Evening star., 1938-10-23
NICE EAND0'C0NOR
CARAVANS MOVE
ON SHORE VOTERS
Rival Candidates to Spend
Week Seeking Ballots
on Peninsula.
DRIVE IN BALTIMORE
WILL END CAMPAIGNS
Democrats Have Advantage on
Basis of Registration Over
State as Whole.
BY ]. A. O'LEARY,


With the race for the governorship
still the overshadowing feature OF the
campaign, Maryland's rival political
caravans will descend this week on
one OF the major backgrounds Of the
State-the Eastern Shore.
After debating the issues for six
days in the Shore counties, both states
Of candidates will make their nnal
drive for votes in Baltimore, where
half the population Of the State is
centered.
As in other parts of the State, Gov.
Nice. Republican candidate for re-
election, will be followed down til,
Eastern Shore by the Democrat
aspirant for the Governors chair,
Herbert r. O'Conor., Although each
campaigning group includes the candi-
dates for the United States Senate arr
for the principal State offices, pub
interest is centering on the gube.~
material fight.
Decisive Campaign Period.
The remaining two weeks may pro
the decisive period of the campaie
despite the fact that, at the half-w;
mark. partisans on both sides ta
optimistically Of victory for thc
respective candidate for Governor.
On the basis of registration figur
the Democrats have an apparent at
vantage, but Republican spekesmen
not view this as determining facto.
In 1884, for example, Gov. Nice was
elected over the late Gov. Albert C..
Ritchie. while a Democratic Legisla-
ture, members of Congress and other
State ofdcials on the Democratic
ticket were being voted into office.
The circumstances are not com.
parable, however, because Gov. Ritchie
had been chief executive of the State
for Is years, and this tenure had be-
come one of the issues. Mr.. OConor
IN his election as attorney general of
the State in 1884, led the ticket with
a majority of 100000. In the current
campaign the Democrats have a plank
in their platform proposing an amend
ment to the State constitution to make
q Governor ineligible to succeed HIM
eelf.
Figures on Registration.
For the State as a whole the 1896
registration figures were: Democratic
495, 748; Republican, 254,404. The fie-
1res are somewhat higher on both sides
at the present time.
For Baltimore City latest available
registration figures are: Democratic.
242,425; Republican. 87,s02, and un-
afiliated, 1925. These figures do not
include names added tothe list on
two recent registration days.
Along with these registration sta
tlstlcs there are several factors to be
weighed in considering what the out
come will be on November 8.
First OF all. the Democrats only a
few weeks ago went through q spirited
primary contest before selecting their
nominee for Governor. At the party
convention on September % the three
defeated candidates-Mayor jackson
OF Baltimore, President of the State
Senate Lansdale G. Sasscer, and State
Controller William S. Gordy, jr.-
united in harmony move and are
on the Advisory Committee for the
current campaign.
One of the questions that lends in.
terest to the final stages Of the cam
paign is. Have primary differences
been forgotten down through the
ranks?" Democratic success may de-
pend to considerable degree on the
answer to that question.
Lively Primary Battle
The Democrats also went through
lively primary battle over the SEN
atorship, but in the end, Senator
Tydings won denomination against
Representative David j. Lewis so
decisively that since the primary.
interest in the senatorial campaign
has been overshadowed by the major
battle for the governorship. The
Republican nominee tor the Senate
Is Juoge Oscar Lesser, who won nomi-
nation over Galen l.. TAFT.
Another important question in con-
siderirg what may happen on Novem.
Der is, will voters follow their
registra ton lines?" Republican spokes-
men recognized that the support of
registered Democrats is essential to
the election of Republicans to State
wide once IN Maryland. and they
predict such changes will occur. AT
the same time, it is contended in
Democratic quarters that some regis
tered Republicans will be attracted
to the Democratic ticket.
How will the Eastern Shore 90
particularly for the governorship?'
is another question frequently asked
Leaders of both sides will attempt
(see MARYLAND, Page B-3.)