Evening star., 1941-03-27
Campaigns Launched
In Fight for Byron's
Seat in House
Maryland Republicans
Hold Harmony Dinner;
Lee Makes Bid
By e. Staff Correspondent Of The Star.

By Staff Correspondent Of The Star.
ANNAPOLIS, March 27-Repub-
licans and Democrats last night
launched their campaigns for the
special election in the 9Th Maryland
district to fill out the term of
Representative Byron of Williams
port, who was killed recently in an
air crash near Atlanta.
The Republican effort was started
by a harmony" dinner between
sessions of the House. called a few
days ago by Delegate j. Milton Dick
of Allegany County, minority floor
leader to 3bring together members
of opposing factions of the party.
1t was sponsored by Republican
members of the House and Senate
but brought. party leaders from vari-
Gus parts of the State, including A.
Charles Stewart of Frostburg. lead
ing candidate for the Republican
nomination in the coming special
election, who lost out to Mr.. Byron
in 1888 by margin of less than 1.50O
NObCS oCtidlol ISObClG IL. AllllOlC VI
Allegany, who had talked of being
an independent candidate in the
special election, but who has an
nounced his support of Mr.. Stewart,
cited the election as meAns of
cementing the party bonds by vic
tory at the polls.
TAFT Attends.
Representing Montgomery County
at the dinner was Galen L. TAFT of
Chevy Chase, former chairman of
the Republican State Central Com
mittet and candidate for the Repub-
lican nomination for United States
Senator in 1888. His successful
opponent in the primary, Judge
Oscaf Lesser of Baltimore, who lost
to Senator Tydings in the general
election, also attended.
Of two amendments to the bill
recommended by Attorney General
Walsh. one to specifically safeguard
the right of labor organizations to
strike and peacefully picket drew
little opposition. The other, which
would permit pickets inside safety
zones established outside plants
working on, essential national de-
fense projects, was opposed by Dele
gate John S. White of Prince
Georges County, majority floor
leader, despite Mr. Walsh's approval
expressed in letter to the House
Judiciary Committee.
Sees Wide Limit.
Delegate Sotheron, an attorney
for several A. F. of L. unions, point
ed out that under the present bill,
the safety zone could be established
miles away from a plant to keep
pickets at an Intellectual distance.
Mr.. Lee recalled to the Democratic
majority in the house that the
measure was not typical of the
Democratic policy of granting labor
reasonable demands and pointed out
that the Republican minority al
ready had voted to oppose the bill.
Many of the Republican delegates
come from the western part of
the State, where the labor vote is
heavy in all congressional cam
paigns.
When the time comes for rights
to be taken away from capital, labor
and management" Delegate Lee de-
clared, there must be enough unity
to stand together. But up to now,
the right to make profits or manage
its own affairs has not been taken
away from capital or management,
and this right to picket a plant,
which labor now has, should not be
taken away"
The amendment was passed with
Speaker Thomas E. Conlon of Bal
timore voting AYE" and Majority
Floor Leader White voting nay
on the proposal, a situation which
had more than one House member
in state of bewilderment.
Lined up solidly behind Delegates
Sotheron and Lee were the Prince
Georges and Montgomery County
delegations, excepting only Mr.
White, but including Delegates
Stanton C. Peelle of Chevy Chase
and Ruth Shoemaker of Bethesda
both conservative Democratic
strongholds.