Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-23
EXPECT BIG FIGHT
Maryland Senatorial Primary
to Be Lively Contest.
Presumption of Administration In
terest Is Reported.

terest Is Reported.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.
BALTIMORE. Md, February 30. 1918.
1t was learned today that democratic
leaders expect Woodrow Wilson to take
a hand in the election of the two Unit ed
States senators from Maryland The
President elect. it is declared, will APP
prove Blair Lee and another candidate
for the long term. 1t is also vouched for
that he will likewise oppose John Walter
Smith or any other candidate who has
the stripe OF organization anywhere
about his political makeup. This means
that the coming senatorial primary fight
Will be a knoc', -down-and-drag-ou battle
royal between the regulars and the
progressives.
The progressives, it is claimed. will
have all mat goes with the national ad
mlnlStration support, while the regulars
will have the skilled politicians and the
adept ward and district workers at their
beck and call. The fact that PRESIDENT
eject wilson will not stand for Smith is
known among the regulars and they
VIII act accordingly. This means tnal
Lee will not have even a Ettle oil the OF
ganiZation support in the city or the
counties.
AT one stage of the game the regulars
appeared inclined to take up Lee, and
1t was even planned that Preston should
be the Montgomery mans running mate
for the long term. Lee, however, an
nounced that he would enter into no
combination, and the gang immediate
ly concluded that Lee mad a secret I'M
outstanding with the powers that be at
Trenton.
Inc presumption that the incoming
President will lend his moral support to
the Lee wing OF the party in the fight
among the regular" aspirants for the
Senate. The .pigwigs' say that it is
up to Preston and Smith to get to-
Sether and make the fight as straight
out Organization" candidates. They
say that Preston will have to give up
his plan of going after the long term
and be content with the short term.
They point to the fact that a fight be-
tween Smith and Preston for the long
term could only result in benefit to the
progressive candidate.
Preston and Smith May Unite.
1t is limited that as soon as Preston
returns to the city he will have a con-
ference with the Worcester leader, and
predictions are made that a hard and
fast combination between the mayor
and the senator will be effected for the
coming fight.
The primary battle will mean more
than two United States senatorships.
1t will mean great struggle Tor con-
troll in the city and state. The regular
democratic organization has been los
ing strength for years past in the state,
and at the last gubernatorial primary
the regulars" came within an ace OF
being defeated by the progressives
headed by Lee.
There are those who assert that had
the progressives been in control OF the
election machinery the regulars would
have been licked out of their boots.
When the result was announced in the
primary of 1911 Lee adherents and Lee
himself announced that they would
probably contest the count. For the
sake of the party as whole the con-
test idea was dropped by the progress
sives but in the November election Cor
man went down to defeat.
The progressive democratic leaders as
sert now that the time is ripe to Dust
the old ring leaders from party control
and there can be no longer any doubt
that the attempt will be made to rout
democratic leaders in the coming pri-
mary campaign
Talk of Miles-Lee Combine.
1t is claimed by some of the knowing
ones that Wilson favors candidate from
the eastern shore for the long term, and
his choice is said to be former Repre-
sentative Joshua Miles. 1t seems very
likely at this time that Miles will so into
the light and will link his fortunes with
those of Lee. Should this come to pass
it should be sure bet that Smith and
Preston will double up. This would give
a clean-cut alignment between the pro
gressive'' and regular wings OF the
party, and the result would certainly be
in doubt until the ballots are all counted
The regulars realize that the Lee
wing is strong and is growing stronger
each year. and they are not fooiinG them
selves with any idea that the machine"
will have a walkover i'm any election that
may be held in the state. They know
that every inch OF ground is debatable in
the present frame of the public mind
and that they are facing the hardest
political battle in years.
The only pie counter" at which the
b'hoys can do business in Maryland to-
| day is at the city hall in Baltimore. The
| state plum tree is in the hands OF the
| enemy, and there's nothing to expect in
| the way of federal patronage for at least
| four years from March 4 next. Under all
! these untoward circumstances IL may be
readily seen that the machine" will
| have hard time to keep the gang in
| line.
The democratic organization of Balti-
more and Of the state. too. Is composed
of officeholders and their relatives and
experience has taught the leaders that a
worker out of a soft berth does not
long remain one of the b'hoys to be de-
pended upon to get out the vote on cleo
ton day. The city and counties just now
are full Of ''b'hoys" out OF jobs, and as
their demands to be taken care of be-
come more insistent as the days pass
the ring leaders are brought face to face
with the seriousness Of the situation as
1t affects the strength Of the "organiza-
ton
Many Wailing for Jobs.
Today there are hundreds of workers
who put in hard ticks for Preston for
the mayoralty who are still waiting for
a job in the city hal: The trouble is
that there are not enough jobs to go
| around 1t Is reported that the ring
| leaders today are compelled to go down
| into their pockets Saturday afternoons
and put up money to fill the family
market baskets of old-time warehouses; OF
| the machine " who are without jobs and
| without the wherewithal to purchase food
! for their families.
The organization leaders are not overly
| fond of parting from the coin of the
| realm to keep these war whips in line,
| but they know that unless the weekly
pension is forthcoming the links in
| the chain will drop out and then will be-
gin the beginning of the end Of the or