The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-05-03
CROTHERC ENTERS FIGHT
AGAINST JESSE D. PRICE
State Senator From Cecil Announces
His Candidacy For Democratic
Congressional Nomination.

State Senator Omar ID. Crothers
of Cecil county, nephew of the late
Gov. Austin l.. CrotherS, and one oil
the ablest men in the last General
+ Assembly, Wednesday announced his
candidacy for the Democratic nomi-
nation for Congress in the First dis,
/ trict, comprised of the nine Eastern
Shore counties.
That he was seriously contemplate
! ing being candidate has been
! known for sometime 1t was not ex-
/ pected, however, that he would toss
| his hat into the ring until some later
( date. He is getting into the fight
/ early so as to begin his campaign at
! once, and today stated that he in
i tends TO keep things humming from
! this until the primary election in
I September.
The First district is now, and for
the past four years has been, repre-
sented by Jesse D. Price, of Wicomi-
60 county, who is anxious to succeed
; himself and Wno, now that Senator
! Crothers is in the field, may be eX-
pected to announce his own candi-
dacy within the very near future.
Senator Crothers has long been
identified with what is generally re
ferred to as the anti-organiZation
wing Of his party. Nevertheless, he
asserts that he is not entering the
Congressional fight as the candidate
of any faction or for the purpose Of
trying to smash the organization.
He believes he has a good chance
to win. He points to the fact that
Congressman Price won out the first
time III the general election by only
about ESQ votes. and that his ma ajori-
ty was cut two years ago to sc votes,
while the prohibition candidate in
the district polleG total of about
1000 votes. This, he thinks, will
make Mr.. Price d weak candidate in
the primaries.
Mr.. Price is quoted as saying that
he can do much better this year than
he did two years ago. He feels that
the support he has given the Admin
istration in Washington will streng-
then him with the people, and there
fore that the organization can safely
rely upon him to pull through this
fall against anyone the Republicans
may put up.
Still, it is a fact that the organiza-
ton has been somewhat concerned
about the situation on the Eastern
Shore. Some Of the county leaders
have been very much disturbed and
have been talking Of getting behind
former State Senator Harvey L.
Cooper, of Caroline; State Insurance
Commissioner W. Mason Shehan and
others. However, they are waiting
the word from Senator Smith before
moving, and the rumor the other day
was that Senator Smith probably will
stick to Mr.. Price.
Should Mr.. Price decline to run
again, State Senator L. Atwood Ben
nett, of Wicomico county, probably
sill get into the fght j. he can get
any encouragement He said several !
times last winter that he wanted to (
be a candidate, but did not care to
make the fight against Mr.. Price if
the latter insists upon offering him |
self for denomination.
Senator Crothers first entered pub !
lie life in 1910, when he was elected !
to the State Senate from Cecil during /
the administration of his uncle He |
has been active in politics ever since /
and last fall won the nomination for |
the State Senate in a smashing fight !
in his county. He won in the general
election with comparative ease, |
though four years before the Repub- !
licans carried the county.