Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-12-17
LETTER TO EDITOR
Baltimore, Md. Dec. Is, 1918.
Ia the rsd.to,. ~ Trho Er.,on..,1 /r,n;S,T.

To the Editor OF The Evening Capital:
All sorts of interests enter into poll
tics besides the purely partisan mat
tiers which are supposed to control
factions and parties and often Ques-
tions of abstract principle have less to
do with the actions of party leaders
than many other things. Nominations
and cleo ions in counties, cities, states
and even in the nation, are as often
controlled by financial considerations,
perhaps oftener, than by any other
reason and the writer has known fights
over bank deposits. and rivalries be-
tween different banks, to decide nomi-
atoms and elections in several coun-
ties in Maryland And now 1t is re-
ported that the present uncertain and
almost chaotic condition of affairs in
both Republican and Democratic par
ties in this state is the result of GER
tain strenuous rivalries between GER
tain sets of financiers and financial
interests in Baltimore where ramifica-
lions extend throughout the entire
state. These rivalries are centered
on the one side around one great A.
nancial institution, and many subsid-
iary financial organizations, and on
the other side around another similar
institution and its many allies, and the
rivalries engendered by the efforts of
their organizations for control have
entered int othe local and state poll
tics of both parties, and will have a
decided effect in both state and city
politics, in both parties, the ensuing
year. All sorts of corporation inter-
ests are said to be mixed up, and prep
arations are being made to control the
state and city governments. so that
one side or the other may be in def
mite control of public affairs in such
way that the winning side may be able
to use the governing authorities to its
own advantage. Such a state of af-
fairs is not new to Maryland politics,
and recalls the old days when the con-
test for supremacy cen.ered around
the rivalries of the Baltimore & Ohio
and the Pennsylvania Railway cor
porations. Rival financial and corpor-
alton interests for many years had
great effect on Maryland politics, but
in very recent years were not so evil
dent as in the last quarter of the CEN
fury which closed eighteen years ago
But now there is every indication that
a similar state of affairs is about to
begin and it need surprise no one to
see strenuous contest develop be-
tween certain moneyed interests,
which may have more effect on nomi-
nations and elections than any mere
question of fractional or parry fealty,
or political principles. These ques-
tions are even now entering into the
discussions in both parties regarding
the nominations for the leading state
and city offices, and later on. will no
doubt enter into the nominations for
bers of the House of Delegates and the
Senate, among the Republicans and
Democrats alike-for such consider
ations care nothing for party lines.
except as partisan feeling may be
used TO serve their ends AS the tenn
from politics so far as any action by
this state is concerned other matters
will now come to the front and take
its place. For years the struggle be-
tween the vets and the drys has held
the centre of the stage here as else
where, almost to the exclusion of
everything else. What other novel
questions may be brought up TO en-
gage the attention of the people is no.
yet evident, so the rivalries between
fnanciers who desire to control af-