Evening star., 1934-11-27
|FUS|0N|STS TAKE
COUNTY CONTROL
Hold Balance of Power as
Montgomery Board Is
Organized.
BY JACK ALLEN,

A hope which progressive Demo-
Gratis and Republicans Of Montgomery
County have cherished for more than
a decade and half was realized to-
day when the Fusion party, formed
six months ago through the merger
of those two factions, assumed con-
troll Of the Boaro Of County Commis-
sioners and ended the Democratic or
ganization's l5-year reign at the head
Of administrative affairs in the nearby
Maryland community.
Members of the board, composed
of three Fusionists and two organiza-
ton Democrats, took the oath Of
Office before Clerk of Circuit Court
Clayton K. Watkins shortly after their
commissions, issued by Gov Albert C.
Ritchie. reached Rockville this morn
ing, and went into session for their
first meeting a few moments later.
Karn Heads Body.
Frank H. Karn of Rockville, Fu-
sion party nominee who was elected
commissioner from the third district
in the county's recent election, was
unanimously named president of the
board as the fist official act of the
new group Ira c. Whitacre of Silver
Spring also was unanimously elected
clerk, and it was said that Edward
Peter of Rockville would be named
counsel. The latter appointment was
deferred.
Whitacre, Fusion candidate for
Nv ,.rl,o Iafo tal IN,
the recent election by j. Forest Walk
er, Democratic incumbent. formerly
was vice president of the Silver Spring
National Bank. Peter served as chair
man of the Fusion party's executive
committee during the campaign.
While the Fusion party controls the
County Board through the election Of
three of its commissioner candidates,
legal contest which might unseat two
of its nominees is pending in the Cir
cult Court for Montgomery County.
John B. Diamond and Raleigh S.
Chinn, Democratic candidates who
were defeated by Karn and Charles E.
King, are contesting the election of
those two Fusion candidates in petit
tions for a recount of the vote cast
in their respective contests.
Karn and King assumed their places
on the County Board, however. as the
result of ruling by Attorney General
William Preston Lane, jr, that they
were entitled to serve, at least until
their cases are decided by the court.
The presence of King, Karn and
Paul Coughlan gives the Fusion party
three seats and the controlling vote
on the board against the two votes OBJ
tanned by the Democratic party
through the election OF Robert D.
Hagner and Richard H Lansdale, who
also were sworn in today.
Passing of the control to the Fu-
sion party marks the first time in l5S
years that the Democratic party has
not been the ruling power in the
countys administrative affairs. The
board had been under the rule Of the
Democrats since the county was
founded, in 1776.
Fusionists Get Flowers.
A group from the Montgomery
County Federation of Republican
Women called at the court house
shortly after the new commissioners
we're sworn in this morning and pre-
sented the three Fusion members of
the board with q large basket of
flowers.
Many supporters of the new party
which was organized by the Republic
ans and progressive Democrats after
their individual efforts TO oust the
Democratic organization from power
had failed, also were on hand TO con-
graduate the new members and wit
ness their installation.
Commissions issued by the Governor
for other candidates elected to office
also arrived, and they will take their
oaths of Office and assume their duties,
probably today or tomorrow.
They include Joseph A. Cantrel, and
Walter NJ Magruder, Fusions elected
to the House of Delegates; Thomas
C. Kelley, a member of the same
faction, who was named a judge of
the Office court, and the following
Democrats:
Charles W. Woodward, Circuit
Court judge; ]. Forest Walker, county
treasurer, Stedman Prescott. State
Senator, T. Yellott Candy Richard
S. Hays and Miss Ruth Shoemaker,
House of Delegates, c. Ellington Bell,
sheriff; Clayton K. Watkins, clerk OF
Circuit Court; Lewis F. Hobbs and
DR.. Washington Waters. judges of the
Office court; James H. Pugh. States
attorney; Hanson G. Cashell, regis
trar of wills, and Charles J. Maddox,
surveyor.