Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-27
Sixth District Voters
Fill House Vacancy
AT Polls Today
Mrs. Byron and Stewart
Are Both Optimistic
Over Chances in Race

At 6 o'clock this morning Mary
land voters in the 9Th congress
sional district began casting their
ballots in q special election to name
a successor to the late Representa-
tive William D. Byron, who was
killed in an airplane crash near
Atlanta, Ga, in February.
BY 7 o'clock tonight, when the
polls close, the electorate will have
decided whether it will send
woman to Congress for the first
time in the States history Mrs.
Katharine Edgar Byron, widow of
the Representative, is the Demo-
cratic nominee and Is opposed by
A. Charles Stewart, Republican.
Unusually light voting was re-
ported in Montgomery County.
Fewer voting machines than were
employed in last November's general
election were in use. Workers hope
to get larger turnout this after
noon. Polls were open in some
schools while classes remained in
session.
| 4UIo Expected 10 NOte.
| Political leaders say no more than
40 per cent of the Isl, 859 registered
voters in the five counties will go to
the 287 polling places.
Only in Garrett County where a
controversial school bond issue is
on the ballot was there more than
passing interest in the special cleo
ton.
Special passes providing for stag
| gered leaves were issued to soldiers
of the 115th Infantry, Maryland
regiment, at Fort Meade, the Asso-
ciated Press reported.
Col. D. John Marley, command
| ing officer of the 115th Regiment,
said a number" of men had re-
quested passes. Soldiers from Wash
ington, Garrett and Allegany coun-
ties were granted leave from noon
to pm, while Frederick and Mont
gomery county men were allowed
leave until noon.
Maryland law requires the voter
to appear at the polls. A new law
permitting nonresident voting by
Marylanders in military or naval
service does not 60 into effect until
June l.
Both Sides Optimistic.
Supporters of both candidates
issued optimistic statements last
night, but less active workers gave
varying estimates of the results
throughout the district which in
cludes Allegany, Frederick, Garrett,
Washington and Montgomery Coun-
ties.
Mr.. Stewart said at Cumberland
last night he felt confident he would
be victorious by "a substantial ma
Jority." He made final plea for
support IN a radio talk, telling the
voters they should vote for him
unless they wanted rubber stamp"
in Congress.
The election of Mrs. Byron, he
said, would mean one more vote in
Congress for an administration
whose present inclination is to spill
the blood of our boys in the squab-
bles of Europe"
The Democrats, on the other hand,
predicted majority for Mrs. Byron
that would make history" Some
veteran political observers admitted
that because a woman was a factor
In the race, it was difficult to- pre-
dict the ultimate winner.
Nearly Won Previous Race.
Republicans are pinning their
hopes today on the strength shown
, in the near-victory of Mr.. Stewart
when he ran against Representative
Byron . in 1888 Representative
Byron won by 1,466 votes.
Traditionally the 9Th district
has been a bitter political battle
ground for Republican and Demo-
cratic forces. Only last fall Mr..
Byron engaged in a sharp contest
with Walter Johnson, former Wash
ington pitcher and big Train" of
professional baseball, but won re-
election by wider margin than
the total by which he had beaten
Stewart in 1888.
Byron polled 60037 votes to ST.
258 for johnson, a margin Of 7,779
for the Democrat.
On basis Of registration totals
prior to the 1910 general election,
the Democrats have a wide book
majority. Then there were 84,647
registered Democrats in the district
against 67,212 Republicans.
The Republicans boosted slightly
more than 1000 ma jority in Allegany
and $500 in Garrett, the two west
ernmost counties. But in Frederick
the Democrats held better than
3.100 book margin. an edge of better
than 1900 in Washington and a
one-sided margin of more than
$4,000 in Montgomery, heavily grown
under the Democratic administra-
ton.
1t is in Allegany, home of Mr.
Stewart, and Garrett that the Re-
publicans hope to pile up so wide a
Margin today that the preponderant
Democratic registration edge in the
other three counties will be offset
and further still, they predicted
Frederick and Montgomery would be
extremely close, with a chance Mr..
Stewart might carry either or both.
They conceded only Washington,
Mrs. Bryon's home county. to her.
The Democrats expected to come out
OF Montgomery with a large mar
gin, take Washington by a COM
Portable edge and thus offset the AL
legany- Garrett Republican book
majority. Frederick, admittedly,
may 60 either way.
It was to Allegany and Garrett
that both candidates gave their
final fling for votes yesterday. Stew
art, who has received the blessings
of the G. I. o. labor leaders, worked
around Cumberland and in Ale
gany, while Mrs. Byron swung
through her opponents strongholds