The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-02-06
(From The Observer, Baltimore)

INV OCC4A oSShAAAS 1ActNh PNNAASASJ
week but they have been busy never
sheless. Their current task is to fur
: yher consolidate the opposition to
Richie behind State Senator David
G. Mcintosh, Jr., before making any
announcements.
Some of those inimical to the Gov
errors plan to hold on have been puz-
zled or disappointed at the apparent
lack of activity but those within what
might be termed the executive camp
say there has been no idleness what
ever. Every day has been utilized in
strengthening the lines of the combi
nation that has been formed in the
effort to prevent general defeat of
the Democratic party in the next cleo
ton through one-man domination.
AS it is now stated the one obstacle
to a reasonable amount of harmony
within the Maryland Democracy is
the attitude of the Governor and his
effort to hold on to Office indefinitely.
Once Richie is gotten out of the way
it appears that slate for the next
election will be speedily agreed upon
by the leaders and the party may
avoid a primary election contest.
At last, it appears, some of those
close to His Excellency have come to
realize the seriousness of the party
situation. The result is that where
they were defiant a month or so ago
they now hint at conference. A con-
ference, they seem to think, is the
best way to compose the differences
in the party.
The fact seems to be that no large
element of the party is strongly OPP
posed to the nomination of Senator
Mcintosh. Nor is any big element
vocally antagonistic to the nomina-
ton of any one of the party men who
have been suggested for the Office re-
cently-except Governor Richie. The
present Governor is the one man
against whom thousands of Demo-
crats-who have supported him three
times-have at last turned. Thou
sands of regular Democrats are now
anti-Ritchie without being strongly
pro-anybody else. They are deter
mined not to vote for Richie any
longer and resent the attitude of the
Governor in trying to force his re-
nomination.
In the absence Of a carefully taken
straw vote there is nothing on which
to base an opinion of the situation
except the public and private express
sions of individual voters. Reports
from various parts of the State agree
in substance and to the effect that
the disaffected vote is more than suf-
ficient to wipe out the plurality that
the Governor obtained in 1926. Not
only is this the plain fact but there
is ample evidence to show that the
Richie strength is fast ebbing.
Apparently the Governor would
have done better had he announced
himself candidate in the Autumn
soon after the Mcintosh movement
started. He would then have appear
ed as the possessor of courage. Now
with his ears to the ground, trying to
line up this one and that one, visiting
this leader or that and trying to win
support for fourth term, he is no
heroic figure. And the longer he de-
lays his announcement the more des-
perate will his position be.
Republicans Can
Take Their Choice
From the inner precincts of the
City Hall come two reports-sure
thing reports too. The first is that
Mayor Broening will soon announce
himself a candidate for Governor on
the Republican ticket; and the other
is that the Mayor will not be can
didate at all.
Both reports come from what may
be called well informed sources and
as the one contradicts the other the
reader will have to make his own
choice.
Fact is, we have never before had
such contradictory reports from the
City Hall. All we can make out of
it is that at this writing the Mayor
has not made up his mind. Mature
elaboration is habit with him and
he is not likely to change his habits.
Circumstantial is the report that
Senator Goldsborough, National Com
mitteeman Jackson and ex-senator
Weller are in substantial accord on
the subject of the Mayors candidacy
and that all three are of the opinion
s that the party can make successful
fight on wet and dry issue-the very
issue that is the favorite of Cover
nor Ritchie-in Maryland.
Mayor Broenlng is considered any,
thing except dry. He has never
been wet champion but all his sur
roundings are wet. The Anti-Saloon