The Washington times., 1930-10-24
BAT TIE RACES
ON PERSONAL
]. APPEALS
Md. Candidates Contacts Are
Held to Be Decisive Factor;
Both Are From Cumberland

Held to Be Decisive Factor;
Both Are From Cumberland
The "run-of-the-mine" voters In
Allegany county, nerve center Of
the Sixth congressional district Of
Maryland. are accepting as fore.
gone conclusion the prediction
that the District will send Repre-
sentative Frederick N. zihlman
back to Washington in the coming
election.
Word has been received here
from Cumberland. largest city in
the district and logical peak for
authoritative information on the
trend Of campaign results, that
this years battle is really based
on the personalities Of the candi.
dates, with Zihlman a decided
favorite.
known as Nick
Credence is given to this report
because Of the peculiar position
that Cumberland holds in this
campaign as it has held, to some
degree, in the others.
It is a known fact that ALE
rany county is a Republican
stronghold and the home town OF
the present incumbent. On the
other hand, it is also a fact that
Fuller Bernard, jr., opponent OF
David J. Lewis in the Democratic
primary, is q lifelong resident OF
Cumberland, and Mr.. Lewis, who
won the right to face Mr.. Zihlman
In this preliminary contest; got his
political foundation there.
Mr.. Lewis is as well knewn In
this industrial center as "DaVey
as Mr.. Zihlman is known as
''Nick."
Assurance that this prediction Is
eimmering in widespread circle
throughout the district comes en-.
tirely out Of the regular source OF
"machine-made" propaganda.
It is being circulated by men
on the nethermoSt fringeS OF the
political group who predict cleo
tion results on the basis that they
"are in the know" oftentimeS
with disastrous results.
A Fresh Angle
It is this fresh angle on situa-
tion which is particularly near to
washington because OF the 1act
that Mr.. Zihlman is chairman Of
the House District Committee,
Is filling the minds Of per
sons in the District who have di'
rect contact with the Maryland
city.
Political talk of the effect Of
the indictment in the F. II,
Smith Company's case against
Mr.. Zihlman is strongly offset
by the volume of personal con.
facts with his constituents that
he has built up since he first
came to Congress in 1917.
TO add to this latter point
is a consideration Of his labor
affiliations, because Mr.. Il6lman
drifted into the political arena
in 1910 as a labor leader. Mr..
ZihIman's personal reaction TO
the prohibition law Is said 70
count for nothing to the men
and women who voted for him
ia past years because he has
voted dry for them in the House
Favors Are Topic
To get down to the bedrock
nroposition that is in many in
stances the subject Of talk among
the thousands of voters who are
hearing this prediction, two OF
the vital questions are:
:What did Zihlman ever do
Tor you?
In this situation Mr.. Zthlman
has a. decided advantage over
Mr., Lewis due to the fact that
he is a member of Congress anu
Mr.. Lewis is trying to be q
member Of Congress.
II IS a well-known fact that
constituents requests for neLp
sent to Mr.. Zihlman's OFFICES IA
the House Office Building are
always cordially received anu
promptly answered.
Birthday cards, Congratulations
IN marriages and coincidence ex.
nressions at deaths are matters
Of the Zihlman personahty
scheme that have been built UP
for the past many years.
His mail is enormous ana MS
personal calls come in constant
flow.
The prediction Of his return,
however, does not carry with II
any bombaStic assurances tnat
Mr.. Zihlman will not have TO
fight for his position. Such Fly
by.night" assurances are entirely
lacking due to the fact that al
though Cumberland. with great
deal of background to base 1t on,
believing it holds the whip hand
in the matter, is always some
what afraid Of what the counties
outside Of Allegany viii do.
It is conceded without contra
diction that Mr.. Lewis is making
one of the hardest fights Of his
career to win the position from
Mr. Zihlman and that once Mr
Lewis obtains a hold on the poll
tical backing Of any persons or