Evening star., 1912-07-14
INTERESTS OPPOSE WILSON
Regular Democratic Machine Also
Said to Be Against Nominee.
WANT THIRD PARTY FORMED
Roosevelt Followers Believe State
Should Have Set of Electors
for the Colonel.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

BALTIMORE, Md, July 13, 1912.
There is a growing belief In certain
quarters that President Taft will carry
Maryland next November. A prominent
democrat who has large financial interests
in this city is authority for the state
ment that the big interests will not sup
port the democratic ticket this fall in so
far as the national end of the ticket is
concerned In this state. He said further
that he believed that the conservative
element in both the democratic and re-
publican parties would line UP for Taft,
because they regard Roosevelt as a
positive menace to business stability, and
Wilson as being too closely identified with
the Bryan wing of the party.
The principal interest in the campaign
just now is just where the line of de-
narkation between the progressive and
regular democracy of the city and
state will be drawn. The regulars are
not showing any wild desires to take off
their coats and get to work for Wilson.
On the contrary the leaders who pull the
wires in city and state are oppressively
silent when asked regarding plans for the
Wilson campaign in this state. They do
not indicate the slightest desire to get
into the saddle and whoop things up for
the democratic standardbearer. Indeed,
the majority of the big fellows are still
hot under the collar over the defeat OF
Clark and one of them is quoted as say
ing that the reformers and purists nav
ing nominated Wilson, can now get to
work and elect him..
No Enthusiasm for Wilson.
There is absolutely no enthusiasm for
Wilson among the party workers. and
there is no Indication that the machine
intends to do more than to allow the VIII
sonites to run the campaign from begin
ming TO end And on this point the
.'progressives'' and the regulars are
agreed The friends of Wilson assert
that they do not propose 70 permit men
who have been bitterly hostile TO him dur
ing the pre-convention period to take
charge of things during the coming fgnt:
The progressive leaders, however. ado
that this is not to he interpreted as mean-
ing that the leaders of the regulars
are not to be relied on in the coming
fight but that ii Is not desired TO dampen
the enthusiasm of the Wilson cause mere
by allotting any good seat In the pand-
wagon TO the regulars" who were In
league with the combination Wnlch lousht
Wilson to the finish.
An important development of the week
was the formal announcement oy george
r. Gather that he would support Roose-
yelt Mr. Gather four years ago was
the republican nominee for Governor OF
MARYLAND. and his position in this cam
paign came as great surprise 10 iiians
who had always regarded him as a con-
seryatiye MIR Gather is in favor OF
putting fun third party ticket in the
field In taking this position Mr.. Galtaer
disagrees with Col h. {. Carringtoh lhe
Roosevelt leader in Maryland, who taxes
the position that the Roosevelt electors
chosen at the primaries should vote ioi
Roosevelt In the electoral college even
though Taft should carry the state.
In discussing the question of pfesiden-
tial electors and their sworn duty, over
Gnfn ~ VI
here. MIR Gather said TO The star cor
respondent today:
Notwithstanding the fact that / shall
personally support Col. Roosevelt IL ne
is nominated by the pro"resslves- at the
convention to be held in Chicago next
month | cannot help feeling that the
electors chosen by any particular party
are bound TO cast their votes tor the can
didate of that party in the event ne re-
ceiyes a majority of the popular vote
of the state Undoubtedly the obligation
to do so is nothing more than a moral
one but TO my mind it is as binding as
If il were legal.
Should Support Roosevelt.
IF a majority of the people of Mary
land favor the reelection of Mr.. Taft
they have right to expect the vote IN
the electoral college to be cast in ac-
cordance with their own wishes as eA-
pressed at the polls. If Mr.. Roosevelt
should carry Maryland ] should object
very strenuously if some of the electors
supposed to be representing him should
make up their minds to cast their votes
for Taft or some other candidate than
Roosevelt | think il greatly to the credlt
of this country that in past elections the
electors have cast their ballots in the
electoral college for the candidate re-
ceiving a popular majority.
LAS a matter OF fact. when one votes
in a general election one casts his bal
lot for the nominee of his party ana
rarely thinks of the electors, though
technically the vote must be cast Tor
them. The voter expects nothing more
from the electors than that they stali
record the will of the majority. Ana
they have no moral right to do anything
else.
Feeling this way about the matter,
concluded Mr.. Gather, Il sincerely hope
that after the formation of the third
party il will place its own electors IN
the field and that the ballots next fall
will contain the names of three sets OF
electors, one representing Mr.. TAFT. one
representing Mr.. Wilson and third rep
resenting Mr. Roosevelt whom We all ex-
- I'D DyrNiT x