Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1913-02-21
UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHN
WALTER SMITH ANNOUNCES
HIS CANDIDACY FOR RE-
ELECTION,

hSh' VII my oWH TeCOru ana tnat an
willing to stand or fall on that record.
| believe that ON my record, and because
OF my services, am entitled to reelection
| am perfectly confident that the bulk OF
the Democrats of the State will see and
understand clearly the motives that in
spire the opposition to me, and that the
misrepresentation and untruthfulness OF
the attacks that have been made will
strengthen rather than weaken me with
the voters
CANNOT ACT The HYPocRlTE.
want to say as earnestly as it is in me to
say anything-that if in order to win this
fight it becomes necessary TO descend to the
methods of the demagogue and the hypo-
critic, or to lie or to bear false witness,
or to declare for what do not believe,
or to declare against what | do believe,
then prefer to lose. will not forfeit my
self-respect That is too high a price to
pay, even to return to the United States
Senate. had hoped that the honor of re-
election would be accorded me by my party
without opposition. Such has been for
many years the precedent in Maryland. 1t
seems that this is not to be,
In The FIGHT To WIN
desire to keep out of any combination
with any candidate, and | shall not at
tempt to dictate who shall or shall not be
chosen for the short term. do, however,
propose to fight to the best of my ability
those who fight me, and this applies to
those who may enter the field as candi-
dates as well as to the candidate already
in the field, My friends know that when
| enter a contest am accustomed to stay
in until the finish.
In the past | have uniformly won my
fights everyItime they have been submitted
to the people. do not anticipate that the
result this time will be in any way differ
ent. From every county in the State and
every ward in Baltimore have received
the most gratifying evidences of support,
and do not hesitate to say that the sincere
and enthusiastic nature Of this support
convinces me that the efforts to besmrch
my record have been futile.
DISCUSSES ACCUSATIONS Or ENEMIES In
DETAIL.
II is not going to be necessary for me to
answer in this campaign every falsehoOd
that may be uttered about me, nor to keep
pace with all the cant and Islander that
may be put forth by my enemies. Some time
ago. however, said in an interview that
when the opportunity came | would. for
the benefit of the Democratic voters of the
State, make answer to the allegation that
my vote on the lumber schedule was an
un-Democratic one. The manner in which
this charge has been made is apparently
intended to convey to the people Of Mary
land the impression that deliberately
betrayed myparty; that was under the
control Of Senator Aldrich, the Republican
leader. and that my vote was cast in the in
terests of my own pocketbook, being in the
lumber business. By skillful suppression
Of the truth in part and an equally clever
distortion of facts, efforts have been made,
and are now being made, to make me ap-
pear traitor and scoundrel. Were the
charges true, | ought to be kicked out of
the United States Senate and would be
unfit to look an honest man in the face.
want to be patient as to these charges,
notwithstanding they are lies, and that
those who know the facts, or take the
trouble to investigate, know they are lies.
They do not disturb me because feel that
my reputation as a man and as a Demo-
crat of more than forty years active party
service in this State is such that can
afford to be Indifferent to ISLANDERS of that
sort.
Then. feel that the motive behind the
charges and insinuations is so clearly under
stood by the voters that they are their own
answer. Some of my friends, however, have
advised me that because of the misrepre-
sentation and confusion of facts owe it
to my supporters throughout Maryland TO
explain in detail my various votes on the
lumber tariff
NOlED TWICE FOk FREE LUMBER.
have, since have been in the Senate,
voted twice for free lumber, but you have
not heard Of that fact from my opponents.
Once voted for free lumber in the Cana
dian Reciprocity Bill Gong. Record, p. 3l75.
July %, l9lD. and again voted for free
lumber in the Farmers Free List Bill
Gong Record. page 1892. page 3435.
August /, l9lD Further, | have voted
consistently and supported ardently every
single tariff reform bill that has come from
the House to the Senate since the Demo-
one of the bills framed under the direction
Of Chairman Underwood and passed by the
Democratic House has had my unequivocal
support and my vote. These are facts that
speak for themselves. They are facts that
can be verified by anyone who cares to
look at the Congressional Record" and
they are facts that are particularly well
known by my enemies.
VoTE On RECENT PARTY MEASURES.
They know, too. that | voted for and
supported consistently the bill amending
the Constitution so as to provide for the
direct election Of United States Senators ;
that voted for the bill providing for di-
rect selection Of Presidents, and that |
have stood throughout my service in the
Senate with my party and my party lead
ers in favor Of every progressive measure
that has come to vote in the Senate. |
do not think there are many Senators, either
Republican, Democratic or Bull Moose, who
have missed fewer roll calls in the last five
years than |.
ENEMIES TRY To SUPPRESS THE FACTS.
These are the kind Of facts, however,
that my opponents prefer to ignore You
will never hear one Of them commenting
on these votes Of mine. though they know
them we'll They will tell you voted once
against free lumber, which is false but