The citizen., 1913-03-21
BALTIMORE LETTER.

I
1 land campaign has caused much indigna-
/ ton among the rank and file OF the party
/ Men, irrespective Of their personal feel
| ings and iaCtional ties, openly resent any
intimaton that the President will take
4 any part in the Maryland campaign
J They say that the fight affects the people
! OF Maryland and they should be allowed
to settle their own questions without any
outside interference. The indignation is
! tripled because the report declares that
! President will back man who has in
4 season and out OF season, with a few eX
/ ceptonS. fought the Democratic party
and its candidates. The people of Mary
| land do not want the President of the
| United States to interfere in a State CAM
pagn under any condition and especially
not for a man who has deserted his party
! and joined the ranks of the enemy.
Even if the President is inclined at
present to oppose Senator Smith, it is
believed by the friends of the latter that
the two will become friends before the
| MARYLAND contest begins. During the
/ extra session of Congress, it is reported
that Senator Smith will stand squarely
behind the President on every question.
| He will not only vote to redeem every
| pledge made in the last Democratic plat
form, and in addition he will stand by the
/ policies OF the President and his admins
tration. The Senator's attitude on these
questions will have a tendency to bring
him and the President together and
surely il Senator Smith stands by the
President and his party the President
will be unable TO make any clear and
effective argument against Senator Smith.
Thus the the friends of Senator Smith
frankly say that the situation to a great
| extent is in Senator Smiths hands He
will make his fight before the people on
his record during the extraordinary ses-
sian of Congress and if that record is un-
assailable from the viewpoint of the Dem
ocratiC platform, then he will tie not only
the hands OF the President, but also those
of his enemies. In declining Mr. Mar
bury's challenge for short debate, Sen
alor Smith stated that the questions
which Mr.. Marbury wanted TO debate
with him will be decided by his votes
during the extra session of Congress and
that these votes will be public property.
State Senator Blair Lee. who is the
only avowed candidate for the short
term. has been very quiet during the past
several weeks While he is still inclined
to take Mr.. Marburv as his running mate
what alarmed over the di-couragng re.
ports which he has received concern.
ING opposition to Mr. Marbury in the
counties. Close friends OF Senator Lee,
men who always stood by him and his
organization, have openly told Senator
Lee that they can not make a successful
fight for Mr.. Marbury rs Democrats will
not support him and they have also told
Senator Lee that if he insists upon run
ming with Mr.. Marbury it might drive
hundreds OF votes away from him. These
reports have alarmed Senator's Lees
friends and while they were enthusiastic
in their support OF Marbury- Lee com
binatiOn about two weeks ago they have
now cooled off and some of them are
| strongly urging Senator Lee TO make his
fight independent of Mr.. Marbury. Scua-
tor Lees course is being followed with
much interest not only by his friends, but
also by the party workers ot the State.
! Senator Lee has visited the White House
several times since the Inauguration. but
those on the inside say that it has not
been in reference TO the Maryland cam
paign His visits, it is reported. have
been in the interest of William II. La
mar, of Montgomery county, whom he
desires to be promoted in the Depart
ment of Justice. Mr.. Lamar has always
been regarded as Senator Lees cam
paign manager.
Both in Baltimore CITY and Number
of the counties the friends of United
States Senator John Walter Smith are
trying 10 create a Smith Preston combi-
nation for the State campaign. They are
urging the friends of Mayor Preston to
suggest to the Mayor that he be candi-
date for the short term and that he and
Senator Smith make the fight hand in
hand throughout the State The over
lures for such a combination come al
most entirely from friends of Senator
Smith, but it must be SAID that the force
and strength Of such a combination has
greatly impressed some of tn Mavor's
friends and they would be pleased to see
such combination effected. The Mayor
has heard of the linking OF his name with
that of Senate Smith for the contest. but
he has consistently declined to discuss
it. SO far as he is concerned, 1t is mere
gossip. 1t is significant that several
weeks ago many Of Senator Smiths ad-
visers were advocating that Senator
Smith make his campaign for reelection
/, without forming an alliance with any can
dldate for the short term. The situation
HOW IS ulilefeIlt. IneSe very men are
now strongly urging Senator Smith to
select the Mayor as his running mate.
Their chief reason for this Is that after
studying conditions they realize the
Mayors strength not only in Baltimore
city. but also in the Democratic counties
and they realize that the Mavor would be
a great source of strength to Senator
Smith. Democrats who are advocating
Smith-Preston combination declare that il
would be invincible
The Marbury and |anti organization
forces not only spread the report that the
President Of the United States would
stump the State in their behalf, but the,
also declared that Secretary of State
VIM. Jennings Bryan would stump Mary
land. As a result Of this report delega-
ton of Bryan men, who have been prom
lnent IN every Bryan campaign, called on
him IN Washington to ascertain the acCu-
racy of the report and that it was spread
without his knowledge or consent The
members of this delegation, most Of
whom, however are supporting former
Attomev-Geueral Straus for the long
term. urged the Great Commoner not 10
interfere in the Maryland campaign and
while he made no definite promise. it is
generally thought that Mr. BRYAN will be
hands of in this State. 1t is at least GER
tain that his name was used by the Mar
bury people without Mr. Bryan's knowl-
edge or consent. Within the next few