Evening star., 1944-10-30
Close Race Predicted
In BaIdwin-M|c0uaid
Fight for House Seat
This is the second article IN
a series copertng a campaign
canDass throughout Maryland.


BY WILL p. KENNEDY,
Star Staff Correspondent.
BALTIMORE, Oct. 30.-In Mary
lands End district, the States most
populous, there is now in progress
what seems to be the closest House
contest ever waged in that highly
Democratic district.
Representative Baldwin, Demo-
crat. of Hydes, seeking second
term, is opposed by Wilfred T. Nc
Quaid, Republican, a Baltimore
lawyer and former assistant
United States attorney.
Senator Tydings, Democrat, will
carry the district, and there is a
chance that Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
may carry it over President Roose-
welt.
The district comprises three coun-
ties-Baltimore, Carroll and FIar-
ford-and about one-third of Balti-
more City.
On registration this district Is
Democratic about 21s to /, but is
not controlled by any boss or clique.
Whenever there has been a notable
Republican trend in the State or
Nation, this district has gone Re-
publican. For example, in 1900
when President Mckinley was elect
ed, Albert A. Blakeney was elected
as Republican House member. He
declined to seek reelection, but 20
years later, when President Hard
ing was elected, Mr.. Blakeney, then
nearly rs years of age, again won
by about 10000 votes, without max
ing single speech or public ap-
pearance.
There are other similar cases in
the record.
There is strong trend for Gov.
Dewey throughout the district, and
some Democratic leaders concede
the three counties. Hartford County
is Senator Tydings' home county,
and it is one of those strange po-
litical turns that now Mr.. Roose-
welt. who invaded the sovereign
State of Maryland" in an effort to
purge" Senator Tydings six years
ago, now finds himself dependent
on Senator Tydings to try to pull
him through in Maryland. Four
years ago Wendell Willkie carried
three of the five wards in Baltimore
City, and the Republican trend
there is now much stronger than
in 1910, despite vigorous Democratic
efforts.
Mr.. McQuaid is challenging Mr..
Baldwin especially on two grounds
-absenteeism and labor record. His
literature tells the voters
they should have "a full time Rep
resentative." He charges that Mr..
Baldwin was absent 148 out of 28l
sessions or about So per cent of the
time; that on 81 prominent meas
ures enacted the I'd district had no
voice or vote on 10, or 1919 per cent
because of Mr. Baldwin's absence.
The AFL and number of To-
calls have indorsed Mr.. McQuaid,
while the Maryland-D District Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor has advised its To-
cal unions I'VE consider Repre-
sentative Baldwin's record, as far
as labor is concerned, to be ter
rible, one Of the worst records of
any Congressman in the United
States" III
Democratic leaders are insisting
that Mr.. Baldwin is mot in danger" :"
and he himself says he is mot wor-
rying."
Galen L. TAFT, the veteran Re-
publican State campaign manager,
said: "McQuaid has a chance to
win, he is good campaigner, we
are making gains, and the Dewey
trend is growing stronger"
There are two new important
groups of voters to be considered
this year. and their influence on
the result is problematical-the SOL
dier vote and the women's vote, since
this is the first time women have
the male voting strength.
The soldiers vote is expected to
be largely for Mr., Roosevelt. For
Baltimore City $4,000 ballots we're
and of these 14,079 have
been sent in.