Evening star., 1950-09-21
The Political MN
100000 Ignore Senate
In Maryland Primary
Democrats Behavior =.
Encourages 6. O. P.
The Political MN
By Gould Lincoln

When more than 100 900 Democrats 20
into Maryland Democratic primary and
vote for candidates for the gubernato-
rial nomination and fail to vote for anv
candidate for the senatorial nomination
it's possible there's something wrong in
Denmark. What it may portend for
the November election, when Senator
TydlngS, Democrat, makes his try for a
nth consecutive term is the subject of
much conjecture at this point. With
most OF the returns in from Tuesdays
Maryland primary, the two gubernato-
rial candidates, Gov. Lane and George
P. Mahoney, had polled upwards of
$4,000 votes. At the same time, Sena-
tor Tydings and his two opponents, Hugh
j. Monaghan and John A. Meyer, polled
only about 225 900 votes.
A Republican Interpretation Of this
political phenomenon is that a lot of
Democrats did not care to vote for any
OF the three Democratic candidates for
the senatorial nonination-that they did
not wish to vote for man whom they
proposed to vote against, or not vote
1or-ln the November general election.
A Democratic conjecture however, ex-
plains the discrepancy between the total
vote cast for Governor and for Senator
as showing tremendous interest in the
gubernatorial race, and comparatively
little In the senatorial. A very large
number Of voters were out, they say, to
get Gov. Lanes scalp, while most Demo-
Gratis expected Senator Tydings to win
denomination without much trouble.
Vote Is Larger.
The vote in the Democratic senatorial
YNrirn IN
much larger than the vote in the pri-
mary In 1914, when Senator Tydings was
running for denomination against four
other candidates. But the vote that year
was light-with the war on On Tuesday
Senator Tydings' two opponents together
polled nearly half the total vote cast for
Tydings; in 1914, Tydings' opponents
polled far less than one third the vote
cast for Tydings.
Interest in the Maryland senatorial
election has been intensified because Of
the fact that Senator Tydings was chair
man Of the Foreign Relations >subcom-
mittee charged with investigating the
Red accusations against the State De-
partment and Secretary Acheson by
Senator Mccarthy, Republican, of Wis
consin. An impression was widespread,
ANoCSASA Ny VA4C 1OCPuUI1CdAos IIldG tIl6
Tydings subcommittee proceeded to put
Senator Mccarthy on the pan. instead Of
investigating the charges made by Sen
ator Mccarthy against the State Depart
ment. Indeed 1t has been claimed that
the treatment OF Senator Mccarthy by
the Democratic subcommittee would af-
feet elections in a number of States
and one of them was Maryland. In
addition fha Tuli
is one the Democrats must retain if they
are to hold, control of the upper house
in the next Congress.
Republicans ENCOURAGED.
The Republicans are greatly encour-
aged. They point out that IA years ago
the voters in Maryland rose UP and
defeated the late Gov. Albert Ritchie,
Democrat, who had been one of the
most popular governors the State ever
had but who hung on too long. They
elected Gov. Nice, a Republican. Mary
land. border State, is predominantly
Democratic, and Republicans only win
there in Statewide elections when
enough Democrats jump the reservation
and either fail to vote at all or vote for
Republican candidates.
The bitter fight in the Democratic
guoernator1al primary in Maryland has
also given hope to the Republicans. Gov.
Lane has become the target of thousands
OF voters-and his popular vote was less
than that of his opponent Mi. Mahoney,
by some 5000 votes. The Republican
nominee for governor, former Mayor
Theodore R. McKeldin of Baltimore, has
the solid backing of the Republicans, and
1t is interesting that Gov. Lane was
badly defeated by Mr.. Mahoney in Balti-
more city. Gov. Lane was able to nose
out Mr.. Mahoney only because of the
unit system" in Maryland, which gives
the total delegate strength in any unit
to the candidate carrying that unit, and
the delegate strength of the unit bears
no real relation to the total population.
Mr.. McKeldin, a good campaigner, the
Republicans say, will give Gov. Lane
more than he can handle.