The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1915-06-25
Friday, June Is, 1915
PRESTON DEF ENDS LEE

ldSI Odturudy luOTulnS, III Wnlcn
he told why he thought Comp
troller Emerson C. Harrington
the better man for the Governor
ship than Senator Blair Lee,
Mayor Preston issued state
ment in which he strongly de-
Tended Lee, and gave his reason
for supporting him.
The Mayor said:
'Mr. Furst has the same right
to support Mr.. Harrington that
| have to support Blair Lee.
Every Democrat has the right to
express his choice, both before
and at the primary election for
the nominee of his party. But
we ought not to say or do any
thing in the primary that will
furnish ammunition for the Re-
publicans in the general election.
We must not make the same
mistake we make four years ago.
Especially ought every Democrat
to refrain from raising any Sec
tional issue of counties against
city or city against counties, or
indulging in any personalities or
disparagement of either Harring-
ton or Lee.
l think Mr.. Furst is mistak-
en- in supposing that there is any
feeling among Democrats in Bal
timore hostile to Senator Lee
The only safe test of public SEN
timent is an election, and by
this test Blair Lee is the most
popular man in Maryland. He
not only received the largest ma
jority ever received by any man
in Maryland, but he polled con-
siderably larger vote than has
been polled by any Democrat in
this State in the last Is years;
larger than Warfeld. or Croth-
ers, or Harrington, or Smith;
even larger than the vote for
President Wilson.
I think Mr.. Furst will not
strengthen Harrington by at
tempting to belittle Blair Lees
qualifications There is no bet
ter type of Maryland citizen than
Blair Lee. He has the advan-
tage of wealth and education
combined with Democratic sim
plicity, fine mind, sound judg-
rnent and broad sympathies with
the average man, which qualify
him to fill any position with
credit to himself and to his con-
stituents. His record for eight
years in the State Senate has
been that of thoroughly pro-
gressive scatesmanlike Demo-
crat. So far from his experience
in the United States Senate hav-
ing been disappointing to him,
it would be difficult to find an
other Senator who has exercised
as much influence upon his first
entrance into the Senate as Lee
has during the last two years.
after the death of Senator
Rayner the people of Maryland
did want Lee to uphold Presi-
dent Wilson's hands. He has
done that faithfully. Nor is he
deserting the President by run
ming for Governor. Senator
Lee is not leaving the Senate in
the beginning of his term; ,he
was elected to fill out the balance
of Senator Ravner's term, which
would only last another year.
1t is only question whether he
shall run for Governor this fall
or run for the United States
Senate to succeed himself next
fall. He can do the President
and the Democratic party Of the
county more good by becoming
candidate for Governor this fall,
and, with his popularity, insur-
ing a good Democratic majority
in Maryland, than he could by
waiting and becoming a candi-
date to succeed himself in the
Senate during the Presidential
campaign next fall.
Il do not see that Blair Lee
has done anything to Justify Mr..
Furst's charge that he is seeking
State leadership. Blair Lee has
the right to offer himself as the
Democratic candidate for Cover
nor, and no one has a right to
charge him any more than they
would have a right to charge
Mr.. Harrington with aspiring to
State leadership simply because
he is candidate for Governor.
The fact is that times have
changed and we must keep up
with the times.
Under the Democratic prin-
ciple of nominating all candidat-
es by a direct vote Of the rank
and file of the party the office of