Evening star., 1952-04-30
PrinceGeorges
States Split on
Senator Choice
7 Seeking Election
Indorse Mohoney,
7 Back Susscer
By Alex R. Preston

to the Maryland Democratic Con-
vention are evenly divided in their
loyaltieS to two contenders for
the senatorial nomination.
Seven Of them favor Represen-
tative Sasscer while the others
have Endorsed George P. Mahoney
for the party nomination to the
Senate in Mondays primary.
Seven delegates to the convention
will be elected in the primary.
In Montgomery County where
10 Democrats are running for the
delegate seats, seven have been
formally indorsed by the Sasscer-
for-Senate Club there. One of
the others is actively campaigning
for Mr.. Mahoney.
Confusion Over Procedure.
| There is widespread confusion
about how Maryland's nominating
procedure works. even among
some otherwise well-informed DO
litical campaigners.
AS a matter of fact, it doesn't
really matter which senatorial
candidate is the choice of a
county'S delegates. They must
cast their convention votes for
the nomination of the man who
receives the highest popular vote
in their county or legislative dis.
trict of Baltimore city.
Deputy Attorney General Edgar
j. Harvey is authority for this
statement.
One reason for the confusion ia
That the law is different with re-
spect to presidential preference
primaries. This year Senator Ke-
fauver is the only presidential
candidate to file from either
party. Democratic voters In the
Free State will either vote for
him or for an uninstructed dele
cation. Republicans can't express
a preference.
Instructed Delegation.
In those counties and Baltimore
legislative districts which Senator
Kefauver carries. a delegation
will be sent to the State conven-
ton pledged to support him-for
the time being, that is.
| The Kefauver-instructe dele
gation-voting the full unit
strength of its county or district
is compelled to support him "as
long as in their conscientious
judgment there is any possibility"
OF his getting the State conven-
tion's Endorsement, Mr.. Harvey
says. After that, they are free to
support someone else or let the
national convention delegates 60
to Chicago without instructions.
;. Also, county's delegation may
disregard its instructions from the
voters in a presidential race after
the first ballot if fewer than nine
counties or legislative districts
support the candidate.
But this procedure does not hold
true for the. senatorial nomina-
ton, Mr.. Harvey said. There Is
no provision in the law for a sec
ond ballot at the convention.
There are a total of 152 votes and
if tie exists between two candi-
dates. then the candidate receiv-
ing the highest popular vote Is
declared the winner.
Unit VS.. Popular Votes.
In the 1850 Democratic gub-
material primary, Mr.. Mahoney
polled 191,193 votes to 49,
GIL for former Gov. Lane. Yet
Mr.. Lane carried the areas with
the greater number of unit votes
in the convention and won the
nomination.
In the same years Republican
senatorial primary. John Marshall
Butler polled only 32,902 votes to
34,791 for his opponent, Brig. Gen.
D. John Markey. Yet Mr.. Butler
won the unit count.
Politics Itself Is Answer.
In view of all this, it might be
asked why does a senatorial candi-
date seek control of a delegation
to the convention?
The answer is politics itself.
There are a lot of things that
come up at a convention which in
volve horse trading. The power
that controls the convention usu-
ally finds a way of putting his
ideas across.
The Prince Georges County
slate Of candidates for delegates
who favor Mr.. Mahoney came out
yesterday with a pledge to support
the presidential nominee of the
Democratic National Convention.
They were silent as to whether
they would support Mr.. Sasscer
If he is nominated.
| How States Line Up.
This is the Mahoney slate:
Vance v. Vaughan, University
Park, town attorney for a number
of municipalities; Jack Merelman,
Hyattsville, and William Millar.
jr.. both of whom switched from
the Sasscer camp last week; Fred
erick M. Coxen, former Hyatts-
vile councilman; Cornelius s.
Ryan, Mount Rainier; Howard
Griffin. Seat Pleasant. and Fran
els E. Cole, Mount Rainier.
Candidates supporting Mr.. Sas-
seer are Mayor Herbert w.
Reichelt Of Mount Rainier; Mrs.
Dorothy White, wife of a Hyatts-
vile town councilman: William
IFawsett, Oxon Hill; Preston Per-
rie. Silver Hill; Frank w. Lee.
Lewisdale; George Seigel, Berwyn.
and r. Lee Van Horn.
The Sasscer-for-Senate Club
in Montgomery County has in
dorsed William Lloyd Burdette.
HyattStown: Warren Browning