Evening star., 1942-09-08
Smith AssaiIs Pany
Members Supporting
Charter Movement
Declares Democrats Are
UNIFORMED or Have
UIterior Motive

With few exceptions, any Demo-
crat associated with the charter
movement in Montgomery County is
either not fully informed respecting
the real objectives of its sponsors or
has some ulterior motive" it was
charged today by j. Bond Smith,
co-chairman of the Publicity Com
naittee of the United Democratic
Organization of the county.
Mr.. Smiths statement was in reply
to one of II questions put to him
in a letter from w. M. Kiplinger,
member of the Publicity Committee
of the County Charter Committee,
q group now seeking to place the
question OF naming a proposed
Charter Board on the ballots in
November.
Mr.. Smiths replies to the II
questions propounded by Mr.. Kip
linger covered II pages. The an
nouncement of the questions were
given The Star at the same time a
copy of Mr.. Smiths replies were
received.
Explains Party Support.
Mr.. Kiplinger asked Mr.. Smith if
he had ANY explanation for the
fact that very large proportion of
the participants in the charter
movement are of your own party?"
The Democratic organization Off
cial declared, 1T is my honest belief
that, with extremely few exceptions,
any Democrat who1s associated with
the present charter movement, as
organized and sponsored either Cd
is not fully informed respecting the
real objectives of its sponsors or the
scope or object of the attack which
it is currently making upon the
candidates of the Democratic Party
in the coming election; or CD has
some ulterior motive"
Citing a Democratic organization
pamphlet attacking the charter move
ment, Mr.. Smith was asked what
proportion of the hackers OF the
publication are on the county pay
rolls.
100 On County Payroll.
He replied that more than 300
delegates to the United Democratic
Organization voted unanimously for
the phamphlet and of the 1900 dele
gates to the county congress of that
organization, less than 100 were on
the county payroll and 10 or IL dele
gates are supporting the charter
movement.
Mr.. Smith said he was not now
and never has been on the county
payroll, but serves as general coun-
sci for the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, bi-county agency which,
therefore, could not be affected by
the charter" He said he receives
81, 400 a year in this Office which is
about "one-tenth of my average an
nual income" earned in the practice
of law but that his work for the
commission requires nearly third
of my working time
He answered "Of course, I do" to
questions seeking to determine If
he believes leach citizen has right
to his own ideas about the eff
cheney of our form of county gov
ernment" and that private citizens
who merely vote and pay taxes have
equal rights to develop their own
ideas, along with oficeholders and
public employees"
Asserts Right to Speak.
In another response, Mr.. Smith
declared, II believe that county off,
cials and employees have the same
right as private citizens to criticize
any public movement. If the mo-
tives of those sponsoring the move
ment are open to impugnment I can
think of no reason why the right of
free speech should be withdrawn
from county officials and employees
to protect these particular sponsors
from criticism"
Then the question, Has it ever
been your observation that ordinary
voters and taxpayers are intimi-
dated successfully by abusive words
from elected officials and appointed
employes?" Mr.. Smith said he had
not had the opportunity to observe
instances of such intimidation,