Evening star., 1948-06-14
Court Blocks
Democratic
Primary Today
Writ on Election of
Convention Delegates
Remains in Force
By Cholmers M. Roberts

The District Democratic pri-
mary. scheduled for today to
name delegates to the National
Democratic Convention, was
blocked at noon by District Court
Justice T. Alan Goldsborough.
The justice refused to throw out
a preliminary injunction granted
last week to prevent the District
Democratic Central Committee
from holding the election without
the names of four anti-organization
candidates appearing on the bal
lot. They were ruled ineligible by
the central committee.
The case will be argued on Fri
day before Justice Goldsborough.
Just when the election, scheduled
for from pm. to pm. today, will
be held cannot be decided until
after the outcome of Fridays court
action
Two Suits Consolidated.
The injunction was obtained by
three of the four candidates backed
by the liberal, anti-Communist
Americans for Democratic Action.
This group favors the nomination
of Gen. Eisenhower or Supreme
Court Justice Douglas by the Phil
adelphia convention next month.
while the central committee is
pledged to President Truman. This
issue lies at the base Of the court
action.
| A second suit, involving election
| of members of the central COM
mittee, also scheduled for today, was
consolidated this morning with the
delegate argument and also will
be considered Friday.
A third suit, nled only this
morning by the Veterans for Eisen-
hover, was won in effect by the
judges action today. The veterans
group, which favors write-in vote
for Gen. Eisenhower in the presi-
dental preference part OF the local
Democratic ballot. had asked that
no election be held for week or
10 days. The group may enter the
case again on Friday.
Attorney Leslie c. Garnett, APP
pearing for the central committee
headed by Melvin D. Hildreth, said
this is a pure party matter" and
the interest of the ADA-backed
group sis in having a sounding
board from which to exploit their
radical ideas"
Mr.. Garnett, claiming the COM
mittee has the right to screen all
candidates for delegates. asked
whether it would be forced to put
on the ballot the name of Karl
Marx, the long dead founder OF
4 sCommunism, should he appear and
request it.
Action Called Arbitrary.
Attorney Wallace M. Cohen. ap-
pearing from the ADA group, called
the central committees exclusion
of the rival candidates an "arbi-
trary act" He said the committee
acted certainly unreasonably, pos
sibly dishonesty, possibly fraudu-
lently.'
The mere holding of the election
is ridiculous" he said, unless the
rival candidates are permitted on
the ballot because the only ones
that would be elected are the ones
on the ballot-the organization
slate.
/ Mr.. Cohen presented an affidavit
from Democratic National Chairman
McGrath saying that membership in
ADA or CIO-PAC has no relation to
eligibility of any person to be d dele
gate to the national convention. The
affidavit said the Wilson w. Wyatt.
an ADA leader, will be a delegate
along with Philip Murray, president
of the CIO and Jack Kroll, head OF
CIO-PAC.
The ADA quartet seeking place
on the ballot is composed OF Joseph
i L. Rauh jr., national ADA Executive
Committee chairman; Tilford Dud-
lev, national assistant director OF
/ iCIO-PAC: Mrs. Ernest K. Lindley
and Mrs. Walter Loucheim. All but
Mrs. Loucheim also are seeking to
run for the Central Committee posts
along with Benjamin S. Sigal, James
&c. Turner. jr, and Gerhard van
Arkel. who was in court this morn
ing to represent the group IN the
Central Committee action.
Mrs. Harriman's Affidavit Read.
Mr.. Cohen also read to the court
an affidavit from Mrs. j. Borden
Hartman. the Democratic national
committeeWoman from the District.
saying she has not filed for dele
gate. Mr.. Hildreth had stated last
week that Mrs. Hartman did file.
Mr.. Garnett said that Mrs. Harri-
man has put up her 5000" and the
affidavit doesn't amount to a con-
tinental"
! At this, Justice Goldsborough
commented:
Il dare you to tell her so to her
face"
Mr.. Garnett, in claiming that
! Dono A-2l