Evening star., 1946-06-21
Observers Favorinq
Radcliffe if State
Casts Heavy Vote
By Gould Lincoln

~OSsS suVOs WV
By Gould Lincoln
The Radcliffe-O'Conor race
for the Democratic senatoria
nomination in Maryland is an
other effort of a Governor tt
wrest from an incumbent Sena-
tor a seat in the Upper House o1
Congress. The primary election
takes place Monday.
According to political observers il
Baltimore and other parts OF thu
State, much will depend on whether
there is large turnout of voters
The bigger the vote, the better fol
Senator Radcliffe, these observer!
insist. A large vote means thai
many independent voters-those no
controlled by the organization
will take part.
Campaign managers for both Sen.
ator Radcliffe and Gov O'Conol
have made forecasts of victory
However, in the minds of many
there is doubt of the outcome
Has Built Up Organization.
Gov. O'Conor, wice-elected chic
executive of the State. has, during
the last eight years, built himself
an organization through politica
patronage. Also, he has the sup.
port of the Curran organization ir
Baltimore. He is good speaker
and for months has been constantly
campaigning for the senatorial nom
nation
Senator Radcliffe, on the other
hand. has been in no position to
build an organization nor to cam
paign in his State. His duties in
the Senate have kept him con-
stantly in Washington-where his
record of attendance at Senate ses-
sions and voting is one Of the best
Like Gov O'Conor, Senator Rad
cliffe has been successful in two
Statewide campaigns; he was
elected Senator in 1884 and 1910
In 1910 he won by wide margin
over Howard Bruce, who had been
prominent IN Democratic politics fol
many years
A friend of President Roosevelt
Senator Radcliffe in the early days
of the first Roosevelt term was
picked by the President to help
carry out plans for the relief OF
Marylanders who had been hit by
the depression. From those activi.
ties he moved into the Democratic
senatorial nomination-and elec.
ton. A supporter of the late Presi.
dent, Senator Radcliffe voted fol
the Roosevelt legislative program
when it came before the Senate.
Radcliffe Shows independence.
wever. Senator Radcliffe
showed his independence-when 8
matter of principle was involved
by opposing the Roosevelt Supreme
Court packing bill in 1887. HI
showed his independence still fur.
ther-and his loyalty TO a close po.
litical friend. Senator Tydings-
when he not only supported Tydings
for denomination in 1898, agains,
the desires of Mr.. Roosevelt, but
actually ran the Tydings campaign
President Roosevelt's attempt tc
purge" Tydings fell fiat. Two year.
later Senator Tydings gave his sup.
port to Senator Radcliffe, anc
helped run his campaign against
Mr.. Bruce. In the present race, how.
ever, Senator Tydings has adopted
a neutral" position, campaigning
for neither Senator Radcliffe MOI
Gov. O'Conor-although he is sup.
porting j. Miilard Tawes in tn.
contest for the Democratic guber
material nomination.
Gov. OConor has the indorse
ment of the CLOS PAC-althougt
he says he did not seek it. The CIC
is opposed to Senator Radcliffe-per
haps more so than 1t Is in favor O
Gov. O'Conor. Gov. O'Conor, how
ever, has proclaimed himself on man,
occasions great admirer of Senato
Byrd, Democrat, Of Virginia and in
dicated he would follow the Virgin
fan's lead If he were elected to tn,
Senate. Since the CIO is an arcl
/ enemy Of Senator Byrd. the presen
line up with the CIO favoring Gov
i O'Conor. does not make much sense
i Like Other Primaries.
The democratic senatorial primar,
race-with a Governor seeking t,
oust sitting Senator-in that re
spect is like primary races for Sen
ate nominations in a number O
other States this year. In Nebraska
for example, Gov. Griswold, Repub
lican. sought the nomina ton agains
Senator Butler, Republican-ana
was defeated. In Minnesota, anothe
Governor, Thye-a Republican,
after the political scalp of the vet
eran Senator Shipstead. It is al
old axiom in politics that it Is
tough job to defeat a Senator-bu
it has been done before.
] There is a third Democratic can
didate for the senatorial nomipa
ton, John E. La Week of Cations
vile. While Mr.. La Week will re
ceive some votes, the real contes
lies between the Governor and tn,
Senator.
On the Republican side, JOSEPH
A. Wilmer of La Plata apparentl,
has the inside track for a sena
torial nomination against Roscoe +
Walter Of Derwood and D. Johl
Markey of Walkersville. The Re
publicans would like to pick up /.
Senate seat in Maryland this year
but unless there should be a Re
publican sweep Of great proportions
1t does not seem possible.
l1vphoon OFF luzon