The Washington herald., 1913-08-10
Personality as q Factor.

1
In the thirty-two States which are
to elect Senators next year national
issues will be important factors, large
ly because the effect of the new tariff
bill will then have been felt through
out the country. This is hardly likely
to be the case in Maryland this year.
The contest in that State will be large
ly personal.
And yet other States, like Mary
land, have within their borders a con-
slant struggle within each party organ
ization for control This condition will
figure in Senatorial contests every
where. In Maryland the Democrats
are divided into two factions, one
with progressive tendencies and bask.
ing in the sunlight of Presidential
support. Blair Lee and William L.
Marbury are its leaders, and both are
aspirants for the Senatorship, one for
the short and the other for the long
term. The stalwart or machine fac
tion is led by Arthur P. German,
whose father, the late Senator Cor
man, was long the acknowledged head
of the Democratic party. This faction
has controlled the organization machin-
cry for many years. If it loses out
in this contest it might as we'll shut
up shop and go out of business. Nat
urally it will make struggle for ex-
istence. Its candidate may be Repre-
sentative ]. Fred Talbot, who, al
though he is seventy years old and dis
inclined to run, may be entered in the
fight in the hope that he can carry
enough counties and districts to con-
troll the nominating convention.
As everywhere else, the Republicans
in Maryland are inert and comatose.
They seem to realize that they are
leading a forlorn hope. Senator Jack
son has wisely determined not to en-
ter the fight this year, and will only be
a silent factor in the struggle. No Re-
publican candidate has yet been Sc
lected, although Bladen Lowndes has
been mentioned as possibility. This
gives the Progressives an opportunity
OF which they are not slow to avail
themselves. Already a call has been
issued for a convention to be held in
Baltimore next Thursday, at which an
effort will be made to amalgamate the
Republicans and the Progressives, and
the ultimate object Of which seems to
be the nomination of Edward c. Car
rington, a Progressive, as the Sena-
torial candidate representing the con-
solidation.
The fact that Mr. Darlington has
not an easy road to travel illustrates
what is likely to happen in other
States when unity is sought. At Chi
cago last year he denounced President
Taft and the Republican party and
shouted loudly for Roosevelt. He can
not hope to secure the support of the
old-line Republicans who look upon
him as deserter and who still be-
lieve in the principles of their party,
especially as one of the conditions OF
amalgamation is the Endorsement of
the initiative and referendum and wom-
an suffrage. On the other hand. Mr..
Darlington has aroused the ire of the
radical wing of the Progressive party,
who do not like to see him flirting,
SO to speak. with the regular Repub-
lican organization. They want to pros
ecute an independent campaign, with
out any entangling alliances with the
man from whom they say that they
have parted forever.
Surely this situation will find its
duplicate when the Senatorial campaign
opens next year in thirty-two States.