Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-08-05
BAL TIMORE SUN
COMPLIMENTS
DR.. GEO. WELLS
I. w. Owens, In "Policital Pot"
Department, Pays Tribute
To Anne Arundel Leader
ANNEXATION STAND
WAS ONLY NATURAL
However. The Writer Seems Not
So Keen About Others Who
Opposed City Growth

Writing in his weekly department,
known as The Policital Pot' John
W. Owens, well-known political writer
of the Baltimore Sun, pays the fol-
lowing tribute to the honesty of pur-
pose of DR. George Wells. and Con-
gressman Fred Talbot. in the recent
~ ended annexation fight:
"The anti-annexationists seem to
have taken the decision of the Court
of Appeals like good sports, in ac-
cordance with the habit of our peo-
pie. Here and there may be found
some one who is sore and ugly, but
the majority of the county men who
have been seen, take their defeat
as near smilingly as is possible un-
der the circumstances.
"The city people, it may be assum-
ed. wish the wounds of their late ad-
versaries to be as light as may be,
and to heal quickly. After all. no
one can find fault with the course
of the leaders of Baltimore and Anne
Arundel Counties in lighting the city.
True, they stood in the way OF pro-
gress, in the opinion of most intelli-
gent people not residents of either
county. but it was natural for them
TO fail to see the whole picture, nat
ural for them TO see only the break
ing up of an order of things to which
they were accustomed and devoted.
Sentiment played a big part in de-
termining their course, just as it has
played a big part in determining the
course of bigger men i'm bigger ques-
tions of territory and government.
"It is impossible for the fair-minded
person not to understand and. in a
sense, sympathize with Mr., Talbot
and DR.. Wells, for example. Neither
of them is above criticism and yet
each is the sort of man who embodies
and personifies much that we love TO
think of as distinctive of Americans.
Both are fearless; both are as indie
pendent as a hog on ice; both have
been set forth as strong men, in the
rough and tumble of the humanest
game in the world. the year in and
year out political game; both have
loved the leadership of men and have
received unfiinchingly the scars which
are the price of achieving such lead
ership. And because they have pos
sessed these qualities, each has been
the ruler of principality, so to say,
for a generation or more. OF course,
they did not want their principalities
curtailed, for the existing order in
Baltimore County represented TO Mr..
Talbot his life's endeavor, and that in
Anne Arundel County represented the
same thing TO DR.. Wells.
"And who would really have been
willing for such a change to have TAX
en- place in these two old feudal chief
tains as would have made them will
ing to give up what they had fought
Baltimore City go through a five
years hammer-and-tong fight and
conquer the Annex from Mr. Talbot
and Dr. Wells than that these old
Celtic warriors change their natures
/ to that of the political altruist. Far
better that they should finally go
down TO defeat fighting hard land
cussing harder, both of them than
+ that they should have been reason
able" Their natures unchanged IL
/ will be pleasant If they are spared to
!
gatherings, as belligerent and bossy
as ever. annexation defeat to the con-
trary notwithstanding.
THAT goes for Mr. Talbot and Dr.
Wells and the other Baltimore and
Anne Arundel leaders. The best of
] luck to them! But it does not go for
those proclaimed monopolists of
political intelligence who constitute
the Democratic State organization.
For those gentlemen Baltimore City
has on tap the scornfully merry 'Ha |,
han Several Ha! hal Furthermore,
the town sticks it's thumbs in it's
armholes. tilts it scigar to the north
west and says, in elegant Boweryese: /:
'Aw. beat it. Chase yourself around
the block! Cult trying for a while to
manipulate the Democratic party and
/ try your hand on a preachers pound
party, Outsidei'"