Evening star., 1952-05-17
Old Guard Predicts
Decisive Victory
In D. {. Primary
Continued From First Page.)

primary voting procedures were
adopted. In the Shoreham Hotel,
where interest was highest and
the crowd biggest, the main ball.
room was jammed to overflowing
soon after the meeting got under
way. In the memory of 83-year-
old Mrs. Walter A. Brown, who
said she has never missed an op-
portunity to vote in the G. o. p.
primary, there had never been
anything like it.
Pre-Balloting Votes Counted.
The meeting was called to order
by District Chairman Dali D.
Drain at $3.50 PM, as swarms of
tardy voters still fought their way
into the room. Candidate Nc
IGarraghy was on hand early, OBJ
serving the setting up of four
huge pasteboard ballot boxes at
the front Of the room. Somehow,
a few stray ballots found their
way into the boxes before the
meeting officially started. Chair
man Drain ruled they would be
accepted anyway, and there was
no objection.
The chairman explained that
the meeting had been called to
allow District residents to "exer-
else fraction of the voting rights
common to other citizens of the
United States" Without further
delay, he called for nominations.
The applause told the story
When L. Corrin Strong, one Of the
founders of the local Eisenhower
for-President Club, placed Mr..
McLaughlin's name on the ballot,
the clapping was enthusiastic but
limited in volume. When Maury
L. Nee, furniture dealer, performed
the same service for Mr.. McGar-
raghy, the reaction was quick, loud
and prolonged.
From the outset of the speech
making. it was evident that the
real contest was between Mr.. Nc
Garraghy and Gen. Eisenhower.
Billed as pillar of the local party
over the many years, with strong
emphasis on his civic contributions
and lifelong residence here, the
State Committee chairman care
fully avoided any admission OF
Taft partisanship.
Reaffirms Neutrality.
The result might not have been
any different if he had declared
in favor Of the Ohio Senator. Mr.
Nc McGarraghy drew his only "boo''
of the evening when he reaffirmed
his belief that State Committee
leaders should remain neutral, and
it came from the Taft camp.
Mr.. Mclaughlin, on the other
hand, stuck close to the national
issue. He warned that "the party
must pick a winner this time or
1852 will be remembered as the
year that the two-party system
broke down in this country. The
six District votes at the national
convention, coming at the right
time. might determine the next
President of the United States, ~
he said.
McGarraghy Nervous.
A large part of the crowd drifted
away while a team divided equally
between Eisenhower and State
Committee partisans counted the
ballots. Candidate Mclaughlin
tried hard to keep up his spirits.
Maybe our people are just the
quiet type" he said. Candidate
Met Garraghy was openly nervous
over the outcome, eagerly consult.
ing friends about their impression
of the meeting.
When it was over, Mr.. McLaugh-
lin said it had been a fair vote
There would be no contest of the
result. Passing out of the nearly
empty ballroom, he stopped tt
shake hands with the man whit
had renewed his lease on the title
of local party boss.
! The Eisenhower rebellion tina
had split the local G. o. P. wid'
: open might not be queIled. Blu
after last night, it was lookin,
pretty Shaky.