The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-04-15
cyELLER'S NOMINATION Is
Nj
PRACTICALLY ASSURED
Opponents Helpless, Disorgan-
lied and Inefficient-HilPs Can
didacy Unpopular in Counties
(From The Marylander)

LII q ISNlCW VI tllC POAiSASoi 'Asoo
ton in Maryland insofar as the Re-
publican Senatorial fight between the
Weller and anti Weller forces are con-
cerned, last weeks issue of The Mary
lander said:
The issue between the factions in
the Republican party in maryland, and
which it is expected will be fought to
finish in the primary contest, is
purely personal, and centers around
the domination of Senator Weller-in
other words the party is divided into
two camps, Weller and anti-Weller,
with General w. Bladen Lowndes as
the leader of the anti-Weller faction,
aided in rather weak and half-heart-
ed may by ex-Senators France and
Jackson and that element in the city
and counties which has been trampled
under foot by the Senator since he as
sumed charge of the party seven
years ago, and whose heads have been
sore ever since he threw them out on
the scrap heap where they have been
souirming and struggling ever since.
At the present time the indications
are that the Senior Senator will have
easy work to win his denomination in
September. Whatever chance his OPP
ponents might have had to defeat him
was thrown away when they took up
Mr.. Hill as their candidate to oppose
him-for the truth is, the Third Dis
trict Congressman is not seriously
taken in any part Of the State, even
in his own party, except by few peo-
ple in East Baltimore-and there IS
every reason to believe that they have
gone over to Mr.. Weller as the best
hope to gain what they want. The
Senator is in a position, as member
of the Upper House, to do things. He
has great influence with the National
Administration; he gives out all the
patronage; he names all the govern
,.aent officials in the State, even the
!. Arohibition Enforcement officials, and
they and all their vast influence, are
at the service of Mr.. Weller in all that
he wants them to do; his word is law.
Mr.. Hill, on the other hand, is liter
ally without any such influence. He
has no official patronage to give out;
he has no influence whatever with the
large contingent of government otfl-
Gals, revenue agents, customs officials,
postal officials, Prohibition Enforce
ment officials, literally hundreds in
number, all of whom owe their places
to Mr.. Weller, and all of whom are
working day after day, to secure his
denomination and reelection. They are
not making any fuss or blowing any
horns, but they are busy in every sec
ton of Maryland, as they go about
their work-busy for Mr.. Weller, and
they never pass by an opportunity to
help him. along-and Mr., Hill has no
such support. He is rarely ever heard
of. and his candidacy is really looked
upon as Joke, not only by Democrats
but by the great mass of his own par
ty. even by those few who are sup
posed to be enlisted in his cause, be-
cause they are hostile to Mr.. Weller.
1t should also be remembered in this
connection, that at least three-fourths
of the Republicans in the counties are
the dryest of the dry, that they look
upon Mr.. Hill, not as a Republican
but rather as the exponent Of the wet
cause, as the chief exponent of the en-
emies of prohibition, and, as such,
hold him in horror, and while they
know that Mr.. Weller is not favorable
to prohibition, he has not made HIM
self conspicuous against it, but has
simply contented himself with voting
against it when it has been an issue,
and it is safe to say that as between
the two men, when the primaries take
place, very large proportion OF the
dry Republicans will vote for Mr. Wei
Ter, in fact in all his large acquaint-
ance with dry Republicans throughout
the counties, the writer does not know
of one who will vote for Mr.. Hill, but
rather the contrary, all those with
whom he has discussed the subject are
openly for the Senator and are bitter
in their opposition to his opponent. So
far as the dry Republican vote is con-
Arned, it will doubtless be practically
Vii favorable to Mr.. Weller. To them,
Mr.. Hill is a living incarnation of the
"Rum Demon" and they will have
none of him. And it is one of the
strangest features of this strange po-
1itical situation that many of the
strongest supporters of Senator We'll
Ter are to be found among the most
ardent of the drys and they all know
that the Senator is not dry, that he
has never pretended to be dry, and to
all intents and purposes is as wet as
Mr.. HILL