Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-06-03
A POWERFUL
STATE LEADER
The Baltimore Sun Pays Rare
Compliment TO the Hon.
John Walter Smith.

From BaltmofpSun.
Under existing political conditions in
Maryland, the dominant force in Demo-
cratic politics is John Walter Smith.
This is why the present fixing Of Guber-
material states by Democratic politi-
clans, unsancitoned by Senator Smith,
is not to be taken too seriously. Any
slate so fixed of which he does not ap-
prove can and, in all possibility, will be
smashed.
This does not mean that Mr.. Smith has
the power to nominate any man he
chooses. regardless of how all the other
Democratic leaders of the State may
view his availability or desirability.
but it does mean that it lies in his pow
er to prevent the nomination of any
man hostile or Indifferent to himself,
and that by taking up candidate suf-
ficiently acceptable to few of these
leaders, he can breath the breath of life
into an otherwise dead candidacy and
practically dictate the nomination. 1t
will amount to that in the end, although
the man may not be the first and per-
sonal choice of Mr.. Smith.
AS things stand today he is the real
power in Maryland politics and he is as
unquestionably the State leader as the
late Senator German ever was. This
has been true since 1907 and it is truer
still now.
The big reason for this is that Mr..
Smith is the only Democrat in the State
who has behind him, under nearly all
circumstances, more than one county,
the votes of which in convention. in a
Legislature or in a primary he can
deliver or obtain, not only for himself
but for the candidate he favors.
OF the % counties of the State. it is
conservative to say there are at least
10, the Democratic ends Of which are
absolutely controlled by men who are
thick and thin Smith men who prefer to
fight for Mr.. Smith and for what Mr..
Smith wants and under the Smith banner
than in any other way. While these 10
counties will not total enough votes to
control State convention, their cohesion
under the Smith leadership enables them
easily to dominate.
With lever such as is afforded by the
strength of 10 counties, it is simple
thing to make concessions that bring
two or three others in line, thus gain
ing majority of votes in the conven-
tion. And this can be done without fig
uring on Baltimore city at all.
How Senator Smith got his power is
another story. The fact remains that
he has it. and everybody who knows
political conditions knows it. In the first
place, he has never been in politics for
money. and everybody knows that. He
has played the game like a gentleman and
enjoys il like another man enjoyes his
yacht, or another his fast horses. or
another specializing in the stock market.
His political creed has been to serve his
friends. and in the course of a political
career of more than 25 years he has
built up reputation for absolute loyalty
to those who stand with him, for square
ness and fairness. for being above and
incapable Of little or low or dirty"
tricks, for an unvarying regard for his
word and for being as nearly unselfish
as politician can be.
Besides this he has recognized talent
for politics and the means to make it
count. No poor man in Maryland could
have gone as far in the achievement Of
political power as Senator Smith has
gone. The fact that he has the money
to finance campaign, that he is willing
to spend it, that he is as generous a
contributor when he is not candidate
himself as when he is, has been tre-
mendous factor in his success and has
had not little TO do in binding to him
the counties where he is in control.
II has so greatly helped that as State
Senator, as Governor, as United States
Senator and as State leader he has for
many years been industriously and ener-
getically engaged in landing political jobs
for his friends and has never been too
busy to champion their cause. The result
has been that there is scarcely county
in the State or a ward in the City where
there is not some Democrat who feels
under a personal obligation to Senator
Smith. Other political leaders in the
State have done these things. too, but
they have not had the opportunities nor
the means, nor the enthusiasm for them
that Smith has had. and this explains
why he can swing, in primary, string
date. while Talbot, German, Miles. DIR.
George Wells, Buchanan Schley. 7.
Herbert Shriver and other county lead
ers are restricted to the one county in
which they live, and why Senator Ray
ner, former Governor Warfeld. former
Governor Brown and others almost
equally prominent have not even pre-
einef whieh thew can "dalivar's in m