Evening star., 1928-11-03
MONTGOMERY VOTE
RESULT IS IN DOUBT
Republicans Have Chance to
Swing Normally Democratic
Lead in County.
CONTINUED From First Page)

pected to split, large part going to
Smith, and a good many of those vot-
ers who are affiliated or in sympathy
with the Ku Klux Klan going over to
Hoover.
Everywhere one goes in the county
31e hears of the existence of two Demo-
cratic factions, one headed by Maj. E.
Brooke Lee of Silver Spring, who is
speaker of the House of Delegates of
the Maryland Legislature and is recog
nized as the Democratic organization
deader" of the county. The other Dem
pcratic faction, if it can be called that,
Is generally said TO be led by Albert NJ
Bouic of Rockville, although Mr.. Bouic
is inclined to deprecate the idea that
d1e is a leader of any party faction.
Both Mai. Lee and Mr.. Bouic are sup
porting Smith for President and en-
deavoring to get as many of their fol-
lowers as possible to do likewise.
The organization leaders say that
Smith will get a greater majority in
the county than was given either to
Cox or Davis, and that Representative
Zihlman, present chairman of the House
committee on the District of Columbia,
will be defeated by Mr.. Lewis, his DEM
ocratic opponent. They admit that the
senatorial race is close, but say that If
there is any ledge" Senator Bruce has
1T, although there is comparatively little
being said in Montgomery County about
the senatorial race.
Upper End for Lewis.
These same Democratic leaders ex-
pressed to this writer the opinion that
Mr.. Lewis in his race for Congress would
run better in the upper or northern end
than in the southern end of the county
and that he would probably get more
votes than the head of the national
Democratic ticket, Gov. Smith, which
would mean, of course, considerable
splitting of the ticket in the county to
the detrinent of Smith.
Democratic organization men called
attention to the fact that in the 1928
registration 2,239 Democrats and 1,448
Republicans enrolled for the first time,
anore members of both parties than ever
registered in a single year in this
county. They pointed out that the
electorate of the county includes the
largest Quaker settlement in Maryland,
Sandy Spring; the largest Seventh-day
Adventist voting settlement in the coun-
try, Takoma Park, and that the mem
berShlp in the Protestant churches pre-
dominates throughout both the upper
and suburban sections of the county.
They said the suburban sections are
inhabited by "the type of professional,
business and Government people who
are strongly inclined to Hoover"
Notwithstanding all these elements of
Hoover strength, the organization con-
tends that Smith viii carry the county
substantially and that Senator Bruce
and Mr.. Lewis, Democratic candidate
for the House, will be given majorities
in the county.
Lamar Switches to G. o. p.
One Of the severest blows which the
Smith adherents have received was the
announcement this week of George H.
Lamar, member Of the Rockville bar
sand a Democrat of long standing in
montgomery County, that he will sup
pOrt Hoover for President. Mr.. Lamar |
soid not reach his decision hastily, but |
after long consideration He finally |
fcame to the conclusion that "Mr. Hoover |
stands Squarely with the Democratic |
fadea of strict construction of the Con-
S1tution and against notification of the |
eighteenth amendment
MIR. Lamar's announcement is expect |
ed to have much influence all over the
county. He declared that to his mind |
Ydhe paramount question in this cam
paign is notification or the prohibition
question"
I'm my humble opinion said Mr..
Lamar, Gov. Smith of New York and
Gov. Ritchie of Maryland have, Willingly
or unwittingly done more than any
{other men to further the purposes of
.1nose bent upon complete notification
ipf the eighteenth amendment.
Therefore, as a lifelong Democrat.
who has voted conSecutively nine times
for the presidential nominee of the
sDemocratic party. refuse by my vote
TO ratify the official conduct of Coy.
ESmith in the past, or approve his
purpose to use the reins of leadership.
kTeceived at the hands of the Houston
convention. as means by which, in
Sthe name of Democracy, to further ex-
tend chaotic conditions and contribute
10 moral degeneracy in this great coun-
fry."
! There is no organized anti-Smith
! democratic committee in Montgomery
SCounty such as there are in many other
parts of the Nation. The Democratic
sWoman's Law Enforcement League has
I mad very little influence, so far as can
ybe learned upon the voters of the
county.
Those Democrats who intend to vote
Tor Hoover apparently have made up
Fnelr minds to do so because they think,
all things considered, that he 81 the bet
Ger man for the presidency.
County for Hoover.
Before turning to the Republican view
of the situation, which is very different
from that of the Smith adherents, it
may be well to say word about Mr..
sBouic's views.
He said he dislikes "to hear that
democrats are not supporting the head
ADf our ticket on account of his religion"
Sand he would like to see the liberal
9ninoed Republicans of Montgomery
( EGtnfTNfV a0d nIcoFuhova I,n
democratic presidential nominee to take
religion out of American politics.
/ Il Paul Slenlan of Chevy Chase Is
1chairman of the Republican State CEN
Ktral committee for Montgomery County.
I SIiiS views are diametically opposed to
4those of the Democratic organization
/ Aleaders, especially in so far as the esti-
En1ate Of the result Of the election Tues
soay is concerned.
/ Montgomery County, before it began
ito develop in a suburban way" sail
AMr. Sleman to The Star, was just as
! kmuch Southern county as any county
I Nof the so-called solid South. But in
| A1ecent years it has developed as spill
/ aTay from Washington. Those people
sWho have come from Washington to
Olive in our county are cosmopolitan in
( scharacter and they are predominantly
Republican. Many of them affiliate for
8local election purposes with the Demo-
3Cratic party, but in national elections
sthey vote the Republican ticket. In
I this election the lower end of the
! county nearest Washington will go
strong for Hoover. I think the county
| AnS whole will give Hoover majority
sof several hundred"
Il The total number of registered voters,
&Sncluding the new voters registered this
year, in Montgomery County is as fol-
I I lows: Democrats, 11,726; Republicans.
T,457. AS heretofore explained, great
| numbers of men and women who are