Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-19
MARYLANDERS EYE
THE COLORED VOTE
Democratic Leaders Hopeful
of AIigning Race for
Gov. Smith.
sp.clal plspatch 70 "a. st.r.

Special Dispatch to THE star.
BALTIMORE, August 15.-With q
lull in political activity in Maryland
during the past week. speculation Of
political leaders Of both parties cen
tered on what the result Of the COL
1red vote would be next November.
In Maryland in the past, as in All
he Southern States, the colored vote
vas placed in the Republican column
It the beginning of the campaign and
no more thought was given to IT. But
as the woman vote this year has taken
on an importance that it never mas
had before. so has the colored vote,
virtually the only solid bloc left IN tnis
country.
Although the colored population In
this state is approximately 100000, or
about one-eightl1 of the total popula-
lstion. the registered colored persons
number in the State only about $4,000.
lust about one-half of this vote, or
$4,000, Is in Baltimore.
II is generally assumed here that viz
tually all the rural colored voters VII
support the Republican candidate this
wear as they always have done. There
is however. a great uncertainty - 70
what the Baltimore members OF the
race will do.
Smith Boost Seen.
The Importance of the situation lies
in the fact that II the Democrats are
successful in splitting this bloc Of votes
in half. they have gained for Gov.
Alfred E. Smith what might be a
stable majority. approximately equal
to the majority by which President
Coolidge carried the State in 1924,
The Republicans insist that this can
not be accomplished and there are
many impartial political observers who
refuse to believe such thing is pos
sible until they actually see 1t happen.
Those who are hopeful Of this result,
however. base their contentious. on
arguments that have some weight.
1t is fact that Gov. Albert G.
Ritchie, in each of his three CAM
paigns for the Office Of executive, has
bored to some extent into the solid
Republican.sm of the colored vote. In
addition, William Curran. Democratic
candidate for mayor in 1927. received
a good sprinkling of colored votes and
had the support of both colored news
papers in Baltimore in his campaign.
Moreover, Tom Smith. sometimes
called the "Colored Mayor of Balti-
more" and one of the most influential
persons in the city with members OF
his race, is registered as a Democrat
and is openly working among his
people for Gov. Smith.
Another factor is that the Afro
American. one of the important coll
ored papers of the East, has withheld
its Endorsement of Herbert Hoover and
there is chance that it may support
the Democratic nominee. The other
Baltimore colored paper. the Common
wealth. has Endorsed Mr.. Hoover
Oppose Dry Law.
That is the general situation which
+, Is peculiar TO Baltimore. The other
side, which according TO reports from
the South is widespread. Is that, re-
Tardless Of party affiliation. many COL
ored voters prefer the New Yorker to
the Republican nominee and that many
colored persons feel offended by Re-
publican efforts TO make party organ
izations in the South lily white
A large number Of Baltimore coloreo
voters are opposed to prohibition, and
that sentiment attracts them to Co...
Smith Again the New Yorker, being
Catholic, is Synbolically for the
negro an enemy of the Ku Klux Khan,
which Is opposed also TO them. That
IA one instance where the Smith re-
ligion may have a favorable reaction
What has been called the ''persecu-
ton of Perry Howard. colored Repub-
lican national committeeman from
Mississippi, has been used as the basis
of several attacks on Mr.. Hoover BY
colored speakers In Baltimore. In pasi
weeks large crowds Of colored persons
in several instances have been told that
they may expect better treatment from
the Democratic party than from Re-
pubiicans.
The situation as Il exists in Mary
land Is giving Republican leaders some
worry. To Offset all of this, however
is the traditional allegiance of the COL
ored voter TO the Republican party. the
knowledge that in the past the Eepub-
leans have rewarded with jobs worthy
cclored party workers and the Hoover
order abolisl1ing segregation in certain
Of the bureaus in the Department Of
Commerce
Added to this side of the picture Is
the fact that Mayor Broening, a Re-
publican. has named for the first time
In the history OF the city a eolored
man as an assistant States attorney
and has placed several on non paving
municipal boards. Colored men also
have been employed as laborers In de-
partments previously exclusively white.
Whether the considerations on one
side OF the situation will outweigh those
on the other will not be known until
next November, but IL has given the
Democrats some hope. The Republicans
some worry and has created q rev and
an interesting phase Of politics IN this
State
FRANKLIN 7. MAILMAN. Jr.