Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-13
WaIkover Expected in Mary
land Short Term Sena-
toriaI Fight.
MAYOR OF BALTIMORE
NOT TO BE CANDIDATE
Montgomery County Man Seems
Sure to Have Some 0pposi-
ton, However.


BALTIMORE. Md. July l.. 1915.
Ii became definitely known today that
Mayor Preston will not enter the fight
against Blair Lee for the short-term SEN
atorship The mayor has not issued any
statement and will not, inasmuch as he
mas RETAINED from discussing his pro-
posed candidacy except with few per-
sonaI friends The reason for the mayor
declining To allow the use of his name in
connection with the short-term fight is
that his friends believe that ii is up to
the state leaders TO make the fight against
Lee. and as Smith has been .'coloriess
regarding a candidate to oppose the Mont
gomery mar Il is taken for granted that
the state organization will allow Lee TO
nave walkover
1t has been pointed out that Smith has
all at stake in the coming fall fight and
that unless he makes war on Lee in the
short-term fight and succeeds in defeat
ing him he might Well prepare 10 re-
tire TO private life when his present term
expires.
May Work for Marbury.
II is taken for granted that Lee once
elected. will bend all his energies toward
making William l.. MarbuTy his colleague
in the upper house OF Congress. Lee $
supporters in the counties are legion. and
when the Montgomery leader tried conclu-
sions with the state organization in the
SubernatoriaI primary two years ago he
had little trouble in defeating the Smith
German machine In the counties 1t was
the big majority rolled up for German in
the city by the city machine that saved
the son of Senator German from defeat
in the primary.
The friends of Preston realized that Lee
had "A candidate
to overcome at this stage of the game
and advised the mayor They pointed
out that the mayor in entering the night
would be merely catspaw to pull this
Chestnuts out of the fire for Smith, and
they set forth that the city democracy
was in no way interested in the political
fortunes of Smith. and so advised the
mayor to keep out and let Smith have all
the burden of opposing the progressive
democracy. The city organization is
cold on Smith and he will have mighty
hard shedding in the primary fight next
wear.
Opinion of Leaders.
The local leaders are today predicting
that Smith will be so weak as sena
torial candidate by the autumn of 1914
that ii would cause little surprise to them
should he retire from the fight 1t now
seems certain that the fight for the long
term will be fought out between Marbury
and Isaac Lobe Straus. who even now
looms larger than Smith on the senatorial
horizon.
That Lee will have an opponent in the
light is almost certain With Preston out
Of the field. ii is regarded sure thing
that w. Cabell Bruce will toss his hat
into the ring 1t is known that Bruce for
some time past has been fixing his fences
in the city and il is reported that he was
only awaiting the word that Preston
would not run before announcing his can
didacy. Then. again, il must not be for
gotten that Straus is on record as pledg
ing himself to enter the short-term fight
in the event that no other candidate de-
Velops to oppose Lee. and the politicians
feel pretty sure that Straus will keep his
word should the situation arise where
Lee would otherwise win by default.
Position Of Stratus.
Straus holds that Lee and Marbury
are the personal candidates of President
Wilson. and has asserted that he is OPP
posed to federal interference in state
politics. II will be in accordance with
this principle that Straus will make
the run against the Montgomery candi-
date. II i known that Straus has
nigh personal regard for Lee. and his
antagonism OF the state senator will be
due solely to his devotion to the principle
which he expounded in his now famous
letter to President Wilson
Reports from the eastern shore, once
the stronghold Of the Smith machine are
10 the effect that many of the former
adherents OF the senator are fiocking
10 the Lee standard. and the wise ones
here say that IL is indication that
they regard Smith as a waning leader
and are hustling on to the Lee band
wagon because they think that the
Montgomery county man will be the
state leader after the senatorial pri-
m3rIGS IL = evident they
that Smith has lost his grip on the state
machine.