The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-01-30
MAHON HARD TO BEAT
Paul Winchester Says His AdhereHl
Stick Because he Represents ~
Organization.

! Il
Stick Because he Represents Ifls
Organization.
Baltimore, Nd, Jan. 30.-The
campaign for the nomination of "a
candidate for Mayor of Baltimore pn
the Dem ocratic ticket is now fairy
started. and, although the primarse
| will not take place until April, s
politicians and workers on both sides
are exerting themselves with as mueh
energy as if the voting was onlyE
few days off and the matter Woufq
be settled without further delay. As
result of this early start the coz
test will be dragged out for moEe
than three months, for, after the
nominations are made by both par
ties another month of very strenRs
Gus fighting will have to be- gons
through with before the people hpS
ally decide whom they want for Ma
yor for the ensuing four years. Botn
sides express the utmost confidenes
in the outcome. The anti-PrestP
forces, under the leadership of Gov
ernor Harrington and Frank KelH
are working day and night to line NJ
Democratic voters on their side ffl
Mr. Williams, while the old organs
zation, which has been in contr4l
here ever since the reconstructiQ
period at the close of the Civil Wal,
is fighting with all its force and skin
to retain its supremacy, and the re-
suit will not be certain until aftei
the votes are cast early in April. d
The old Democratic city organize.
tion, which has been supreme in poA.
tics in Baltimore ever since the adoD.
ton of the State Constitution q
1867, has long been one of the mosl
powerful local political organizations
in the country, and in all it's cehcH.
cred history of fifty years has had
but two leaders-Mr. l. Freeman
Rasin, from its foundation up to the
time of his death twelve years ago.
and since that time, the present able
leader, Mr.. John J. Mahon. Many
times it has had to fight for its exis-
tence as the controller of the party
affairs in Baltimore, but it has never
been really defeated. At times u
has compromised with it sopponents,
but it has never really surrendered
Officials who have owed all their POI
litical success to its support ana
countenance, have gone back on It
when in power; it has, on few OF
casions, seen its candidates go down
to defeat at the polls, but It has al-
ways gathered its scattered forces
together and come to the front again
to win other fights. At times it has
been without official countenancc oI
patronage, but, while it mas bee4
weakened it has never been really
overthrown, ami has always b9a1
ready for new contests and batqe
with its foes. both wIthil and ~
out the party. Governors and Stats
administrations have turned to 1t the
cold shoulder, and have at times Sc
cretly, and again openly, Joined its
forces to destroy it. But today, aft
er all the vicisitudes of a half cep-
tury, it is apparently as strong as ev-
er, and is entering on the present
fight with all it's old-time vigor and
enthusiasm Men, ward leaders, ano
leaders of less degree and influence,
who asserted openly a month ago
that thev would not back Mayor Pres
ton, are now working for him with
their coats off. Why? Because the
leader of the organization is the
voice Of the organization. and the
organization whose dictum has been
law in party matters ever since rney
cast their first vote, has given ou,
the word, and ike the regular party
soldiers that they are, they are lin
ed up for the fight against their Old
tire foes, no matter who may be al
tn head of those foes. They realize
that as long as they fight with the
organization, they are part of tina,
body, and partal1e of its strength
Outside of it, they are politicians OF
little influence, and after time oil
| no influence whatever. and are rtallJ
outside the party pale. They prefer
| to be ''in," and therefore, uapleas-
ant as it Hay tie, they line up. TO,
| for the candidate, he is only repre-
sentative of the organization, but fol
the organization itself, no matter
who the candidate may be. AS regu.
| lars, and party workers, as parts
| however small, of the machine, the
candidate is to them only political
| abstraction. They are for what h
| represents, not FOR him, except as the
| figure representing the organization
and as such tney are ready TO sup
| port him with all their old-time vigol
The organization is as strcng al
| ever. and the forces against it are
strong. How strong, it is impossible
to tell this early in the fight. 1t vii
have to be very, very strong indeed
! to defeat Mr.. Mahon and his well or
ganized party machine.
PAUL WINCHESTER.
I