Evening star., 1947-01-23
Lee Denounced
For Opposing
Nonpartisan Bill
Charter Group Sees
Attempt to Override
Montgomery Voters

Attempt to Override
Montgomery Voters
A charge that E. Brooke Lee.
Montgomery County Democratic
leader, Is engaged In q 'brazen at
tempt" to have the Maryland Legis-
lat,tre overrule the vote Of Mont
gomery citizens at the last election,
was made today by the County
Charter Committee.
The committee referred to Mr..
Lees appearance before legisla-
tive committee at Annapolis Mon
day at which he urged defeat of q
bill to remove present prohibitions
against nonpartisan elections Of
local officers as provided in So
called Lindsey law.
The Montgomery County delega-
ton yesterday introduced q measure
to make the Lindsey law inapplicable
to that county. The Lindsey law.
the Charter Committee declared.
was stealthily passed In 1945 at the
instigation Of Brooke Lee to keep
the people of Montgomery County
from electing their council under .
charter by nonpartisan ballot even
though they should wish to adopt
this method Of election"
Under the bill introduced yester-
day voters would be permitted to
make their own choice through .
charter as to whether the councA
should be nominated by party pri-
maries and elected on partisan
ballot or be nominated by petition
and elected on ballot without
party designation, the Charter
Committee said.
Statement Criticixes Lee.
Brooke Lee, however, true to his
own publicly expressed philosophy
that the people have no rights ex-
cept what the Government gives
them, Is urging the legislators from
the rest of Maryland to ignore the
wishes of Montgomery citizens and
to prevent their having any choice
in the matter" the statement de-
clared.
1T is, Of course, understandable
that Brooke Lee does not want the
people of his county to express
themselves on the question Of nom
partisan ballot. But even though he
fears the loss of future political con-
troll If the Council is elected on .
nonpartisan ballot, he should b
willing to let Montgomery citizens
decide this local question for them-
selves through their elected repre-
sentatives. His undemocratic and
back-door approach to the other
legislators to vote against purely
local bill backed by every member
of the Montgomery County delega-
ton is a brazen attempt to have the
Maryland Legislature overrule the
votes Of Montgomery citizens at the
last election"
Reference of the bill TO the HOUSE
Judiciary Committee "is contrary to
ae customary procedure" Of refer
yng local bills to the delegation
ON the county involved, the Char
.sr Committee said.
Is. ssIf, however, there are any poll
/ ticians in neighboring or other co,rn-
ties of the State who hope to kill
this Montgomery County bill because
they fear a charter movement in
their own counties, they may find
that they have taken the one course
most likely to arouse their own
citizens" the statement charged.
Women Voters Comment.
Meanwhile, the League OF Women
Voters of Montgomery County, said
Mr.. Lees statement might be mis-
leading in that he gave the i'm
preston "all elective officials would
be chosen on non-partisan bash" "
The league declared that actual
ly, only few members of the coun-
ty council itself would be 50 chosen
and all others would continue to ha
placed on a party ticket as pro-
vided in the Maryland constitution.
Mrs. Ralph Hinstead, league presi-
dent, said this does not break down
the two-party system as Mr.. Lee
asserts" !.
Montgomery County In particle
lars she continued, Should be ex-
empted because by the Lindsey law
a large percentage Of its citizens,
being Federal Government employees
and subject to the Hatch Act, are
barred from participation In their
own home rule. .
If the people Of Montgomery
County desire nen-partisan local
elections" said Mrs Himstead, "they
should have them"