Evening star., 1912-09-08
No Harmony Apparent in Party
in Maryland.
"MACHINE" AT THE HELM
Men Who Backed Clark Not Keen
Over Gov. Wilson.
REPUBLICANS SEE VICTORY
Split in Democratic Ranks Means
Success Of President Taft,
They Say.
Special Correspondence Of The star.

Sperla correspondence OF Inc STAR
BALTIMORE. Md. September Z. 1912.
The democratic party in Maryland
seems doomed to go through the presi-
Dental campaign without a vestige Of
real harmony within its ranks. And this
is due to the fact that the Organization"
seems bent on "hogging' . majority OF
the advisory committee members in the
city and counties. It Is q fact that the
machine leaders all over the state. men
who strongly backed Clark or Harmon In
the recent primaries, and who fought
Gov. Wilson tooth and nail In the demo-
cratic convention, have succeeded In
planting three organization men to one
progressive on the committee which Will
act In an advisory capacity to the demo-
cratic state central committee this fall
Each day 1t becomes more and more
apparent that the old leaders of the state
and city Organization" have not the
slightest idea of permitting the Wilson
or Lee element to take charge OF the
party machinery and run the campaign
for the presidential candidate. They are
I'm absolute control of the party ma
chinery, and they do not propose to allow
the "other fellows to get a look In.
"Sonny" Mahon, boss of the city democ-
racy, is not even talking politics these
days and his attitude does not Indicate
that he is aware of the fact that the
party Is on the eve of a national cam
paign. Not the slightest effort has been
made to raise the ''sinews of war. and
not a meeting has been arranged, nor
have the precinct executives worked
overtime in preparing for the new reg
istration that will be made this month.
The machine leaders. big and small, seem
disposed to allow things to drift along in
appear to have nothing to do until to-
morrow.
In previous campaigns the ward work.
ers have been on the job early and late
from the first day Of September until the
polls closed on election day, and they
would not be so dilatory at the present
time if word had not been passed down
the line to rest on their oars until the
boss" sent out the call to line up for
the ticket And there are many Wilson
supporters throughout the state who be-
heve that the machine" Is going to
"lay down cold'' or else make deal with
the Taft or Roosevelt forces.
Regular" Named Chairman.
The most important development Of the
week was the election of George C. Nor
rison as chairman of the advisory COM
mittee. Now Morrison Is an "organiza-
ton man to the extent that the "regu-
lars have on several occasions trotted
him out as a mayoralty possibility. The
Wilson men did not make any violent
effort to secure the Craftsmanship when
the committee met to elect head, al
though there had been some lively con-
ferences held by the adherents of Blair
Lee and rumors had spread that the
progressives would start something In
the event that the regulars attemp ted
to capture the chairmanship. The Will
sonites wanted former Representative
Joshua w. Miles for chairman, and when
the slate was announced as ready W.
Cabel1 Bruce made a feeble effort to
block q confirmation by the committee,
but soon realized that the regulars"
were In the saddle and intended to run
the show. The old-lne organization lead
ers were openly hostile to the Wilsonites
and the plans Of the Wilson-Lee wing of
the party.
In addition, the progressives were split
among themselves in a squabble over
'honors that they never had a chance to
get away with. The Wilsonites even went
so far in a preliminary conference as
to demand that the officers and majority
or the executive committee be COM
posed of the men who were active in
the primaries for Gov. Wilson. Their
plans and demands all went wrong. how
ever. and the best they could pull out
OF the fire was the vice chairmanship and
the treasurership. Last week the Will
son men scored. when they prevented
United States Senator John Walter Smith
as chairman of the committee and It
was forecast that the machine" would
get back at the progressives in no un-
certain way, and at the meeting this
week II was made plain that the Lee
wing would have to fight hard to get
anything and that the organization pro-
posed to keep a tight rein on the han
agement of party affairs within the state
of Maryland
Republican Leaders Optimistic.
The republican leaders are very opti-
smistic over the outlook in this state. and
assert that the split within the democratic
ranks will be beneficial to Taft Chair.
man Hanna has issued a call for a meet
Ing of the republican leaders from all
over the state for next Tuesday night.
when nominations for the substitute
electors to take the place OF Roosevelt
men will be made. and these selections
presented to the republican state conyen-
ton. which will reassemble in this city
wednesday. Present indications are that
the Roosevelt men will take no mart IN
the proceedings of the convention. the
bull moose leaders contending that the
gathering will not he I'm reality a state
convention. and that the body Will have
no power legally to remove Meesrs
Ncwbold. Baldwin and Allen from the
electoral ticket.
ON the question as 10 whether the con-
Ncntion can name substitutes for the
three Roosevelt men who have already
resigned. Col. Darlington and Mr.. New
bold. both bull moose leaders have split
The latter admits that the convention
may name the substitutes but Caring
ton asserts that this duty must be per-
formed by the state central committee.
Chairman Hanna and the other republi-
can leaders say they are sure of their
ground; that the convention will reas-
semble: that the three recalcitrant Roose-
welt men Will be removed and thtir Sub
siitItes named. and that the acts OF the
convention will be legal. I'VE have no
fear Of the consequences. said Chairman
Hanna today. We shall name the new
electors and the plans for the campaign
throughout the state will soon be in ex-
cellent shape.
Statement of Darlington.
Col. Darlington, who is chairman of the
progressive state committee, made the
following statement regarding the Roose-
Welt men on the electoral ticket:
Baldwin. Newbold and Allen have
made ii plain that they they cannot con-
scientiously support President Taft in
the event that they are elected to repre-
sent the people of Maryland i'm the elec-
tOral college. They have no wish to en-
farrass the republican managers. and
savc shown strong desire to get off the
ticket. They do not. however. want to be
embarrassed or to have any obstacle
thrown IN the way of getting the new
Progressive electoral ticket on the ballot
he convention called in accordance with
the instruction OF Mr.. Hanna cannot dis
place the electors chosen at the conven-
una he'd May IA. Any action in this
line by the new convention would be
Il he 4.