Evening star., 1923-06-10
FACING
NOMINATION FIGHT
Maryland Republicans Fail
to Give Him Whole-Heart-
ed Support.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

cpeclal Dlsphtch TO Inc Star.
BALTIMORE, Md, June 9-Local
republican leaders are claiming that
Senator o. L. Weller was rather pre-
| mature in bringing out Attorney Gem
| eral Alexander Armstrong as the G.
o. p. candidate for governor.
The net result of Mr.. Weller's pre-
| mature publicity, proclaiming Arm
strong as his candidate, they say, has
been to make 1t extremely hard for
| Mr.. Armstrong to get back OF him a
| united party. and has diminished con-
slderahly republican chances of sue
| cess this fall. Although not pretend
| ing to know Mr.. Armstrong; mind,
they predict that he will not now be-
| come q. candidate.
They say, further, that while Rep
| resentatiye John Philip Hill wants to
| be governor, he will not seek the
place If Mr.. Armstrong does not run.
Mr.. Hill, they say, has no desire to be
made the goat" and is much too as
tute to permit himself to be dragged
in as a candidate under existing cir
cumstances at this time.
Lowndes Not 10 BE Candidate.
1t can be said further, on authority
of his close friends. that W. Bladen
LowndeS will not be candidate for
the nomination this fall. even if the
hostility between the Weller-Tait eie-
ment and himself could be wiped out.
That Phillips Lee GoldSborOugh, for
mer governor, is not in a position TO
become a candidate likewise is ac-
cepted, just as there is no doubt at
all that Albert c. Towers under no
conditions would enter the field.
What all this means, If the talk
here that neither Mr.. Armstrong nor
Representative Hill will agree TO
head the ticket is well founded. Is
that the republican party may have
gubernatorial candidate this fell. 1t
means that, for the first time In
many years, there is no real effort
on the part of any strong man TO
get the nomination.
Committee Sending Out Letters.
In an effort to convince Attorney
General Armstrong there is a genuine
demand that he be the party's candi-
date for governor, the western Mary
land committee. made up of repre-
sentatives from all the counties III
the sixth district yesterday began
sending out to all the republican
voters in the state letters, IN each OF
which is inclosed d return postal,
asking the recipient TO state his
choice.
AT the same time the party leaders
are taking measures to bring ABOUT
a reunion of forces, assurances being
given that Armstrong is not the can
didate of any man or set of men. once
the promise of support is forthcoming
from all elements, the attorney gen
eral will be requested TO make q
definite announcement, 1t being the
consensus of opinion in party circles
that the time has arrived for the
party to name its standardbearer.
Sees No Interference.
Representative Hill, champion of
the wet cause in Congress, while dis
cussing his own views and plans
about the coming gubernatorial cam
paign in Maryland took occasion to
disagree with President Hardings
statement that the repeal of the New
York state enforcement law will In
terfere with the federal judiciary sys-
TEN.
The report has been persistent for
some time that Representative Hill
eventually would be the republican
candidate in case Attorney General
Armstrong declined to run.
The Anti-Saloon League of Mary
land will not eXpend it's energy III
the attempt to compel the election of
a sympathetic governor this year, but
will concentrate its efforts upon the
control of the general assembly to
that end. Governor or no governor,
| the next Legislature may pass a state
prohibition enforcement act.
AS the prospects are now, Gov.
Ritchie Will be the candidate of a
united, or nearly united, democracy.
Gov. Ritchies attitude on states
rights and prohibition enforcement
/ has rendered him unpopular with the
AntI-Saloon League. SO that in view
| of the probability of his nomination
! by the democrats the league would
| have to throw its lot with the re
I; publicans or back an independent
| candidate.