The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-03-10
BALTIMORE LETTER.
State House,

State House,
Annapolis, March 9th, 1922.
The strenuous fight which resulted
in the passage of the prohibition en-
forcement bill in the House of Dele
gates last week, has not been renewed,
openly at any rate. now tEa5 the bill
is in the Committee of the Senate.
Both sides are apparently resting this
week. making preparations Tor re-
newal. of the contest in the upper
House next week. A. the present tine
the result appears III Go:I5t. Several OF
the Senators have not announced their
position on the bin, anG efforts are
being made both by the "DTyJ' and the
''Wets" to gain these apparently doubt
full Senators, on whose actic.1 the fate
of me bill will rest. All sorts of re-
ports are in circulation and both
sizes are claiming d ma j6rity of the
nua.icT. IS IL the House, the fight
VIII De for and again i an "'.:tnl
ment providing for a referendum, to
be voted upon by the people of the
state at the Congressional election
neZt fall.
The Anti-race track bill, is also in
doubt. The measures received a large
majority in the House, where nc serl-
Gus fight was made against it. The
indications are, however, that vigor-
Gus contest will be made to prevent
the passage of the bill in the Senate,
with the result in doubt. Owing to the
fact that the passage of the bill VIII
reduce the revenues of the State Urea
sury more than three quarters OF a
million dollars a year, several oil the
Senators who would otherwise be IN
favor of the bill, are doubtful as to
the expediency of its passage at the
present time. The chances are that 1t
will not be taken up until after the
enforcement bill is disposed OF, which
will probably be at least two weeks
hence. In the meantime, the budget
bills, providing for the appropriation
for the next two years, Will probably
be held up until after the anti-race
track measure is settled, owing to the
fact that it's enactment will necessarl-
ly bring about scaling down OF all
approximations in order to meet the
deficiency. caused by the loss of the
la-ge amount derived from the tax
IN the race tracks.
Policies. and the prospective candi-
dates to be voted for in the coming
fall, are becoming more and more
subjects for discussion every day. as
the session nears its close. The prob
lem as to who will be the candidates
to be voted on in the nominating prl-
maries in September, engross the
most of the attention of the states
men among the members of both
Houses, as well as the many visitors
of prominence from all sections
of the State. Day by day the impress
sion is gaining ground, that Cover
nor Ritchie will be in the field for the
nomination for the Senatorship, when
the final entries are made, and that he
may have as his competition either
former Senator John Walter Smith,
Mr.. John NJ. Dennis, Mr.. Samuel K.
Dennis. or States Senator Orlando
Harrison. Not a few people believe
that in the end, Senator Smith will be
forced to enter the contest for the
nomination, in order to prevent a SER
ious primary fight in the Democratic
party for it is the general impression
that if the ex-senator desires the
nomination, he can have it without
any interference whatever. The visit
of the Senator to Annapolis on Tues
day gave color to the reports that he
is not averse to a reelection, although
friends of State Treasurer, John NJ.
Dennis. did not hesitate to say that
the former Senator will back the