Evening star., 1948-12-04
|Charfer Ticket
Is Studied With
Mixed Feelings
County Republicans
Less Gloomy Over
Slate Than Democrats
By John Y. Horner

the qualifications Of seven citizens
nominated yesterday as charter cam
iidates for the first elected County
Council.
Reaction to the slate among
charter supporters was, in
general, favorable. Some profess
;ional politicians were unavailable
'or comment. But Of those reached
he Republicans appeared less
gloomy than the Democrats.
To Be Ratified Tuesday.
The ticket approved by the board
of the Montgomery County Charter
Committee, which is expected to be
ratified by the full membership
Tuesday, is as follows:
Council District No. /, the Da.
mascus-Laytonsville- Olney area: p.
g. Ligon, Brinklow construction en-.
gineer; registered as a Democrat.
Council District No. 2, the Barnes.
Vile Clarksburg- Gaithersburg area:
r. Selby, Germantown
miller; Republican.
District No. 3, Darnestown-Pooles-
Vile Rockville - Former Orphans
Court Judge Thomas G. Kelley.
GAINESVILLE, lawyer and banker:
District No. 4, Bethesda and Po.
tomac election districts-Mrs. Doro-
thy S. Himstead, Chevy Chase.
Democrat.
District No. S. Colesville and
election Districts. Doug.
las Bradshaw, Takoma Park. law.
yer; Republican.
At large-Frederic p. Lee, Be.
thesda and Washington attorney.
Democrat, and DR.. Lewis Merriam,
Kensington. Brookings Institution
Democrat.
Two Others to Run.
In addition to the Charter Com.
mittee nominees, at least two per.
sons already have indicated they
will run for the Council. They are
Mrs. Alma T. Opal, a Takoma Park
and Romeo w. Horad,
colored, a Silver Spring lawyer.
The election will be held January
s unless Republican members Of the
old Board of County Commissioners
win a court case designed to prevent
such vote.
Although many organization stall
warts were opposed to the change in
government, both parties agreed not
to contest the first Council election.
Anders r. Lofstrand of Rockville,
chairman of the Republican delega.
ton in the Legislature, said he re.
garded the charter ticket as very
nice"
Lee to Work for Charter.
I'm wondering, though, what the
Did organization Democrats think Of
the ticket" Mr.. Lofstrand said.
His answer was supplied by e.
Brooke Lee of Silver Spring, still
Democratic leader of Montgomery
despite his announced "retirement"
a year ago. Mr.. Lee and his close
political ally. Lacy Shaw, objected to
the new form of government, but
after the charter was adopted said
they would work and vote for the
Charter Committee nominees to put
the machinery into operation. Mr..
Lee had this comment:
I'VE recognize that the group in.
cludes two gentlemen who have been
recent Republican county candidates
and one Republican who is a recog.
nized party leader; also two Demo-
Gratis who are markedly unfriendly
to the Democratic organization and
DR.. Merriam, whose politics we do
not know.
However, for reasons previously
stated, we intend to organize, work
and vote for the entire charter
slate"
"Unfriendly Democrats"
Presumably, the "unfriendly"
Democrats are Frederic Lee and
Mrs. Himstead, both of whom
worked against the Brooke Lee or.
ganization in 1946, when the Re.
publicans gained control. The Re.
publican candidates" are Mr.. Kel.
ley, who ran on a fusion ticket for
Orphans Court judge, and Mr..
Bradshaw, who sought election to
the House of Delegates. The rec
ognized" COP leader was believed to
be MIR. Selby, who was active In
Republican ranks in former years.
Brooke Johns. Republican presi.
dent OF the commissioners-who
now constitute the interim County
Council-had no criticism of the
nominees as individuals. Mr.. Johns,
nevertheless, is one of those suing
to block the January election.
If the special election is held
January g." Mr.. Johns was asked,
will you be a candidate for County
Council?"
"A great many upcounty people
want me to run. ! wouldn't like to
make an immediate decision" he re.
piled.
Called "very Good Ticket"
Typical of the comments from
charter hackers was that by Mrs.
Stella Werner of Bethesda, member
Of the Charter Committee board and
herself frequently mentioned as q
nominee.
Il consider it a very good ticket"
she said.
Mrs. Werner said, however, that
she would be glad to see additional
candidates enter the race. All they
need, she observed, Is a petition
bearing the signatures of 500 quail
fed voters and a $25 filing fee. She
added:
Personally, would like to have
seen a good dirt farmer on the
slate. But they couldn t
get a good dirt farmer who favored
the charter"
Blair Lee, III, speaking as presi-
dent of the Silver Spring Board Of
Trade, expressed Silver Springs
in not being repre-
sented by one of its own citizens.