Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1946-06-27

Used readers of this column TO
give an account of my expert
ences. For many years | have
wondered what could possibly be
lss8 the reactions of
Reactions a candidate for
OF A office when the
Candidate votes were being
counted the
long wait after the polls closed
until some results could be
known. Particularly did | won
der what might be the sensation
Of being a winner or of running
second. Well, all last Monday
night and until Tuesday after
noon it was my experience to go
through all phases. When the
polls closed at Z P. M. our entire
group of district workers went
TO dinner together. Election Off
eials counted the Republican
vote first which delayed the
Nemocratic count fer nearly two
hpurs. Right in my home pre-
cincts the first few dozen ballots
Indicated a tremendous vote in
my favor. So my first sensation
was one. of delight. A little later
d group of ballots were tailed
against" which brought down
the ratio. However, there was
every indication that at home 1
Was safe. So, with a group of
my associates, we made trip
through the county. At the first
stop made we
First learned that /
Returns was just about
"FOr'' even. This was
what we had
counted on. But at the second
stop we were in the home dis
trict of my opponent. The first
high hopes were completely shat
tered when we learned that the
count stood at 101 to 20 with
me on the short end. No need
10 linger long there so we imme-
diateIy sought better news. 1t
was then after midnight. Our
third stop was in a district
which we had counted as def
iitely in my favor. On our way
there we had revised our esti-
mates to learn how to meet the
heavy majority certain to show
in my opponents home district.
The third stop therefore should
give US some added hope. But
there, with forty per cent of the
count completed, l was running
behind by 20 votes. This ended
BUR further touring and we
fastened back home. On our
way there seemed no possibility
of overcoming
Opponents the handicap we
District had discovered.
against" At home we
found that the
count had gone far enough to
indicate possible finals and
there still seemed little hope. For
about three hours l went
through all the pangs of d feat.
While there was slight hope
there still seemed small chance
that the districts not yet heard
from would go in my favor to
an extent to Offset the big losses
we Enep to exist. Shortly after
8 A. M. came word that a good
majority could be expected from
two other districts and that /
had taken the lead in two of the
three places visited. From that
time on there was real hope
(more hope than votes). Our
office is the reporting place for
the Associated Press so that we
could keep close tab on returns.
Each report gave us new angle
and each new angle added new
hope. At no time, however, was
there enough information to
make certain my victory and the
ma outcome was actually un-
" rta1n until noon on Tuesday.
mat time we knew that the
naining baIlots-if all marked
sgainst me-could not change
ne small margin | had.
hundreds of people through
out the State did not get home
from early Monday morning
until Tuesday night. Ny final
majority was 1853. I carried FIVE
q six districts but that SIXTH
DISTRICT will forever be an
athena to me in a nr;,,.I.