Evening star., 1953-09-26
Eastern County
Democrats Join
In>Bid for Power
lreIon Heads New
Club, Bent on
Election Victory
By Charles l. Hoffmon

By ChorIes l. Hoffmon
Eastern Montgomery County
Democrats, eager to start beat
ing the political bushes, have a
new organization today that po-
tentially is the most powerful
single group in the party setup.
And as their leader they have
one of the county's leading
Democrats, Charles M. Irelan,
former United States Attorney
for the District of Columbia.
The Eastern Montgomery
County Democratic Club organ
lied last night with little fanfare
or prior publicity.
But it was evident from the
time the meeting opened until
the motion for adjournment
passed that preparations had
been carefully made with two
ideas in mind-to win next years
elections and to retain the pres
ent organization control of party
machinery.
The organization embraces the
Wheaton and Colesville election
districts. The former covers the
area from Viers Mill Village to
Wheaton. Kensington, -Four Cor
ners, Takoma Park and all of
Silver Spring.
Holds Voting Majority.
Within the clubs geographical
limits live So per cent of the
county'S 49,484 registered voters.
Last nights meeting was called
by James w. Gill, longtime
county Democratic stalwart and
close political ally of E. Brooke
Lee, former county Democratic
chief and still a strong influence
in party business. Mr.. Lee is a
precinct chairman in Silver
Spring.
Mr.. Gill set the tenor of the
meeting with his opening state
ment, calling on party workers
to start lining up Democratic
registrations by pushing door,
bells"
Mr.. Gill strongly denied re-
ports the organization was set
up to challenge the Western
Suburban Democratic Club
which some Democrats feel has
fallen into the hands of the
"charterites" and so-called Glib
erals"
Would Strengthen Assembly.
Mr.. Gill also called on the pre-
cinct leaders-the charter men,
bers of the new organization
to encourage and strengthen the
Democratic Assembly.
The assembly is the county
grass roots political forum, which
is supposed to formulate party
policy.
"It's up to you, however" Mr..
Gill told the new club, Ito see
that the assemble does not be-
come a freshman debating So
ciety to be exploited by a few for
reasons of their own"
The lack of emergence of a
unified group interested in lex
posing Republican failures" was
disappointing to him, Mr.. Gill
said.
14-POint Statement.
Immediately after its organ
ization, the club swung into
action and adopted a 14-point
statement of principles, sub
mitted by Joseph B. Simpson, jr.
The program struck hard at
the spending policies Of the Re-
publican controlled county coun-
Gil and lashed out at the county's
Republican delegations legisla-
tive record in Annapolis.
It was clear the club was ready
to stake the party's chances for
election on the county's increased
assessment valuations and the
rising cost of government. And
the club includes many of the
party's top echelon.
It called for a reduction in
the tax rate, a halt on the
rising spiral of real estate as
sessment valuations" a cut in
the percentage of county income
spent for salaries and overhead
and the re-establishment of
economical, adequate and pro-
gressive government" by the
Democratic Party.
The statement also called for
the elimination or reduction OF
the annoyance, expense and
delay caused by unreasonable,
petty and unnecessary regula-
tions and interference of county
officials"
Oppose Extravagance.
The group said it would op-
pose for election to the County
Council those who favor "the
extravagant and unnecessarily
costly administrative program"
of the last two councils.
The organization said it would
work for enactment Of laws to
assure Montgomery County of
getting a more equitable share
of State school equalization
funds and to prevent discrimina-
ton against county residents
caused "by high assessments
here and lower assessments in
so many other parts of the
State"
Also to be supported would be
legislation to require the State
Public Utilities Commission to
hold hearings on any proposed
s., -