Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-10-11
Washington News
Comes Out Strong
For Cong. Lewis
Scripps Howard Publication
Cites Record Of 'sDavy j."
AS Superior To Zihlman

AS Superior To Zihlman
The following editorial was publish
ed on the first page of The Washing
ton News, Scripps Howard news
paper, in its issue of Thursday,
October a. 1t speaks well for the
prestige of Davy ].
LEWIS VS.. ZIHLMAN
An Editorial
: The average voter has a short
memory, but occasionally politicians
overrate his forgetfulness.
In the neighboring congressional
district of Western Maryland, Fred
erick N. Zihlman is asking the voters
who took out of Congress to send MIN
back there.
Before remembering what we can
about Mr.. Zihlman, let's look at the
record of Rep. David J. Lewis, the
man he seeks to replace:
"Davy John" Lewis went into the
coal mines, unschooled, at IL, and
came out at %, self-educated mem
Der of the bar. In the Maryland State
Senate, 80 years ago, he wrote the
nations first workmen's compensation
law. From 1911 to 1917, he piloted
progressive legislation thru Congress,
as chairman of the House Labor Com
mittee, and won his historic battle for
the parcel post system. Then followed
eight years of distinguished service on
the Tariff Commission.
In 1880 Lewis returned to Con-
gress; and the last four years have
been his greatest. He brought out the
minority report last session and
fought alone for Notwithstanding
tax bill. He helped write-and guild
ed thru the House-much of the social
legislation that made, with his own
the regulations of Costigan, La Fol-
lette and Wagner in the Senate.
Many features of the New Deal are
his handiwork, measures that he ad-
vocated long ago. 1t was the Wagner
Lewis Unemployed Relief Act that
provided Federal funds to feed and
clothe the millions of needy Amer
leans. The Wagner-Lewis Unemploy-
ment Insurance Bill is the keystone
around which the Administration is
building the social security program
to be submitted to the next Con-
gress.
Failure of Lewis to return would be
a national loss.
Now for Mr.. Zihlman's record.
He, too, was poor boy. He ad-
vanced from glass blower to trade
union politician, to state senator, to
member of Congress. No important
law on either the Maryland or FEEDER
al statutes bears his name. But he
was a born job-holder. He was a
joiner. The boys shook his hand, and
called him "Nick." He slapped them
on the back, and every year sent them
birthday greetings. The voters liked
him so well they kept him here ID
years.
AS chairman of the House District
Committee, Mr.. Zihlman's vest pocket
was pigeon hole for bills designed to
protect the people of Washington
from financial frauds and regulate
public utilities.
In 1927, the F. H. Smith Co., elected
this affable chairman to it's board of
directors, and gave him 9000-odd
shares of common stock for his SER
vices. The company's financial state
ment published shortly thereafter
placed the book value of 5000 shares
Of common stock in excess of $137, 900
tho it later became worthless. This
soap-bubble bonding house collapsed
in 1880, revealing one of the gigantic
swindles of the boom era. A grand
jury indicted Mr.. Zihlman and several
other Smith Co. officers on charge of
using the mails to defraud. Mr.. Zihl-
man was never tried in court. Govern
ment prosecutors finally concluded
that he had not known what was GO
ing on. That did not help the 10000
persons who had invested about $780,
100000 in Smith Co. securities.
Perhaps, like other voters, those in
Western Maryland have short mem
cries. But not that short.