Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-09-05
THE TWO GORMANS


whose funeral is to be held to-
morrow, had gained for himself
a distinctive place in the politics
of the State. He wa$the Demo
cratic candidate for governor III
1912. the year in which he defeat
ed Blair Lee for the nomination
by but one vote in the convention,
after a primary in which every
political unit in the State was
battle-ground. At the general
election Phillips Lee Goldsbor-
ough, the second Republican gov
ernor of Maryland since the close
OF the Civil War, won.
In the State Senate he had
given indications of strong char
acter and usefulness in public
service, and as chairman Of the
State Tax Commission he had
shown practical ability Ill health.
however, had limited his political
activity in recent years. and it is
interesting to note that the Balti
more Sun and the Baltimore
News, which fought the German
regime Of the eighties and nine
ties with unrelcnting vigor, speak
admiringly of the sons individ-
uality and Of the large part he
might have played in Maryland
public life had he continued to
possess the health and agrees
iveness with which he came to the
front after his fathers death. The
malignity with which the Abells
pursued the elder German to his
grave was not softened in 1906;
not even a kindly word was said
Of him in the Sun at the close of
his earthly career. OF the son it
remarked yesterday that his fail
Ming health had put an end to any
further hopes he may have en-
tertaincd for greater career in
politics, in which for some years
he played a prominent and in
fuential part that he was "a
manly man of attractive personal
qualities" who had courage and
boldness and never ran from a
fight when himself or his friends
were attacked" The News. in the
course of lengthy editorial ref
ercncc, said:
The death of Arthur p German,
looked upon for number of years
merely as the son of his father"
but later as one to be judged by q
different standard - that of his
own strength and weaknesses -
brings to a close what might have
been notable political career,
following that OF a more notable
fathers.
The younger German matured
slowly. Had he been more preco-
cious and developed more rapidly,
he might easily have been a pow
erful figure in the State He had
the misfortune to enter political
life while the State still chafed
under the rule of the Democratic
machine of which his father had
been the head and front for many
years. This was a handicap ditf!-
cult to overcome in any circum-
stances.
There was a time when 1t seem
ed possible the younger German
would develop the elements neces-
sary for success under these
changed conditions His fathers
name was still one to coniure
with. Even that part Of the pub
lie that had been hostile to him
was ready to let the dead past
bury its dead and look up with a
partial eye upon any sign the
young man gave OF possessing the
qualifications for leadership the
times called for. At Annapolis, by
hard and conscientious work. he
had succeeded in giving consider
able basis to the claim of his
friends that there was genuine
mettle in him.
From whatever standpoint Mr..
Germans all-too-brief public life
is Observation-Disclosures that of the
"reactionary" or of the "progres-
sive"-the fact remains that the
younger German, in his best days
of physical and mental vigor, was
a strong force for good govern
ment and the State looked to him
to develop, under the new condi-
tons. into a leader who in his own
generation. might be compared
with his illustrfous father in an
older generation that had other
ideals and was nodded by other
modes of thought and unacceptable
circumstances.
1t begins to look as if We will have