Evening star., 1934-10-20
.R|TCH|E GREETED
BY MONTGOMERY
VOTERS IN RALLIES
Governor Leads Group of
Candidates in Cam
.paign Speeches.
GUARDSMEN FIRE
SALUTE AT ROCKVILLE
Bethesda and Takoma Park Also
Visited in Behalf of Demo-
cratic Ticket.

Led by Gov Albert c, Ritchie, men,
bers of the Democratic party's State
wide ticket yesterday made a stirring
appeal TO Montgomery County voters
to carry the banner Of democracy" in
the forthcoming elections.
A collective audience of nearly 5000
voters jammed auditoriums at Rock
vile, Bethesda and Takoma Park dur
ing the afternoon and evening and
were beseeched by the speakers to vote
the straight Democratic ticket from
top to bottom"
The nominees arrived in Rockville
amid the booming Of gubernatorial
salute fired by the Kensington National
Guard company from a howitzer set
up on the lawn of the Rockville High
School and then made their way into
the auditorium through an impressive
guard Of honor provided by the Rock
vile Marine Reserves and Silver
Spring National Guardsmen.
Dinner and Other Rallies.
They were Immediately caught up
in a whirl Of activity that later car
ried them TO dinner at the Columbia
Country Club and rallies that staged
simultaneously in the Bethesda Fire
House and Takoma Park Elementary
School before crowds that filled all
of the auditoriums to overflowing.
Ritchie referred with pride to his
accomplishments, pointing cut that
| Maryland's low taxes. balanced budget
and wonderful credit standing placed
it in a position enjoyed by few other
States.
He said, however. that the people
| of Maryland are confronted with is
, sues of perplexing proportions in
volving relief, finances, care for
handicapped children and the aged
| and other problems and declared that
the working out of those questions
demand the election Of an expert
| enced slate of officials.
Reduction of Budget.
Gov. Ritchie lauded the members Of
his administration and the State
Legislature for the reduction last year
of the State budget from approx
mately s36.O00.0 900 to the sum of ap-
proximately s29, 900 ,O00-a slash of
20 per cent. He also praised the State
and county officials who have worked
out severe cuts In taxes without cur
| tailment of any services.
He said that if ne is returned to
| the executive mansion he would well
come the election of States Attorney
Stedman Prescott Of Montgomery
County, Democratic candidate for
State Senator, as one Of his legisla-
| tive aides.
Herbert r. O'Conor. States attor-
ney for Baltimore city and party
nominee for Attorney General, praised
Ritchie for "the able and intelligent
handling of finances that has raised
Maryland's credit to be the highest in
the country"
Other Candidates Heard.
George L. Radcliffe, William S,
Gordy, jr., and James A. Young,
Democratic nominees for United
States Senator. State Controller and
clerk Of the Court of Appeals, also
spoke during the rallies.
States Attorney Prescott, who pre-
sided at the Rockville rally, answered
in addresses made at the evening ses-
sions, a number OF charges hurled at
the county administration by the new
Fusion party.
Discussing the recent accusation by
Fusionists that county officials had
negotiated an unneeded $3.50 900 loan
that cost the taxpayers $500 an
nually, he said that the county ad-
ministrations critics had advocated
four years ago the plan which caused
such a loss.
During the 1880 campaign" he
said, "anti-organization leaders criti-
ciZed county officials for transferring
money from the sale of court house
construction bonds for county oper-
ating expenses. After this, it was in
an effort to avoid further criticism
that we earmarked moneys and re-
fused to switch from one account to
+ another. Now we are attacked for
what they advocated four years ago.
He defended property purchases,
the erection of the warehouse, dlspen-
sary and Office building in Silver
Spring and answered other Fusion
attacks.
]. Bond Smith, president Of the
Young Mems Democratic Club OF Ia
koma Park, presided at the meeting
in Takoma, while Roger j. Whiteford'
member of the law firm representing
the Board of County Commissioners
presided at Bethesda.
|