Evening star., 1947-12-02
S|&Nss@neAl
Seen as sFuture
Political Issue
Referendum Victory
! Would Set Pottern
j In St. Morys County
; Third OF a SerteS.J
Third OF a Series. J
BY Alex R. Preston
Stor Stoff Correspondent

question IN next Tuesdays referen-
dunn IN st. Msrys County, the pat
tern will be set for the leading issue
of all future political campaigns for
the Board of County Commissioners
An act of the special session of
the General Assembly last month
calls for the referendum which, If
approved, permits the commission
ers to license and impose a tax on
those types Of "coin-operated ma
chimes" they may designate by
resolution.
II voters decline to extend this
authority, the issue will be dead and
no further determination of the
question can be reached under this
particular law. II the referendum
carries. however, the present board,
or any future one, may designate
which machines are legal, may alter
their position, or ban them from
time to time.
Basis for Election Campaigns.
With authority to act, commits
sioners Of the future are expected
to be elected principally because of
their position on slot machines
The three members of the present
board. who do not succeed them
selves in office, are actively support
ing legalizing of the machines.
In fact nearly all public officials
here advocate a tax on the ma
chimes, giving as their reasons the
revenue that will come to the
county.
Two notable exceptions are Chief
Judge william M. Loker Of the 7th
Judicial Circuit and Miss Lettie
Dent, county school superintendent
who is the only woman superintend-
ent in the State
Opposition Leader.
Miss Dent IL vice chairman Of the
st. Marys County Civic Association,
the organization which is taking the
lead in opposing the machines.
When approached in her Office for
comment, she said:
when I am seated at this desk
I am the school superintendent and
do not care 30 discuss the question.
I reserve the right to do as I wish
as a private individual when I am
not at my desk
1t was Judge Loker who classified
a grand jury which in May ignored
the courts instructions to investi-
gate gambling. Judge Charles c.
Marbury had delivered strong
charge to the jury when it first
met. When no indictments were
returned Judge Loker then refused
to dismiss the jury and called it
back for the June term. At that
time % persons were indicted.
Twenty of these cases are pending
in Montgomery County Circuit
Court, to which they were removed:
two we're freed by hung juries and
one has appealed his conviction.
Senator Associate Counsel.
State Senator Paul J. Bailey. Re-
publican, who sponsored the legis-
lation making the referendum pos
sible, is associated with Philip H,
Dorsey, former Democratic State
Senator, w. o. E. Sterling and
Joseph D. Weiner, as defense coun-
yel. Mr.. Weiner is the brother OF
Harry Weiner, one Of the defend
ants about whose case the jury
could not agree.
Senator Bailey said, The thing
that lot of people don't like about
the grand jury's action is that it
indicted only % defendants and
ignored charges against many more.
If they wanted to crack down and
clean up slot machines they should
have indicted everyone alike. That
would have been about 400 in all"
Those ignored, as we'll as those
indicted, Senator Bailey said, repre-
lsented some of the county's Oldest
family names.
| Slot machines have been in the
county at least A years. he said and
1.-THE people, generally, do not regard
them as offensive. He said this was
! the reason why the cases against
the 20 remaining defendants were
moved out of the county.
Convictions Difficult.
Under the Maryland Constitution,
juries are judges of law and fact in
criminal cases. Therefore convic-
tions would be difhcult here despite
an Interpretation by the courts that
State law makes slot machines illeg-
al, except in Anne Arundel County,
which hasa special act. States
Attorney G, Henry Camalier said
he will prosecute the cases in Mont
gomery County but at the same time
he favors making them legal for
tax purposes.
Feeling on the question is sharply
divided around the courthouse
people either are avidly for slot ma
chimes or just as vehemently against
them.
In the outlying areas, however.
It is the Indifferent voter that slot
machine opponents fear the most.
There are about $500 voters regis
tered in Saint Marys. The Demo-
Gratis have book majority of about
2-to-1. Less than 5000 normally
vote, however, with the Democratic
majority usually about 500. Sources
around the courthouse who actively
support legalized machines esti-l
mate the referendum vote will be
about 5000.
Hope for Large Turnout.
The civic association is pinning its
hopes of victory on larger turnout
the larger the vote the better are
its chances, leaders of the group
believe.
The slot-machine issue is not di-
vided along partisan OF factional
lines, however. A Democratic Gov
essfor signed the bill sponsored by q
Republican. Mr.. Dorsey, leader Of
one Of the Democratic factions, Is
associated with Senator Bailey. Re-
publican, as defense counsel and
supports legalized machines.
Neither does there appear to be q
pronounced division along religious
sides. The county is overwhelmingly
Catholic and while the civic group
~, 81