Evening star., 1952-03-11
Old Guard Urges
|AI| 10 Vote for
Six Delegates
McGurrughyPrecludes
Busic Rules Chonge
In Issuing Coll
By Don S. Worren

By Don S. Worren
All eligible Washington. Repub-
licans today had a wide open in
vitation from the party's top brass
here to vote in the forthcoming
election Of the Districts six dele
gates to the July Z National Re.
publican Convention in Chicago.
The welcome sign and an eur
gent request" to participate came
from Joseph. c. McGarraghy,
chairman of the local Republican
State Committee, who said he
hopes this years turnout will set
q record.
The Republicans haven't de-
cided on q date for their local
primary.
The Democrats. however, told
the District Commissioner today
they, have tentatively set June
IL for their primary. A. L.
Wheeler, chairman of the Demo-
cratic Central Committee of the
District, asked for permission to
use school houses and fire stations
for the voting.
Will Work Out Details.
The commissioners okayed the
request but told Mr.. Wheeler to
work out details with the school
officials and Fire Department as
to which buildings could be used.
Mr.. Wheeler did not ask for spec
ciflc buildings, saying that would
be settled later.
In a defense of time -honored
party rules. reiterated last night
at q meeting Of the District Young
Republican Club in the Wardman
Park Hotel. Mr.. McGarraghy made
clear there is no prospect for any
basic change in the system Of
electing local party officers or
delegates.
Party rules now in force here,
he told the Young Republicans,
are the same as those that have
been approved by all the National
Republican Conventions since 1915,
when all three competing Dis
trict convention delegations were
thrown Out Of that years national
conclave.
Long Time Work Stressed.
Republican work here that
counts, said Mr.. McGarraghy, is.
that done month in and month
out and year in and out, not mere
ly by those favoring some candi-
date a month or so before an
election of delegates"
This was a slap at District Els
enhower- for President Club mem
bers-some relatively new to
Washington-who recently have
been demanding changes in Old
Guard Republican rules.
:, "Those people who have been
working for the Republican Party
here year after year, in election
years and in off-election years."
said Mr.. McGarraghy. "are the
ones who ought to be honored by
election as representatives at the
national convention.
They are the ones, he added,
who would make the right deci-
SionS" as to the nomination of
the Republican presidential can
didate. He insisted the District
convention delegation should be
left "uninstructed" and that there
should be no Republican presi-
dental preference ballot here.
Foes See Taft Supported.
Local Eisenhower Club spokes-
men have protested that most Dis
trict Republican delegates would
be for Ohio's Senator Taft, If
there was no open preferential
voting.
There had been rumors there
might be something of rebellion
meeting. but it didn't develop.
There was a half-hour question
period, and some pointed ques-
tons were raised, but Mr.. McGar-
raghy answered them all.
In the windup, he won two
rounds Of applause when he ex.
planned he had walked out of q
recent District Building confer
ence on possible joint Repub-
lican-Democratic use of city gov
ernment buildings for election Of
District party delegates-"when
found the meeting was stacked
with Democrats"
II had no choice but to leave
when Commissioner (F. Joseph
Donohue took a partisan stand"
said Mr.. McGarraghy.
A Young Republican, recalling
that both Republican and Demo-
cratic leaders had agreed to hold
their 1852 conventions at the
same auditorium in Chicago, then
asked II there was any possibility
oI later meeting OF minds" on
Joint use of. public facilities in
delegate elections here.
Answer Applauded.
p mot a chance" said Mr..
McGarraghy, and this brought
the second round Of applause
from the 80 party members at
ending.
Answering one of the COM
plants of the local Eisenhower
group. Mr.. McGarraghy said that,
20. far as he Is concerned, there
will be secret balloting in any
Republican precinct meeting
where there is any contest over
he election Of candidates to the
District delegates convention.