Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26
Baltimore Mayor Is a Candi-
date for Reelection.
OPPOSED BY BOSS MAHON
James H. Preston in Field as the
Machines Candidate.
IT'S WAR TO THE KNIFE
Democratic Organization Is Fighting
for Existence and Mahon's
Rule Is at Stake.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
BALTIMORE Md, February -, 1911.
Mayor Mahool is now a full-fiedged
candidate to succeed himself In the city
hall In making his announcement the
mayor did not mince words regarding
party bosses, and he has thrown down
the gantlet to the Mahon machine. With
James H. Preston in the field the ma
chine candidate and the formal announce
ment that Col Sherlock Swami Is ex-
pected to make almost any day. the po-
ltical pot may be said to be fairly siz-
ling
The mayoralty primary in the demo-
cratic party will be lively, because all
three of the candidates will wage ag-
gressive campaigns. and the organization
will be split into three wings. 1t is gen
orally understood that the mayors cam
pafgn will be managed by former Gov.
Frank Brown, who did like service Tor
Mahool four years ago, when the CITY
leader RaSin, was stricken on the eve
of the mayoralty primary. In that fight
Brown had the assistance and advice or
RaSin hut in the coming contest Brown
will be forced to rely upon his own gen
eralship and opposed by the ring The
mayor is Just now buSily engaged in per-
fecting organizations in each OF the TWEEN
ty-four city wards, and expresses every
confidence that he will be able to beat
out the Mahon machine.
Will History Repeat Itselfp
The situation today within the demo-
cratic party is practically the same as
il was eight years ago, when the then
Mayor Hayes came out for a renomina-
ton and openly detied Rasin and his ma
chine The ring candidate at that time
was Robert NJ. McLane, who died While
in office, and was only picked out by
Rasin after he ascertained that no out
and-out ring politician could win In that
tight.
In the campaign of 1905 Hayes made a
memorable fight against Rasin and the
whole machine, openly assaiing the boss
and making his battle cry Down with
Rasin and boSSiSm. Hayes had tne
support of some of the most prominent
and influential independent democrats In
the city, but when the votes were counted
il was found that Hayes had run thou
sands behind McLane- 1t must be re-
membered, however, that McLane CAM
paign was managed personally by Rasln,
the most sagaciouS and skillful political
leader that Maryland has ever known.
In the coming fight Mahon will be the
directing head of the campaign against
Mahool, and his political leadership VIII
be at stake.
Brown Versus Manon.
Another interesting feature of the i'm
pending fight is that Frank Brown and
Sonny Mahon, who worked hand in glove
for Mahool four years ago. will be lined
up against each other. Brown can be
relied on TO put up strong battle TO
down Mahon and his candidate, Preston,
because Brown has not forsotten that il
was Mahon'S city council which passed an
ordinance cutting down the fees Of the
Known
holds today through appointment by Ma
hool. Mahon, too is not at all likely TO
forget that ring henchmen have always
been turned down when they showed up
at the Brown-Mahool pie counter.
throughout the entire city government
there is not one position within the gift
of the mayor that has been given to a
Mahon man. The machine politicians
who were fired out of office by Mayor
HAYES are still out and there is abso-
Iutely no chance of them going back so
long as the Mahoo- Brown regime con-
tinues at the city hall. 1t can be readily
seen, therefore, that it's war to the knife
between Mahon and Brown and that the
old machine will be fighting for it's life
in the coming primaries.
Prefers Defeat to Mahool.
Men i'm close touch with Mahon have no
hesitation in saying that the easy boss
would rather go down in defeat than to
see Mahool and Brown remain in power
at the city hall. They assert that it is
no easy task TO be political boss and at
the same time be unable to land q street
sweeperS job for henchman. That the
machine intends to put up an out-and-
out ring ticket is plainly evident from
the couneilmanic ticket already picked to
go on the Preston slate. In every ward,
save one or two. councilmen known to be
on friendly terms with Mayor Mahooi
have been told to get out or be crushed
under the steam roller. In some in
stances the mandate of the boss has been
Ignored and it now seems likely that
Mahool viii have an entire councilmanic
ticket on his ballot. In the mayors own
ward. the twelfth, Councilman Heatwole
has been told that he need expect no
support from the organization, which
has picked Robert Z. Lee it's candi-
date Heatwoe has declined to retire
from the race and will make his fight for
the council lined up with the Mahool
forces.
Taken all in all, the situation In the
democratic party is most interesting, and
at this date no one can. with any GER
tainty. pick the probable winner in the
primary.