Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-01-11
LETTER TO EDITOR
70 the Editor Of the EUening Capital:
Baltimore. Nd. Jan. 9. ID


more active and all in all, factions
and parties are preparing for the
strenuous work in the several primary
general and local campaigns which
will take place the present year of
1919.
The state offices, from governor
down, are all to be filed this year. A
new general assembly is to be elected,
and states attorneys, sheriffs, and other
places are to be filed in all the coun-
ties, while in Baltimore an entirely
new city administration is TO be
elected and put in place early in May.
Altogether, therefore, the leaders and
voters of Maryland will be kept busy
from the present time on to the late
fall, and after a short interval, then
the new state administration will be
inaugurated with a new legislature,
which will hold the public attention,
so far as Maryland matters are con-
cerned, until the spring time of 1920.
The city cohorts are preparing for
battle even now. 1t is generally un-
derstood that Mayor. Preston has made
up his mind to be candidate for a
third term, and that in this fight he
will be opposed by Mr.. George Weems
Williams, an able and popular MEM
| Der of the bar Mr.. Preston will have
back of him the whole force of the city
administration, and the old city or
ganization of which Mr.. John ]. Mahon
1 is the able and popular leader, and,
in this fight for the denomination of
the mayor, Mr. Mahon will be aided
by large force of business men who
are anxious to have the present thor
oughly efficient municipal administra-
ton continued in power for four more
years.
Against Mr.. Preston will be found
arrayed the whole force of the state
government, led by the governor in
person, and aided by the Kelly fac
ton and the followers of Mr.. Frank
Furst The governor is in town al
most every day, and spends not a
small portion of his time in marshall
ling his Office holders and followers
ready for the approaching contest, and
tie is fairly on its way, it will be
political battle of such proportions
as has not been seen in Maryland for
some years, and how it will end is a
problem unsolved, for both sides have
skill. strength and money to carry on
the fray to the limit And the chances
are that more mud-slinging will take
place than has been seen, in the old
/ town for long period of years Both
sides mean business, and both sides
will put forth every effort, and every
sort of effort to win. The preliminary
sounds of the contest are already in
the air, and by the first of next month
they will fill the town to the exclusion
of almost everything else, and hold
the attention of the people despite the
peace conference in Paris, and the do
ings of the president on the other side
of the sea-
Eary in the season as it is the coun-
ty statesmen of both parties are be-
ginning to make their weekly pilgrim
ages to Baltimore to find out what is
going on On both sides efforts are
being made to hold back the discus
sions of candidates for state Offices
until after the city fight is over But
it seems that it will be impossible to
carry out any such a plan. A very
large number of people are more in
terested in state than in city politics,
and are not to be silenced In years
gone by efforts have been made to
keep off all talk about candidates
until certain leaders were ready, but
the effort has always failed, as it is
failing now. The county people who
come to town, and many of the city
people, will continue to talk about
f, candidates for governor and other
positions in spite of the leaders. They
have Always done so, and they are not
going to stop now They will express
/ their views now and in the future Just
as they have done in the past, and say
what they want TO in order to in
fluence public sentiment the way they
wish it to go, so that it will help their
favorites and place obstacles in the
way of those whom they may wish to
hinder in the attainment of their goal.
The political situation in Maryland
in both parties at the present time is
chaotic to an extreme degree. Leaders
are working at cross purposes, and
the rank and file do not see which way
to turn. The only consolation arises
from the fact that both parties are in
the same predicament at the present
time, and the probability is that light
will shine in the darkness and drive
it away before the really critical time
has rolled around.
PAUL WINCHESTER.
Real Estate Sales Active