Evening star., 1920-10-07
HARDING AND COX
RUN NIP AND TUCK
IN MARYLANDR RACE
Republicans Have Invaded
State and May Cut Demo-
cratic Lead in Half. .
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BALTIMORE. Md, October Mo
nody's Maryland, as yet Somebody with
talent for cartooning might portray
both Harding and Cox singing the his
toric hymn of this state, but neither one
can confidently say my Maryland" Re-
puollcans undoubtedly. had it I'D to ten
days ago, but things are looking bet
ter for Gov. Cox. It's nip and tuck
Since Maryland is normally a deno-
cratic state and clings to the prejudices
winch have kept the solid south from
votlng the republican ticket, there's an
especial signif1cafce In the fact that
the race is even. It means that the
republican tide has invaded Maryland
Inc democrats are desperately irving
70 stem the tide and turn it in the
other direction. Confidence that they
wiH- DO SO and win the state for Gov.
Go2 ~, Is az the moment based entirely
on the eff1clency of the democratic or
ganlzation in the city of Baltimore,
where the battle-ground is this wear
II seems to be conceded that the conn
ties outside of Baltimore will not 90
heavily for either, candidate and that
the real majority will be furnished in
this city. The state went for Bryan as
against Taft and even Parker carried
it in 1904, against Roosevelt.
When the entire east was swept by
Hughes, Maryland stood firm for vii.
son with the unprecedented ma iority of
10000. 1t would take a political earth
quake to shift the state to the renuhli
can ticket. The republicans think the
resentment against the Wilson adminis-
trat1on Is sufficiently strong to produce
just such an upheaval, but while in
roads unquestionably have been made
the democrats have been aroused hv the
prospect OF losing the state Again and
again when things have seemed hone-
less, aess tne democratic leaders have man
aged to capture the state in the last few
weeks OF the campaign. They are start
ing out to do the same thing now.
me deslre Tor change of adminis-
trauon and the consistent opposition of
sucn large newspapers as the Baltimore
news TO the league of nations have had
their effect on the situation. On the
other hand. the Baltimore Sun wbinh
has remained friendly to the leaena
throughout. has managed also to retain
10 fol wilson speaking relatively, more
friends IN Maryland than supporfinp
newspapers have been able to Keen i5
other states. Also many prominent ipdaA
pendentS or republicans who esno,sed
the League of nations before it hecana
pontlcaI issue have come out openly
ior GOV: COX as greater friend Of the
league than Harding. Princinai ar,ne
these are Dr. William H WeIch Of Inbnss
Hopkins, who is revered as one Of ths
lnteilectuals of the state, and Tbaodore
marpurg' VINO was Taft's minister tn
Belgium and cannot be suspectad of
cessive championship of things Gana
cratic. ss oemo-
RegistratiOn Sounds Alarm
The sort of campaign tbo ,a,
Hcans have been making was caI
cuiated TO win the state Thev ouietIy
nurseo along the anti-administrat tion
sentiment and did not stir up marty
!eehs. But the registration figures
the extraordinary situation of re-.
pupIcan majority. even though slight
acted as an alarm clock for the 6em
ocra1s. They promptly got busv. and
II Is thelr activity which makes many
al an observer think that. after all. the
majority over four years ago. The
growth of republicanism cannot he
discounted. for Gov. Ritchie, democrat.
VINO made his campaign almost en-
slrely on national issues two years
ago, won by only a few hundred.
Gov. Cox himself will be here soon
and help along the eleventh. hour
drive being made by the democrats.
There have been factional disturb
ances inside the democratic party
locally, which the presence of the
presidential nominee will help smooth
out.
Senator Harding got a good recep-
tion in Baltimore, but it seems to be
the ooncensus of opinion here that he
didn't get many more votes than. he
already had before he came. The
mix-up over the arrest of the man who
was invited by Senator Harding TO
come to the platform to debate, but
who was unfortunately arrested,
didn't help the republican candidate.
Senator Underwood, on the other
hand, had very big meeting the
other night and even democratic
leaders were surprised by the spon-
taneous demonstration which greeted
a casual mention of the name of
woodrow Wilson.
Strong Wet Element.
Fundamentally there has always
been a strong wet element in the
democratic party. Early in the cam
paign this state was looked upon as
certain for Cox on that account alone.
but his friendliness to prohibition
exhibited in western speeches have