Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1942-09-24
Gardeners Stand
On Charter Board
Hit By Democrats

Mr.. Hamilton's statement fol-
lows:
"The Incorporate language in
which Mr.. Allen H. Gardner re-
fuses to allow his name to go be-
fore all of the voters of Montgom-
cry County on November 3rd as
one of the nominees for the pro-
posed Charter Board is further evil
dence of his distrust of the voters
and of the continuation in Mont
gomery County of the voters fun
damental American right to elect
their County officials through the
free exercises of majority rule
which has been established
throughout this country for nearly
two hundred years.
"Mr. Gardner, since his arrival
in Montgomery County some eight
years ago, has stated to dozens of
County residents that his political
purpose in Montgomery County is
to defeat the Democratic party in
the County through the elimination
of majority rule and the barring of
the two-party system. He, how
ever, is unwilling to submit his
own personal candidacy to the
franchise of the County voters.
"What the County Commission
ers did Wednesday was to make
sure that Mr.. Gardner's name
could be on the ballot next Novem-
Der, and what Mr.. Gardner did Fri
day was to make sure that his
name will not be on the ballot next
November.
'"There was no trick connected
with the Commissioners nominal
ton of Mr.. Gardner for service on
the Charter Board, and the result
could have been Mr.. Gardner's- I'M
opposed election to the Charter
Board with his consequent oppor-
tunity to serve thereon had the
Charter received the majority vote
November Bird.
"Then the Charter Board would
have consisted of Mr.. Gardner, Mr..
o. M. Anderson, the extremely
competent Farm Agent for Mont
gomery County who has always
been regarded as non-political and
well informed on governmental and
agricultural matters, and three of
Montgomery County's strongest
citizens and leading lawyers with
the greatest available experience
in matters of local government in
the persons of Joseph A. Cantrel
Of Chevy Chase, ]. Bond Smith of
Takoma Park and Roger ]. White
ford of Chevy Chase. These three
able and outstanding lawyers, how
ever, are Democrats, and that APP
parently is too much for Mr.. Gard
ner and his Charter associates,
practically all of whom are opposed
to the Democrats, both in the Ma
tion and in Montgomery County.
"What the County Commission
ers did was to offer Mr.. Gardner,
as the County's most persistent
worker for Charter and the man
who filed petitions from LIS of the
County voters for referendum on
a nomination for one of
the five places on the proposed
Charter Board which nomination
would have been unopposed in the
election had Mr.. Gardner and his
political associates so desired. Mr..
Gardeners nomination was a recog-
milton of the contention for minor
ity representation made SO per-
sistently by the Republican party,
the Bookings Report and the sup
porters of Charter in Montgomery
County. However, when minority
representation included himself
and his Charter group, Mr.. Card
ner would have none of it.
'Mr. Gardner said in withdraw
his name from the consideration of
the voters that, 4 feel very strong
ly that, as the head of the Charter
committee, should not be can
didate for the Charter Board. Why
not?
"The leader of the fight for
American freedom in Colonial
times later became a candidate be-
fore the voters. The leader of the
fight for the Union and against
slavery later became a candidate
before the people. The leaders of
all great American causes have
been candidates and have led their
cause in the voting before the peo-
pie of the nation. Mr.. Gardner
and his group call Charter a great
cause.