Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-23
TAFT A SIDE ISSUE
Frederick County Farmers
More Interested in Judgeship.
WILSON, TOO, is IGNORED
County Chairman Devoting His
Energies to Lewis.
DOUBS IS PUSHING ROOSEVELT
Politicians Find Strong Competition
in the Fair-Crisis in the Ca
reer of Judge Motter.
D0UBS IS PUSHING ROOSEVELT
From Staff Correspondent.

From Staff Correspondent
FREDERICK, Md. October 23.-Being
a county chairman in a presidential year
carries with it a suggestion of red fire.
banners. parades and speeches, but be-
ing county chairman around these parts
just at present is something like being
1T" in a game of puss-in-the-corner
Here the great big county fair is open
and the Misunderstanding is in process the
county chairman is supposed to be on
the job to bring the boys into line, but
the fact that every fellow has prefer
ence for President in one party, pref
erence for congressman in another party
and a red-hot prejudice about this judge
ship, makes a county chairman throw
up his hands and shrek for help. Two
days Of minglng with the fair crowds is
sufficient to forecast that when the votes
are marked for the ballot box they will
be twisted and turned like corkscrew.
Tomorrow viii be the great politicians
day'-so-called-at the fair. but 1T will
be more of a perfunctory affair than
anything else. Three county chairmen
here know full we'll that they are licked
in one direction and hope to win in an
other, and they also know that this year
the farmer is more interested in who is
going to win the blue ribbon than in
who is going to be President
If you were a county chairman and had
a man from Baltimore trying to run the
job for you, it would be chaotic condi-
ton, would it not? That's the condition
of affairs in the republican ranks, and
the county politicians are as sore as they
can be about it. George r. Dennis, jr,
county chairman for the G. o. p Is out
day and night campaigning for Taft, and
yet the fact that the farmers UP here
are more interested in Arthur Willard,
candidate for judge. than they are in
PRESIDENT Taft has caused the state ma
chine to take the Taft matter in its own
hands
Another county chairman who is letting
his presidential candidate shift for him
self. according to reports. is c. H. Con-
ley of the democratic headquarters He
doesn't work as hard for Wilson as he
works for Representative David Lewis.
aspirant for reelection to the House of
Representatives. And w. w. Doubs. third
termer county chairman, is out for Roose
Welt and nobody else.
With all of this mess, the Taft support
ers in this region are very SORE They
think the politicians are not paying
enough attention to the President and
they are taking the matter into their own
hands as far as they can. Dennis himself
got in bad with some of the local people
here because he made speech a few
days ago and didn't mention Arthur Will
lard at all. He said in explanation that
ne believed in the President and wanted
TO see him win. The lukewarm republic
ans laughed him to scorn and told him
to get busy on Willard and preserve the
integrity of the local machine.
Crisis for Judge Motter.
Speaking of the machine in the G. o.
r., this year is going to see the famous
republican boss of these regions either
triumphant or Inundated beyond all
description. The boss is Judge John c.
Motter- In the words of his county
chairman ''he has been the whole cheese
in republicanism for fifteen years." He
has helped the farmer, he has helped the
m ii ne has been a paternal boss
time and time again. He has extended
the helping hand and made friends. He
has been 1t with a capital letter ever
since he assumed the duties of the bench
and now that he will retire. he has put
his heart and soul into getting Arthur
Willard elected judge to succeed him.
He was the motive power for the ma
chine. and, of course, in the gradually
increasing prestige and power which his
position accumulated in the fifteen. years
he made enemies, as all politicians do.
The county chairman himself. as stanch
a republican machine man as he is says
the Judge was the original planter Of the
third term seed here, and the seed has
d
tree. In the formal statements in the
press, the judge has stuck to the regular
ticket, but everywhere you go in this
county and in this district, you will hear
republicans say that the boss is putting
his last and greatest effort into making
Arthur Willard judge.
So Taft men are sore. They are going
about getting those who will listen to
reason TO join the drift back to Taft"
and are actually combating the sentiment
which sprung to life again when Roose
welt was shot in Milwaukee. That shot
had big effect throughout this region.
The Fair a Strong Rival.
So the county chairman is up against
hard problem today. The farmer is
in town and at the fair. Around him
are the oxen and the bulls. the Buff
Orpingtons and the trotters. The faker
is shouting his wares and the hot-dog
~