Evening star., 1952-04-24
Entered Race
Mahoney Says
Others Refused to
Buck Machine, He
Tells Nearby Voters
By Alex R. Preston

by Alex K. Preston
George P. Mahoney said last
night he had not wanted to be 9
candidate for the Senate, but en-.
tered the race because he felt il
was his duty to restore the Dem.
ocratic Party to the people ot
Maryland.
Speaking in Prince Georges
County, home of Representative
Sasscer. his principal opponent
for the nomination, Mr.. Mahoney
said:
DO you want to know how
became a candidate? I didn't
want to be a candidate. But while
our honorable Senator-Senator
O'Conor-waS out Of the country
a small group of machine pol
1ticians in Baltimore selected Mr..
SaSscer to run against him.
Il travelled throughout the
State talking with several out
standing men trying to get them
to run. but their answer was, DO
you think we could buck that
political machine?' I felt it was
my duty to take them on"
Endorsed by O'ConOr.
Up until yesterday the name of
Senator O'Conor had scarcely
been mentioned, if mentioned at
all. by either Mr.. Mahoney or
Mr.. Sasscer. Yesterday, however,
Senator O'Conor indorsed Mr..
Mahoney for the seat which the
Senator is vacating at the end
Of this year.
But last night before about $50
Democrats-for- -Mahoney at a re-
ception in the University of Mary
land, Mr.. Mahoney openly con-
fesSed his feelings "of happiness
and good luck"
First. he told Of the O'Conor
Endorsement, referred to the Sena-
tor as your friend and my friend
the greaest man that ever held
public Office in the State of Mary
land"
Then he exulted in another in
dorsement by former State Sena-
tor Joseph M. George of Queen
Anne County, who pledged the
support of his Eastern Shore Or
ganization.
Then he returned the compli-
ment Of State Senator Louis N
Phipps Of Anne Arundel County,
who last night officially indorsed
Mr.. Mahoney. Mr.. Phipps is one
of eight candidates seeking the
nomination Of the House from the
5th district.
Still further Endorsements for
Mr.. Mahoney came to the surface
last night. They were from VIII
liam j. Millar, jr., and Jack M.
Merelman. Prince Georges County
candidates for delegates to the
Democratic State Convention. Mr..
Merelman was not present but Mr..
Millar said he was authorized to
speak for both who previously had
expressed support for Mr.. Sasscer
Mr.. Millar described the action as
Q switch"
Walter L. Green, who is oppos-
ing Mr.. Phipps and six other can
didates for the 5th district House
nomination, attended the Ma
honey reception, but told a re-
porter his visit had no signifi-
cance-that he was remaining
neutral in the senatorial contest.
Called on to speak, Mr.. Green ex-
planned his presence by saying, 81
came here to pick up a few crumbs
from Mr.. Mahoney's table"
On County Tour.
Mr.. Mahoney visited several
places in Prince Georges-perhaps
his last in the county before the
May S primary-and was taken or
a tour arranged by Mrs. Irms
Bogdanoff, his manager in the
county, and Max Zipkin, his chair
man for the area.
After meeting with about 25
precinct workers at a luncheon in
College Park, the candidate, ac-
companied by his wife, inspected
the Peace Cross area and were
told of flood conditions there
They departed just before a heavy
rainfall.
They visited stores in Greenbelt
where Mr.. Mahoney informally
greeted clerks and customers; pro-
ceeded to a radio studio to record
a broadcast; attended a Negro
rally in Chapel Oaks and then
went to the reception at the Uni
versity of Maryland.
Mr.. Mahoney told his audience
that the Democrats would lose the
election in November if "Mr
Sasscer were presented the nomi-
nation on a silver platter" He
repeated charges that crime ano
corruption" had existed in his op-
ponent's home county without
anything being done to correct the
situation.
Repeats Housing Charge.
He also repeated his recently
developed theme of connecting
Mr.. Sasscer's name with an al.
legged housing shortage at the
Patuxent Naval Air Station II
Southern Maryland.
"The boys in the Navy dowr
there" he said, "are living in hut!
and shacks. There's just no place
to live in st. Marys County"
He blamed this on "Mr
SaSscer's friends" who, he said
had thwarted a housing develop
ment for servicemen there.