forth that with the amendment on the
statute books the state would be in the
grasp or an interruptions political ring
which could not then be ousted from
power except by death. and detailed the
terribly corrupt conditions that would
certainly follow the placing of such great
power In the hands of the then bosses
of Maryland. And the result was that
the Poe amendment was defeated by
over coco majority.
Money of No Avail.
The republicans, of course, rallied to az
man under the party banner of fair cleo
tons and al primary differences and in
ter-party troubles were forgotten in that
assault on the democratic column The
republican party organization presented
an unbroken front. The democrats had
money to burn. but they could not spend
II. The organization, city and state had
money left after the fight. for the leaders
or the minor class realized that they were
up against a terrific combination and
many of them refused TO take more money
10 help wage the fight. declaring that 1t
was a hopeless contest.
Prior to the passage of the last act in
1908. which again all owed the proposition
10 be presented to tho voters at the cleo
ton next November, the democratic man
ayers held open conferences and sessions
and all of the democrats who had op-
posed the Poe amendment were called i'm
and their advice asked. as well as sue-
Gestons as to what they considered was
me proper sort of a test as to whether u
SHOULD De allowed TO cast b3 Hot
After weeks of hearings and discussions
Attorney Genera StrauS drew up a meas
ure and it was adopted. But the men
who followed the lead of WarfieId against
the Poe measure were not satisfied and
openly expressed themselves against the
Straus plan.
Voice Their Dissatisfaction.
Since then at various times there have
beea mUtterings of discomfort among the
opponents of the Poe measure and 1t has
been claimed that some of the features of
the new amendment are just as obiec-
tionable as were those in the Poe amend
mcnt. There has even been open declare
tionS against the measure as It stands to-
Jay and the organization is expecting
jaily broadSide against the amendment
rom some prominent democrat who COM
mands a large following.
The democratic leaders, however nro
fcss confidence. But 1t can be said-and
truly-tlat they are not overjoyed at the
prospect of the amendment being on the
ballot next fall, and if they could have
sheir way about IL they would sdetrack
The amendment until some "of wear
when there would be less at stake than
The judiciary, legislature and a United
states senator
With all these big p'ums at stake the
machine bosses and even the smaller fry
leaders are making sour faces over the
prospect Of the trouble that is ahead.
Turkish Tobacco in Kentucky.
firm of Turkish cigarette manufac-
surers has asked the Governor of Ken
lucky TO aid in having Turkish tobacco