The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-12-16
SOME POLITICAL FIGHTING
IS AHEAD IN THE STATE
Legislature Convenes in January,
Caucus Day Before to Choose
Presiding Officers.

OF unusual political activity, Maryland
is preparing to plunge into another that
in all probability will prove to be even
more strenuous. The dullness of the
present situation-and seldom has a
situation been duller-appears to be
but the lull that goes before the storm
"a storm that is expected to break
early in January and rage with unabat-
ed fury until after the election next
November.
Those who are familiar with what is
to come will need no argument to con-
vince them that politics soon will be at
white heat. For the benefit of the
benighted the order of the approaching
proceedings will be set forth. They
can then judge for themselves whether
or not something is about to happen.
The ball will start to rolling on the
night of the first Tuesday in January,
when both the Democratic and RepubH-
can members OF the General Assembly
will caucus-the former, being in the
majority, to agree upon candidates for
President of the Senate and Speakers
of the House, and the latter to select a
floor leader for each branch.
The next day, that is on the first
Wednesday in January, the Legislature
will convene in its regular 80 day SEES
sion. A week later to the day the new
Governor will be inaugurated. There
after, and while the legislative pot is
boiling, the executive appointments
will have to be made. At the same
time, in another ring, the candidates
for the nomination for the U. S. Senate
and the House of Representatives as
well as those who desire to be named
as delegates to the State conventions
which, in turn, will name delegates to
the Democratic and Republican National
Conventions, will be performing.
The Legislature will end its activities,
or rather, by constitutional limitation,
will be forced to adjourn sine die on the
first Monday in April. On the first
Monday in May following the Presiden-
tial, Senatorial and Congressional
primaries will be held. Some time
later, but not very much later, the
State conventions of the Democratic
and Republican parties will be held for
the purpose of selecting delegates to
the national conventions. and naming
those who will be placed upon the
ticket in November as Presidential and
Vice-Presidential electors.
On June II the Democratic National
Convention will take place in the city
of St. Louis St Louis also is bidding
for the Republican National Convention.
The exact time and place of the meet
ing will be agreed upon next Tues
day at meeting of the Republi-
can National Committee to be held in
Washington. No matter what city
gets it, it is likely to take place within
two weeks before, or two weeks after,
more probability within two weeks after
the Democratic convention.
The conventions out of the way, the
campaign will begin in earnest. And
the present indications are that it
is going to be hot one in every sense
of the word. AS near as one can figure
it out, there will be no rest for the
politicians until the election in Novem-
Der.
Getting back in the Legislature.
There is no telling at this time what
issues will provide the biggest fights,
but it looks now as if there will be
fights plenty. For one thing, it looks
as if there may be a real fight in the
Democratic caucus, especially the
House caucus. There are number of
candidates for Speaker. Each has a
following and anyone of them may be in
a position to start trouble The two
factions-the Lee and the so called Har-
ringtOn factions-are pretty evenly
divided. On the face of things the
Harrington people seem to have a slight
advantage, but any detection in their
ranks may place the other faction in
control. And threats of going over to
the other side are now being made by
some of the supposed Harrington fol-
lowers.
After the Legislature is organized it
will take real team work upon the part
of the Democrats to get their party
measures through. They have a ma
jority of but eight votes in the House,
certainly not enough to be able to stand
much of a split in their ranks. Nor is
their majority in the Senate so big that
they can afford to have much division.
They haYe 16 of the 27 members, or a
majority of 5.
The carrying out of the economy and
efficiency program that Governor-elect
Harrington ADVOCATES should occasion
but little trouble if both parties really
desire to fulfill their platform pledges.
But there are generally a good many
men in the General Assembly who don't
give hang for platforms once they get
into office. And there are undoubtedly
| a good MANY men who will sit in the