Evening star., 1953-06-10
Democrats Get
Little Harmony
In Montgomery
RivuI Factions Clash
At Rockville Session
Over School Budget
BY ChorIes [. Hoffman

|
last night in Rockville, as the
Montgomery County Democratic
Assembly got off to a torrid
start.
Efforts by the younger wing
Of the party to put the assembly
on record in support of the coun-
ty School Boards controversial
SIG million budget were STAYED
of after a lengthy and heated
debate that at times almost got
out of hand.
7 Although the assembly was or
ganized as a "grass roots" forum
to set party policy and achieve
harmony, there was little har-
mony in evidence last night.
AS the assembly opened, Ed
ward Northrop took the floor to
explain the delay in calling the
meeting. He made it clear he
originally had intended to intro
duce a motion to criticize Chair
man Warren Browning and other
State Central Committee men,
bers for being "derelict in their
duties" s..
No Action Stirs Rebels.
Mr.. Northrop's attempt to
calm the wrath of the rebels who
had changed "stalling tactics"
hit on closed ears. AS soon as
Mr.. Browning explained that no
resolutions were to be acted upon
at the meeting, the battle got
underway.
The so-called liberal element
of the party, many of them sup
porters of Mrs. Stella B. Werner,
sought desperately to have an
other meeting called in three
weeks so the assembly would have
to act on the school budget be-
fore County Council adoption of
the total budget on June 80.
Mrs. Werner conceded party ac-
tion wouldn't affect the council.
E. Brooke Lee, long time for
mer country Democratic chief and
still the strong man in the party,
scored the move as an effort to
get the party to act on the
budget before the action of the
Republican-controlled council.
He labeled as folly" moves for
speedy action on issues the party
must face in the general elections
in November, 1854.
Special Interest Support Charged.
At one point in the bitter de-
bate, Mr.. Lee said the school
budget proponents were trying
to use the Assembly to support
special interest groups in the
county. He killed a last-ditch
effort Of the PTA workers to
have the Assembly act on the
budget.
After the meeting, however,
the PTA workers, headed by Mrs.
Sylvia Ennis of Rockville, got
unanimous support from the
Democrats, as individuals, for the
school board budget. BY this
time, only about 100 of the orig
inal crowd of 500 were present.
Although they were unsuccess-
ful in last nights maneuvering.
it was obvious there is a grow
ing band of Young Turks" in
the county organization who
would like to clip the wings of
the established party leader
ship.
This was evident in a number
OF resolutions submitted to the
assembly that would weaken
the present leadership. One
resolution would bar the State
Central Committee from indors-
ing any slate in the primaries.
Another would call for election
of precinct chairmen every two
years. instead of every four as
is the case at present.
G. o. P. Attacked.
The Democrats. in their reso-
lutions, also participated freely
in the favorite past time of at
tacking the county Republican
Party and the county council.
One resolution, introduced by
MIR. Lee and Donald E. Gingery,
would reaff1rm party policy that
the charter government is not
an issue in the 1854 elections.
At the same time, the resolutions
called the Democratic Party "op-
posed. to the present waSteful,
unreSponSive, irresponsible, ex-
travagant and inadequate Re-
publican administration"
Another resolution, submitted
by William Carl, accused Repub-
ican county and State officials
Of receiving large fees from pri-
vate interests for procuring en-
actment or amendment of county
ordinances. The resolution calls
on the council to require the full
public disclosure" of any fees
received for such services by
elected or appointed officials.
Other resolutions introduced
would call for revamping the
Maryland-National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, would
authorize an investigation of al
legged expenditures of 5000, 900
by county officials without prior
authorization. and would provide
for block-to-block party cam
paign organization to be set up
by November Is.
The resolutions were referred
to the assembly's Advisory Com
mittee, consisting of the pre-
cinct chairmen for study and
report for action at a meeting
July 8. The school budget reso-
luton also will be heard at that
time.