The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1914-11-20
Friday, November 20, 1914
The Open Season for the Governorship

The Open Season for the Governorship
On the principle, familiar to
ancients as we'll as to moderns,
that the early bird has the best
chance to get the particular
worm that has caught his fancy,
Representative Linthicum comes
out thus far in advance of the
Gubernatorial contest in search
of the coveted delicacy, says the
Evening Sun. Whether in
the political field it is always an
advantage to be earliest on the
ground often depends a good
deal on circumstances over which
the forward looking bird has very
little control. To change the
smile somewhat abruptly, the
race in such cases is not always
to the first on the track, nor the
prize to the man who gets the
start in the beginning. A for
midable competitor may provoke
hostile combinations, and the
longer he is in the arena the
greater are the opportunities for
finding the weak spots in his
equipment. On the other hand,
if he is inherently strong, it may
be impossible for even the most
powerful opposition to break
down the favorable public senti-
ment which his early canvass
has enlisted. Mr.. Linthicum
doubtless has considered both
sides of the question, the advan-
tages and the disadvantages of
an early start, and his action
probably is the result of delibra-
ton and counsel. Il is likely to
have the effect Of hasfenIng the
decision of other aspirants, if
not of forcing their hands, and
of giving Mr.. Linthiicum a very
definite idea Of the forces for
and against him.
This discussion is purely from
the politicians standpoint. 1t
deals wholly with the unseen but
powerful angels" behind the
scenes. But from the public
standpoint also there are both an
advantage and a disadvantage in
beginning a contest of this sort
six or eight months in advance.
The advantage is that the
people have time to examine all
the competitors carefully, to con-
slider all the influences connected
with them and the probable eff
feet on public administration
which the success of the various
candidates would have. The
disadvantage is thatan extreme
ly protracted campaign tires the
public out and has tendency to
make it lose interest in the re-
suit, while it affords the oppor-
tunity for political jockeying and
the introduction Of side issues
which, while having no proper
relation to the real merits of the
candidates, may exercise a de-
termining influence on the prim-
aries. Whether we shall have a
long or asshort campaign for the
Governorship or any other office,
however, is not a matter which
the public can control, and the
only thing it can dol is to keep an
open mind and not allow itself
to become weary or impatient.
The great umpire to whom all
ambitions must be finally referr-
ed may be pardoned for feeling
sometimes as if there ought to
be a longer interval between the
political games in which it is
called upon to officiate. We call
baseball the great American
sport. In point of fact, politics
is the foremost American form
OF combined recreation and bust
ness. 1t is the only game which
is played all the year round,
without intermission or a single
dav off. How much of what we
call apathy is due to this perenn-
ial political activity? May there
not be @ psychological connec ion
between this perpetual insistence
that the public should devote
itself to this game all the time
and its Indifference at elections?
May it not be excused for nodd-
ing and going to sleep occasion
ally at important crises when it
is forced to keep awake when
there is no reason for being wild
ly excited?
About one thing most of US
will absolutely agree, and that
is the unimpeachable character
OF the program which Mr.. Lin
thlcum puts forward. It includ-
eS the two OnlV essential +hin0c-