Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1942-09-10
Independents On
Record In Favor
Of Charter Move
Gardner, Standing Firm On
Partisan Claim, Says
His Group Will Keep Clear
Of Election Campaign

HIS UIOlp VIII Accp OledT
Of Election Campaign
"Charter, charter, who's got the
charter?" would make an appropr-
late title for the rather involved
drama now unfolding upon Mont
gomery County's political stage.
It's like this. The Independents
recently formed combination of
Republicans and anti Organization
Democrats-have heartily embrac-
ed the county charter movement.
But Allen H. Gardner, chairman of
the County Charter Committee and
"Mr. Charter" to his loyal petition
circulators, has cast a fishy eye
upon the Fusionists' endorsement
and denies that his group has any
connection with these would-be
hackers.
All this smacks of the old politi-
cal eye-wash to Organization DEM
ocrats, who have been predicting
the formation of Fusionist- Char
terite coalition for several weeks.
The Organization group, which
wants no parts of the charter
movement, is perfectly willing to
let the Fusionists take the char
terites in political matrimony, to
have and to hold at least until the
general election.
It all started last Friday morn
ing when certain Independent can
didates emerged from a more or
less secret meeting me- ehe prev
ious night in the law offices of
John E. Oxley, anti-Organization
County Commissioner, and an
nounced that they had "gone on
record in favor of the charter
movement"
However, on Wednesday Mr..
Gardner, who greatly cherishes
the non-partisan label he has
placed on his group, stated in
very definite terms that the Chart
er Committee would not merge
with the Independents in the cleo
ton campaign.
Joseph A. Cantrel and ]. Bond
Smith, publicity chairman of the
United Democratic Organization,
in an announcement released today
expressed their doubts as follows:
GAS matter of plain political
honesty, Mr.. Allen H. Gardner
should stop his political shadow
boxing. He now says that all he
knows about the Fusion epubli-
can Charter coalition is what he
reads in the newspapers. This
strains the credulity of everyone
familiar with county politics or
with Mr.. Gardeners own political
record as a Republican worker in
the Silver Spring armory pre-
cinct."
Tarcing the history of the Fus-
ion Charter "flirtation" through
the Independents initial repudia-
ton of the charter movement, their
later endorsement of the Charter
ties and Mr.. Gardeners subsequent
of the Independents,
the Organization spokesman de-
clared, "The next logical step to
complete this cycle is for Mr..
Gardner 10 confirm the merger
which everyone knows exists"
Meanwhile" they continued,
"the Fusion Republican Charter
coalition and it's partisan workers
go merrily on their way. Some
coalition workers carry a charter
petition. All attack the Democratic
record and the Democratic county
officials, and urge the defeat of
Democratic county candidates and
the Democratic county ticket in
Mr.. Gardner pretends
TO know nothing Of this partisan
by charter workers.
"As in every other State and
county election in Montgomery
County in past years, something
new has been added This year
it happens 30 be Mr.. Small, Mr..
Gardner and their 'non-partisan'
coalition"