The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1940-03-28

power OF heavily financed machine allied by
an INSCRIPTIONS local press carried the day.
Not but that there were several uneasy nom.
ents for the powers that be- The forces of re-
action were hard pressed in the closing stages
The Mayor had to reverse himself on his WPA
stand. He had to say election eve that the
WPA was as fine system could be found.
when. but six weeks previously he had publicly
said the WPA system was 'rotten''l
Irvine had to do plenty of back tracking on
his earlier stand of public improvements On
the night before election he held out the vision
of flood control. grade crossing elimination and
Bedford Road sewers.
He found it necessary to scare out the DOGGY
man of socialist and hurl it at his opponent
Oh. yes the machine had its moments of
fright. 1t is reported that the collection plates
OF the gambling fraternity were made to rattle
they ratified before!
We are a, a loss to understand the attitude
oil both the local press and the candidate in
references to a whispering campaign made
on the of the election.
Ii there was any whispering campaign dur
ing the election it was made so by the local
newspapers which deliberately suppressed all
statements contrary to the Mayoral interests
The public will recall. that Candidate John
w. Harper issued a signed handful outlining
his program with the assertion that the SUN
DAY TIMES suppressed it. Inquiry showed
hat he edt ~ hat
it suppressed!
Then the editor charged that there were no
issues!
When issues were made by handful and
word of mouth the press changed its line and
called it whispering campaign.
Now the election is over so let us study this
situation. For example. look at the wide open
gambling situation here in Cumberland. There
was no whispering campaign about this evil!
Why. for months and months this paper edi-
torially asked who were the unseen and corrupt
forces which permitted such situation to go
unchecked
Surely the editor of the Evening Times must
read his own columns. In case he doesn't
We will be glad to supply him with some re-
ports from his files, showing that time after
time gang of alleged gamblers have been
rounded up. taken to police headquarters.
posted a one hundred dollar bond and gone
Deck to their nefarious business without further
adoi
We will show the editor in his own paper
what Mayor Irvine proposed to do about it,
II he is willing we will take the editor of
the Evening Times to few spots in town
where he can gain FIRST hand experience OF
the manner in which the high school children
are being led into the gambling evil because
political gangsters place power above the well
fare OF children.
No. there is no whispering" about the
gambling situation in Cumberland. The
whole corrupt plan shouts to high heaven
And honest men do not have to be afraid
to denounce it. Let us remind the editor
of the Evening Times that highly placed
governmental officials have declared that
local gambling situations can only exist
where political corruption exists.
The estmable gentleman seems to be inter
ested in the welfare Of the city. He writes.
the reelection of Mayor Irvine and Council
men Conlon. Edwards and Reynolds by such
substantial majorities is happy augury that
the City Of Cumberland is and shall continue
TO be conservative community and that the
domination of radical elements is not to OBJ
tain here
Personally. we think the gent is in errorl
First. there was never any threat of domino
ton by radical elements. Surely the public
cannot be deceived into any such belief even
by such word wizard as our contempory!
Second. even the Mayors friends do not
csiin his majority as Substantial one
1t would have been much more in accord
With the facts If the editor had written that
the election results apparently are happy
ausury that wide open gambling. Haunting of
law by arrogant raeketeers and destruction of
youthful morals is given another two years of
protection and freedom
A study of the current situation in Detroit,
Michigan 10 strongly recommended to our es-
teemed editor Of the Sunday Times and Eve
ming Times. In that city the corrupt political
allies of the gambling interests are in pretty
bad shape.