Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-18
POLITICAL BATTLE
ON IN MARYLAND
Ball Set Rolling by a Rally at
CumberIandHWet and Dry
Issue Made Non-Partisan.
Special Dispatch TO The Star

special Dispatch TO The Star.
BALTIMORE, Md, July 17-With
the two big national conventions ont
of the way and the delegates back
home, Maryland republican and dem
ocratic leaders are awaiting only the
acceptance speeches of Senator Hard
ing and Cox before laying their plans
Tor the presidential and congress
sional campaign. Since Maryland has
no state Offices to fill, the fight will
be waged entirely around the candi-
dates for trips to the White House
and Capitol
Though the republican state leaders
nave done little as yet toward
launching the campaign, the chiefs of
OF the party in western Maryland
started the political ball rolling
Thursday night at rally at Cum.
berland at which committees were
named to conduct a vigorous cam
paign for Harding. Coolidge and
Representative Zihlman in Allegany
county. Incidentally Representative
Zihlman. about whose sympathy for
Ovington E. Weller there had been
some doubt. came out enthusiast
tlcaliy for the state republican chief
tain for the United States Senate.
The race between Weller and Sen
dtoI John waiter Smith. the demo-
cratic incumbent will be holly con-
tested. with even the democrats ad-
hitting privately that the senator's
chances are no rosy. Mr.. Weller this
week resigned as treasurer of the
republican senatorial committee ow-
ing. to his candidacy He has been
active quietly since his return from
New England. but is expected to
speed up shortly. Both he and Smith
are expected to stump the state be-
fore the campaign is over. Senator
3mith's dry reputation is counted
factor in favor of Weller. who is for
modification of the Volstead act.
Wet and Dry on Each Side.
The republican state convention
having left to the individual candi-
dates the choice as to the side to be
taken on the liquor issue. the party's
candidates for the house of repre-
sentatives are found on different sides
of the fence. Representative William
N. Andrews, in the first district, is
running upon a dry record, standing
out boldly for the Volstead act.
Though the eastern shore sentiment
has been dry in the past. there is
some doubt as to where the farmers
stand now on dry enforcement. An
drews opponent is T. Allen Colds
borough. damp democrat.
In the second district fight there
are two democrats, a wet and a dry.
Representative Carville D. Benson,
convert of comparatively recent date.
In addition to his republican oppo-
nent-A1bert A. Blakeny-he has lined
up against him, Samuel w. Appleby.
who. having been defeated in the
democratic primary. is running as
dripping wet independent.
Representative Charles P. Coady.
who is opposed by Lieut.. Col. John
Phillip Hill, republican. will face some
opposition by his own party men in
sence from the House when the vote
was taken on the Volstead act veto. He
was paired against the bill. but ap-
parently is having difficulty in con-
vincing many of the vets that his alb
sence, therefore, did not affect the
look at the battlefields of Europe. but
will be back in time for the political
campaign.
Representative ]. Charles Linthicum.
a wet democrat. seems to have easy
sailing in the fourth district. where
the opposition is divided between two
candidates. William o. Atwood and
Dr. Walter E. knickman. who were
close contestants in the republican
primary. Atwood, dry. won out by
a hair. Knickman, wet, like Apple
by in the second, decided to run in the
Z,
prospects bright for the democrat.
Both parties have wet candidates
for Congress in the fifth, which in
cludes part of south and southwest
Baltimore, and which is normally
strongly republican. So Representa-
tive Sydney E. Mudd. who is up for
reelection. is expected to have
rather easy time defeating Capt
Thomas S. Klinger. his democratic OPP
ponent. Mudd had no opposition in
the primary.
The signs point to a lively battle in
the sixth district which takes in
western Maryland. The friends of
Fred n. Zihlman say there is no doubt
as to the result, but the republican
member. whose dry tendencies have
caused some resentment in his dis
trlct, has shown that he recognizes
strong opponent in State Senator
Frank w. Mish. democrat, who is
making capital out of dissatisfaction
with enforcement of the Volstead act
The republicans declare the district
viii give bigger republican ma
1ority than ever.
JOHN A. ELGERT.