Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-17
LEE HAS WALKOVER
AS SENATE.CHO|CE
No Maryland Democrat Found
to Oppose Montgomery
County Man.
PARRAN GRO0MEO TO RUN
AS ENTRY OF G. O. P.
Republican Factions Have Buried
Hatchet and Will Present United
Front to Enemy.
pec,al Correspondence OF. The Star.

BALTIMORE, Nd August Is. 1913.
It's walkover for Blair Lee in the
democratic senatorial short-term sweep
stakes this fall. The Montgomery can
aidate will 60 before the voters unop-
posed. despite all the fustian and brag-
gadocio of the machine bigwigs. who
some time ago asserted that at the
proper time they would put up a can
didate who would send Lee down 10
defeat. Even Isaac Lobe Straus. can
didate for the long term, has failed to
make good his threat to go into the
fight in the event that no other candi-
date came upon the horizon TO oppose
Lee.
The state machine is just now casting
about for a man for state chairman,
and the leaders are said to be grooming
J. Enos Ray of Prince Georges county
for the job. Some of the leaders assert
that Murray Vandiver will be kept In
the job. but there are those who realize
mat the 'old war horse OF the unter-
rihed democracy is sure to walk the
plank when the Lee wing demonstrates
that it is in control of the state con-
Vention. These cautious leaders are
trotting out Ray in the hope that they
may be able to force him on the pro-
greSsive democrats as a compromise
candidate.
The prOgressives are said to be behind
Hope Barroll of Kent county. and 1t Is
known that Lee Is great admirer OF
the eastern shore leader. The machine
men announce that a fight will be made
for Vandiver's retention. and already
they are counting noses" for the COM
ing fray. The machine leaders do not
for a moment believe that they can keep
Vandiver at the helm. but they plan a
demonstration that they hope Will IN
duce the progressives to listen to
compromise suggestion. and then Ray
will be put into the contest. The regu-
lars figure that the progressives will
accept the Prince Georges countian
rather than precipitate bitter fight
that might by deals and counter deals
land a republican in the Senate rather
than Lee. The state organization, while
badly crippled. and in somewhat
comatose state, is still capable Of cut
ting some ice in state politics when it
comes to "knifing'' q candidate. There
have been deals pulled of before be-
state leaders. and the bigwigs Of tho
machine" do not hesitate to say that
they can be pulled OF again.
Being Pushed OF Map.
The machine" leaders and followers
realize that they are being pushed OF
the political map in rather rapid-fire
order. and they are ready to deliver po-
iitical Knockout drops to any progressive
candidate giving evidence Of growing too
big" and today Blair Lee looks a great
deal like a man who will be the leader of
the state democracy ere another six
months shall roll around. Senator John
Walter Smith. who has just melted out
OF the state leadership. Is noted these
days principally for his inactivity politi-
cally, and those who have done his bid
ding for years and now find themselves
nut in the cold, cold world are mutter-
ing m no uncertain tone.
Smith had thought that Talbot would
consent to run for the short term. But
old Marse Fred is a sly fox when 1t
comes to the political game. and one
opposition to the pulling of chestnuts out
of the fire for some other politicians
benefit. Talbot listened to the advice
OF his closest personal and political
not enter the contest against Lee. The
Smith crowd then threw up the sponge,
and left the field open to Lee.
Ratchet Is Laid Away.
The republicans and former progress
sives buried the Ratchet officially during
the past week and have joined forces to
combat the common enemy-the demo-
cratic party. The leaders who were in
strumental in getting I'D the mass meet
ing are jubilant over the outcome and
today predict a greater and more useful
republican party than the state has ever
before known. The platform adopted
contains all the cardinal principles of the
republican party, together with the pro-
3ressive planks on which both wings
could agree. The adoption Of the plat
form was the only business transacted at
the mass meeting. the remainder of the
evening being given up to addresses by
the men who had led the respective wings
q the party in the last campaign
one significant development was the
announcement by former Representative
Parran that he would enter the fight for
the short-term senatorship. 1t was the
general sentiment that Parran would re
ceive the support not only of the ANAL
ganated wings of the party. but a sub
stantial recognition at the hands Of those
progressives who declined to come back
into the republican fold. In discussing
his plans Mr. Parran said to The Star
correspondent today:
when l arrived in Baltimore last
THURSDAY i had no idea of being a candi-
GATE for the United States Senate !
found, however, that my name was being
discussed. and then many county leaders
came along and urged me to get into the
race. The tender of support was so
unanimous that 1 finally decided to take
the plunge, after the city men fell into
line and pledged their support / had
spent an entire day thinking the matter
over and then held conferences with the
state leaders. They indicated that no one
else was going into the fight l propose
10 make an aggressive campaign through
md