The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-07-26
BALTIMORE LETTER.

There is a great deal Of foolish talk 60
ing as to who shall conduct the campaign
for the Democratic ticket in Maryland
and throughout the country A lot OF
silly partisans of Governor Wilson aver
that all the old politicians should be set
aside. except those who were originally
Wilson men. and the conduct of the cam
paign should be put exclusively in the
hands of the latter and of men who have
no experience in politics. These people
overlook the fact that enthusiasm alone
does not carry elections. What we must
have are votes and enough OF them to
carry enough states to give us the MAJOR
ity in the Electoral College.
A reluctant vote counts as much as an
enthusiastic vote. The unfortunate eXpe-
rience of the Democratic party in the
three Bryan campaigns should leave no
doubt about this fact. No man had more
enthusiastic followers than Mr.. VIM en-
njugs BRYAN but he did not have enough
Of them to secure his election. A Candi-
date OF far less magnitude, who have
aroused no enthusiasm whatever If he
still could have induced enough people
to vote for HIM TO elect him, would have
been a better candidate, even if every
man should have voted for him reuct-
antlv. There we're plenty of Democrats
who voted for Mr. Bryan reluctantly and
their votes counted as much as the votes
of an equal number of his most enthusl-
astic friends Unfortunately, there were
not enough of both classes to elect the
| candidate Those who arrogate to them
selves the position Of being the real
! friends OF Governor Wilson ought to
| know that, however disrupted the Re-
| publican party may now appear to be, the
Democratic party has no votes TO spare.
! Any effort at the prescription OF those
/ who did not favor the nomination OF Gov
/ ernor Wilson can result only in the loss of
/ votes to the Democratic party
| We are glad to say that this foolish
( talk does not come from the leaders of
I the Wilson following in the state. Men
| like Blair Lee and VIM. l.. Marbury are
too sensible and, we believe, are too
good Democrats to indulge in that sort
of ioolishness.
The Baltimore SIM has been endeavor-
ing, in editorials and through interviews
with Democratic Independents, " to
! propagate the idea that some prominent
Democrat who is well known as will
son man" must be selected as the lead
err of the presidential campaign in Mary
| land.
As matter of fact, there is no such
demand among Maryland Democrats.
Even the most ardent 'WilSOnites" real
ize that, to get majority of votes in the
state there must be united party, and
| that there cannot BE- united party, I'M
less it is led by the regular party organi
cation.
Mr.. Eugene O'Dunne, who was an
earnest advocate of the nomination of
Governor Wilson long before the Balti-
| more convention, dcpreCates the move
mcnt OF the Sun in this direction and Of
| ferS the following apt advice to those who
may be in sympathy with what that paper
has been saying on that subject:
at is but natural that those who from
the start earnestly espoused the cause of
Wilson should still b. DESTROYS of taking
a most active part in the campaign. The
proper thing to do is to tender their SER
vices and subscriptions to the State Cen
trail Committee, if either is refused, it will
be time enough to start an independent
movement to GUST the management of the
State Central Committee
This advice is the sum of practical wis
dom III the present instance. There is
plenty Of work for every Democrat in
Maryland. Much campaign money is to
be raised. Many Indifferent voters are
be persuaded. Ii will be the hottest
campaign in twenty years on the stump.
There will be urgent need of cash, of or
atOry, OF vote ge;terS.
But as to the leadership" that has
been provided for by law for the present,
At least, and those who have the party's
interest at heart need not trouble them
selves about this settled problem
No doubt there will be advisory COM
mittees" appointed for both the state and
city and membership on these may as
suage the anxiety of some Original"
Wilson men for reorganization.
Governor Wilson himself has exhibited
no such disposition. The meetings be-
tween him and Speaker Clark and Lead
er Underwood have been marked with
the utmost cordially and Governor Will
son has expressed the greatest gratitude
for the report that he has received from
men who. before the nomination, were
his opponents. There is no disposition
on the part of anybody who has hereto
fore been Democrat not to support
Wilson This has not been true OF the
ticket in any previous campaign since
that of 1892.
The Democratic party is united as it
has never been since then and it will
stand united, despite the efforts of enc,
mics without its ranks and fools within TO
cause diSSention.