Evening star., 1924-10-22
MARYLAND PLACED
ON DOUBTFUL LIST
Neither Davis Nor Coolidge
Certain With La Toilette
Influence in Balance.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE


BALTIMORE, Md, October 22.-
Ihis is the first OF the border States.
normally Democratic, which should
De ciassed as doubtful. 1t will not 20
py large plurality to either Davis
or Coolidge and II seems certain
that the outcome will be close enough
10 speak of plurality and not a
majority
If there were two candidates in the
neld, Davis would win in a walk, but
the La Toilette candidacy Drobab1v
will take enough votes from the
democrats to do the very thing the
supporters of the third party ticket
would not wish to do if they had to
choose as between Coolidge and
Davis
NO better illustration of what the
La toilette movement has done can
be found than IN a canvass Of the
banking and business sections of
baltimore. In their desire to ad-
minister rebuke to radicalism and
make certain the victory Of con
servatiye, hundreds of normally
Democratic business men and their
families who admire Davis are going
TO ballot for Coolidge. There is a
surprising amount of Coolidge senti-
ment in this city which usually is
SO heavily Democratic that in most
campaigns the totals obtained here
are sufficiently large to cut down the
Republican lead obtained in the rural
districts.
Party's Position Unfortunate.
SO the Democrats are in the un-
fortunate position of being invaded
on both fanks. Many conservatives
who think Coolidge is a symbol OF
continued business progress are say
ing among themselves that the Bryan
part of the ticket is the reason for
their detection. The truth is they
have been affected by the La Toilette
scare and the urge is from the right
with them rather than the left any
how. As for labor, it votes the Demo
cratic party more or less in spirit
of protest and this time the La
toilette party is attracting the pro-
test voter much more strongly than
the Democrats have done since the
days of Bryan.
The voting in Maryland will illus
trate what has been so often said was
inevitable in the Democratic party
that its conservatives, especially in
the northern border states, would
ultimately be found in the bosom of
their conservative brethren of the
Republican party.
There are curiously enough some
Democratic acquisitions from an unex-
pected quarter. Thousands of negroes
will vote the Democratic ticket this wear
because John w. Davis has explicitly
and unequivocally denounced the Ku
klux Khan while President Coolidge has
not done likewise. The Afro-American.
one of the leading negro newspapers.
with circulation of about 10000, is
openly supporting Davis
Ihe Republican managers privately
| express the greatest confidence in their
ability to carry the State They are
counting. Of course, on defections from
the regular Democratic vote TO La Fol
lette, especially in the wet" districts.
where the Wisconsin Senator's wet
ness is being made much of in the hope
OF drawing votes away from Davis
Coolidge Gains From Davis.
In some Democratic districts out
side of Baltimore, the precinct polls
show a number of losses from Davis
to Coolidge. To some extent this will
be offset by farm votes in Republican
districts going from Coolidge to la
Toilette. There are also some local
factors which may help the Demo
Gratis. Representative Zfhlman, Re
publican. was nominated after a hard
| factional fight. This may mean de-
hections. Also in the district repre-
sented by Sidney Mudd. who died last
week, the Democrats have nominated
| strong candidate in Stephen b.
| Gambrill. The congressional repre-
sentation is evenly divided between
| the Republicans and Democrats. The
vote of the State of Maryland in the
event the election were thrown into
the House of Representatives would
! then be tied and not counted, SO the
| Democratic National organization has
put its energies behind the candidacy
| of Gambrill. all of which may tend
I to win Davis some votes.
! Gov. Ritchie, Democrat, is working
| hard to carry the State for Davis
He himself won by more than $4,000
! last year, so one can see Demo-
| cratic victory is by no means un-
usual The governor is expected 10
run for the United States Senate in
! a couple of years. too. so he has
| double interest in holding the State
| in the regular Democratic column.
| Whether the other Democratic leaders
are toiling as hard for the Davis can
| didacy is a matter of much speculation,
| for il has been known to happen in
| Maryland that sundry Democratic lead
ers grew apathetic as business In
| terests tightened UP on funds and
turned their eyes elsewhere in pres
| idential campaign.
| Copyright. 1924 -e7usr
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