Evening star., 1917-09-16
|OLD BOSSES HAVE LOST !
PRESTIGE IN MARYLAND
-
Politicians up in the Air" in 'Dop-
ing" Results Of Tuesday's
Primary.
Special Correspondent. of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
BALTIMORE. September 1.-THE
primary election here Tuesday has put
local and state politicians Of both par.
out the results are concerned. but one
fact stands out very strongly, and that
Is that the old bosses OF both parties
in Baltimore have lost prestige The
split since the last gubernatorial elec.
tion. with Senator Smith. Gov. Harring-'
ton and Frank Kelly lined up against
the Observation-Disclosures faction. and the
primary Tuesday showed a gain In ia
vor Of the state combination.
1t looks very much as II former Roads
Chairman Overton Z. Weller. the re-
publican candidate for governor in 1915.
has made himself the real boss OF his
party in the state. There seems to be
little or no doubt that he wrested corr
troll of the city organization from Will
liam +. Stone in the primaries: and con-
troll here, with the fact that he IL the
inside manager Of the jackson organi-
zation in the counties, will put him
firmly in the saddle. .
Has One More Test.
Mr. Weller has but one more test to
endure. That will come in tho or
ganization of the new republican state
central committee for Baltimore city
He and his friends have determined to-
make James a. Gary, jr. son of e.
Stanley Gary and a grandson of Gen.
James A. Gary. years ago the republi-
can warhorse of Maryland, chairman OF
the committee.
They have no doubt about their abil-
ity to put Mr.. Gary over. and the fact
seems that they have around three
fourths of the entire committee NOM
bership
If. as appears practically certain now.
Mr.. Weller puts over Mr.. Cary and
thus establishes controlling power ia
both the city as well as the countises ho
will have achieved something that NO
cratic parties has matched. For years
there has been one boss In each party
In the city and one or more booooo In
each party in the counties. There has
ganization of either party in both coun-
ties and city.
Room for Much Analysis. -
Tuesdays democratic primaries give
room for much analysis. but several
salient facts stand out broadly. and the
first of these is that Kelly has demon
strated he is a real factor in Baltimore
city. Summed UP briefly, Kelly put
over former States Attorney Albert s.
J. Owens for the supreme bench NOM
Lindsay Liz t; for "e'e eierK Of the ' city court.
made a clean sweep with his state SEN
ate, legislative and committee candi-
dates In the fourth district: landed
one legislative candidate and one COM
mitteeman in the first district. one
fourth district delegate to the conven-
tion, and with six in the fourth and In
the other districts his forces gave Ma
hon a hard run. Mahon. by his general
committee and legislative victories.
maintains control in the first three dis
tricts of the city, and on the surface 10
still the democratic city leader. Tho re-
suits, however. give strength to the
n .
will not pass before Mahon and Kelly,
are once more openly working to-
gether.
Concerned Over Annexation. p.
Baltimoreans are now principally
concerned about what both parties are
going to do with the annexation plank
in their platform. From what can be
! have made up their minds to throw
their influence positively behind the
| insertion of genuine clear-cut plank
in their platform in favor of real an
nexation; the sort of annexation that
the people of Baltimore city have been
asking for. and in support Of which
they have made out a case that has
won the Endorsement of most of the
substantial business and professional
men in the state.
That is annexation which will give the
city the built-up territory which is at
tached to II in all quarters and the ter
ritory into which it will certainly expand
within a short time. upon reasonable
terms and without a referendum to the
people in the territory proposed to be
annexed.
But the democratic stand upon that
question is not SO clear. Baltimore city,
apart from all politicians and all city
delegates to the convention, will ask the.
convention to put into its platform a
plank declaring in favor Of annexation
which will be free of strings or subter.
fuges of any sort whatsoever. Whether,
the democratic state leaders, who will
be in absolute control of the conventions
win meet the citys demand frankly and
fully or whether they win boldly turn
down the city with the statement that it
shall have no annexation while Mr. Pres
ton is mayor. as some of them have said