Evening star., 1948-10-23
The Political Min
Maryland Seen Likely I.
ToSwinq Vote to 9. O.P.
Border State Has Picked Winners
for More Than Half Century

iVSWIuS WE W NJ O.Jfs
Border State Has Picked Winners
for More Than Half Century
By Gould Lincoln
BALTIMORE, Oct 23.-Maryland for more
than half q century has been, with very little
deviation, correct. This year it gives promise Of
swinging again with the popular trend-and
going Republican. Starting with the presi.
dental election Of 1892, the State has given its
electoral vote to the winning candidate, except
in 1904 and 1908, when Maryland divided its
presidential electors between the winner and
the loser 81
Like West Virginia and Kentucky, Maryland
has been classed as q border State with
strong leaning toward the Democratic Party.
1t has always been necessary therefore for Re.
publican presidential candidates to attract
Democratic and independent voters to carry
the State. Gov. Dewey Of New York, running
against Franklin d. Roosevelt four years ago,
lost Maryland by 22,551 votes The narrow
margin of Rooseyelt's victory was an indication
of the growing unpopularity of the Democratic
New Deal administration, for in 1910 Mr.. Roose-
welt carried the State by 125, 900 votes and in
1885 by $4,000.
There seems no reason to believe that Presi-
dent Truman Is as strong in Maryland this
year as was Mr.. Roosevelt four years ago. DEM
ocratic leaders who insist that Mr. Truman
will win by from $4,000 votes up solace them
selves by thinking that while many Maryland
Democrats had come to hate Mr. Roosevelt,
nobody hates the little man" now in the White
House. On the other hand, there is none of the
fanatical enthusiasm for Mr.. Truman which
Mr.. Roosevelt engendered among thousands of
his followers. In, addition, President Truman
has shown himself more New Dealsh even
than Mr. Roosevelt. which makes no appeal to
the cid anti-Roosevelt Democrats in this State.
No Hit In Free State.
Mr.. Truman has piled on top of this ultra
New Dealishness his demand for Federal leg
islation to put into effect his antisegregation
civil rights program. 1t makes no hit in the
old Free State.
The situation in Maryland might have been
more complicated had the Thurmond- Wright
States Rights ticket been able to get on the
ballot, though whether the benefit would have
flowed to Gov. Dewey or to Mr.. Truman is q
question which will never be accurately an
swered. The States Fighters were too late get
ting into the field to be awarded place on
the ballot AS last resort they are engaged
In trying to bring about large write-in vote
for Mr.. Thurmond While this is possible even
where voting machines are used it is a COM
plicated process and the write-in vote probably
will not be large. Mr.. Thurmond himself has
campaigned IN the State but there is no States
Rights organization worthy of the name
What the Democrats hope and profess to be-
heve is that many of those who voted against
MIR. Roosevelt and for Gov. Dewey four years
ago will write in the names of Thurmond and
hon
can presidential nominee, but anti-Truman
Democrats insist with some reason that hav-
ing gone over to the Republican candidate once
it will be easy for them to do SO again, particu-
larly as they have no more use for Mr. Truman
than they had for Mr.. Roosevelt. Also they do
not wish to waste their votes on man who has
no real chance of being elected President
The vote for Henry Wallace, Progressive.
which earlier in the year gave promise of
being material in the election is reported to
have sloughcd of. Whatever that vote may be-
however, will be a. loss Ito Mr.. Truman even
though it may be as low as 4,00O which some
prognosticators estimate - -,7 @tr
ii e2ps Campaign Victory Claims. '39
2 In support OF their claims of victory the
Democrats say that the Democratic organiza-
ton is working smoothly and wholly together
this year and that the prospects are for a large
vote in Baltimore city, the Democratic strong.
hold in the past. Even former Mayor jackson.
who supported Gov. Dewey four years ago.
Is on the Truman side now. They point out
Gov. Lane, the two Senators, former Senator
Radcliffe and the Democratic members of the
House are all working They have one COM
plant, however which Is not singular to
Maryland Democrats this year; they haven't
enough money for the campaign.
Ine Republicans, on the other hand, admit
frankly they have the necessary dollars to
carry on their campaign and theys are not
iettlng the grass grow under their feet. They
nope not only to carry Maryland for Gov.
dewey by at least ten or fifteen thousand
piurahty. They say it may go higher, But
they are counting on picking up House seat
or two from the Democrats, depending upon
how strongly Gov. Dewey runs
Their best chance IMP the End congressional
district where Representative Meade was de-
feated for denomination by William p. Bolton
and the Republican candidate, A. Earl Shipley.
Is popular, The Maryland House delegation
In the present Congress is made I'D of four
Democrats and two Republicans Both the
Republicans will probably be reelected and SO
will the Democrats In the 3rd, 4th, and 5th
districts.
The States Fighters in their drive for q
Thurmond- Wright write-in vote are urging
the voters to write in only the names of
Thlrmond and Wright. 1t would be a lob
TO learn and to write in the names of eight
presidential electors They say they have rea.
son to believe the Attorney General of Mary.
land would uphold such a Vote. 1t would. how.
ever come mighty close to a direct vote for
President, for which the Constitution does not
provide.
Questions and Answers