Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1954-06-24
MRS. PHILIP MARCUS
10. 1904

Lee met Marshall. mot the gen.
eralsD when Blair Lee, III, Demo
cratic, candidate on the Harmony
ticket in the primary for Mary
land House of Delegates, and
John PAUL Marshall, Republican
candidate for House of Delegates
and incumbent member of that
body, spoke before the Glenmont
and Vicinity Citizens Association
at its June meeting.
Mr.. Lee gave a brief historical
summary of the Democratic
party ana the Charter group in
the County and brought out the
following points: The fact that
there are more registered Demo
Gratis than Republicans in the
County is an optical ILLUSION"
because in former years, it was
considered more politic-shall
we say-for Republicans to re-
giSter as Democrats and then
vote their own consciences e.
thus there is often a Republican
plurality in voting when a pre-
election Democratic plurality is
indicated. He gave the year 1916
as the last of the Democratic
Golden Age" in the County. The
election of local precinct officials
We're the only County in Mary
land in which this is done), and
grassroots help in the selection
of candidates is doing much to
end factionalism in the Democra-
tic party in the County.
An interesting fact brought out
by Mrs. Lee during later discus
sion was that according to his
father, Park and Planning Com
mission laws were originally
drawn so that the Commissioners
were selected by the Prince
Georges and Montgomery coun-
ties governing bodies. This pro-
vision was dropped at the sug-
gestion of the president of the
Montgomery County Civic FEEDER
alton in the 1920's.
Mr.. Marshall stated that our
County is frequently unpopular
at Annapolis because it is a rich
ACounty-and the majority of
taxpayers are not actually inter
eSted in cutting taxes they
are more interested in good ser
vices such as good schools, good
roads, etc. Montgomery County
does not get as much state aid
as the poorer counties, and since
the major part of our tax receipts
comes from the real estate tax
it is the property owner who is
footing most of the bill.
He pointed out that it is a
Maryland principle that all chill
dren in the State should have
equal education-in the poorer as
well as in the richer counties-so
that rich counties, like Montgom
cry, must bear the burden OF
helping those less well off.
Mr.. Marshall also emphasized
the fact that at election time the
fact that the names of the Demo
cratic candidates, with the Re
publican candidates lined up
beneath them does not mean that
the corresponding names are run
lAping against each other. For eX
ample, for House of Delegates
there will be lined up six Demo
Gratis across the machine or bal
lot, and underneath, the names
of six Republicans. If your con
science so dictates, you, can vote
for the first three Democrats anC
the first three Republicans; yol
can vote till you have a tota
of 6 votes.
Both Mr.. Lee and Mr.. Marshal
were in agreement on the neec
for a Constitutional Convention
Representation in the counties is
sorely in need of reapportion
ment, for one thing, and the only
way in which this can come about
is through a Convention. AS il
is now, if County has up tc