Evening star., 1952-11-01
Party Leaders
Decline 10 Take
Charter Stand
Honds-Off Policy Doe.
Not Bind individual
Committee Members

SOuJlItIutSS NSmDeIS
The Democratic and Republican
State Central Committees Of
Prince Georges County have de-.
lcided to take no position either
for or against the home rule
|charter proposal in literature now
being distributed to party workers.
Leaders of the charter move
ment were pleased with the de-
Ivelopment. They had feared that
either one or both of the parties
would actively work against them
lat the polls on election day Tues
day. In fact. some anti-charter
leaders in both parties admit
they had unsuccessfully sought
a bipartisan coalition against
the proposal.
The hands-off policy of the two
central committees does not bind
individual committee members
and other party leaders. Most
leaders of both parties, especially
the Democratic Party, have been
cool toward the charter proposal,
to say the least.
Specimen Ballots Put Out.
A specimen ballot put out by
the G. o. p. committee for dis
Itribution at the polls Tuesday
shows voting machine levers
pulled down for the party's presi-
dental, senatorial and congress
sional candidates and for the con-
stitutional amendment to stream
line the Maryland budget.
On the charter question, how
ever, the specimen ballot pictures
both levers in an up position,
indicating no recommendation
either for or against the proposal.
Likewise, none of the levers are
pulled down on the ten candidates
for charter board - the board
which would draw up a home rule
charter for submission to the
voters in 1854 if the home rule
question is approved Tuesday.
/ Failure of the Republican COM
mittee to oppose charter as an
Organization surprised some OBJ
servers since the all-Republican
county commissioners have taken
Ia stand against the charter move
Iment. The commissioners nomi-
mated five of the 10 charter board
candidates and their slate has
|campaigned on a platform of as
little home rule as possible.
Explains Party Stand.
State Senator j. Raymond
Fletcher. chairman of the G. o. P.
State Central Committee for
Prince Georges, said the group
decided on the hands-of policy
because home rule charter "is not
Ia Republican or Democratic party
ISSUE"
"For our party to voice its
views in support or against char
ter" Mr.. Fletcher said, would
Immediately inject a partisan
viewpoint. which would be very
unwise." ..
He discounted any split between
the committee and the county
commissioners. pointing out that
two of five charter board candi-
dates put up by the commissioners
are Democrats. The fact that the
other charter board slate, nomi-
mated by petitions circulated by
1.-THE Citizens Committee for Good
Government, has one Republican
and four Democrats on it is fur
ther evidence that the issue ais
mot a partisan proposition" Mr..
Fletcher added.
Herbert w. Reichelt, county
campaign chairman for the DEM
ocratS, gave similar reasons for
his groups failure to indorse or
oppose the charter question. He
said the central committee felt it
lis "a non-political ISSUE"
Partially Reproduced.
The Democrats are not distrib-
uting full specimen ballot this
year. They will be passing out
partial reproductions, urging votes
for their presidential, senatorial
and congressional candidates but
leaving off entirely the right-hand
section of the ballot which con-
tainS the charter question.
The candidates for charter
board on the anti-charter slate
are Edward c. Bell. jr., George T..
Burroughs. Edwin A. Glenn, Mrs.
Dorothy B. Groth and H. Winship
Wheatley, jr.
The procharter candidates of
the citizens committee are Reuben
j. Gordon, Walter F. Mulligan,
Nicholas Orem, jr., Charles F..
Parker, jr., and DR.. Joseph M. Ray.