Evening star., 1954-04-14
Harmony Slate
Headed by Byrd
lsIndorsed
Booking Promised
By Precinct Heads
In Montgomery

In Montgomery
A harmony slate headed by
Harry c. Byrd for Governor was
indorsed last night by Montgom-
cry County's elected Democratic
precinct chairmen.
The slate. which covered the
county ticket from top to bot
tom, had been worked out by a
committee of 10 representing
eastern. western, and upper
county leaders.
Last nights harmony session
was marred only by slight op-
position from six precinct lead
erS, mostly from the Kensington-
Wheaton area.
Led by Nathaniel j. Ely, presi-
dent of the new Mid-County
Democratic Club, the six stood
firm on their refusal to be bound
to support an indorsed slate.
Secret Meeting Held.
While the precinct chairmen
were talking harmony, however,
a group of eight leaders. chiefly
from the Bethesda area, were
meeting secretly with George P.
Mahoney. DR.. Byrd's opponent
in the gubernatorial race.
A spokesman for the group in
dicated that a campaign COM
mittee. or a full or partial slate
headed by Mr.. Mahoney prob
ably would be set up after an
other. meeting tomorrow.
Two weeks ago, some Demo-
cratic leaders had felt a get
together of the party's factions
almost impossible. Friday night,
the various groups were unable
to reach agreement.
But by last night the last
wrinkles had been ironed out.
Agreement Reached.
The Western group agreed to
support Mr.. Byrd and Charles
M. Irelan for Congress at the
top of the ticket if the E. Brooke
Lee stronghold of Silver Spring
threw its weight behind Mrs.
Elizabeth Assay, one of Mrs.
Stella B. Werner'S aides, for reg
lister of wills.
The Lee faction succeeded
yesterday in getting Luke j.
Bennett. jr., of Takoma Park, to
shift his candidacy from register
of wills to sheriff.
The Eastern group failed to
get Endorsement Of Eugene Ru-
pert for a seat on the Orphans
Court. The Upper County also
lost out on it's candidate, Ralph
w. Offutt, for sheriff.
The slate indorsed last night
which the Lee and Werner fac
tions have agreed to support is
headed up on the local ticket by
Edward S. Northrop for State
Senator. The reaminder of the
slate includes:
House of Delegates - Mrs.
Margaret Schweinhaut. Warren
Browning, Charles w. Wood
ward, jr., Mrs. Genevieve Wells.
Blair Lee III, and William B.
Wheeler.
County Council-Mrs. Werner.
j. Grahame Walker. Grover
Walker. Charles Jamison, Jerry
T. Williams, Wilbur Baughman,
Robert T. Snure.
Register of Wills-Mrs. Assay.
States Attorney-Alger Y.
Barbee.
Sheriff-Mr. Bennett.
Orphans Court-John Foley,
Lester Kraft and Miss Ella
Plummer.
State Central Committee
Mrs. Alice Hostetler, James
Milton Clogg, j. kForest
Mrs. Virginia Black.
Ward Caddington and Willard
A. Morris.
Delegates to the State conven-
tion-Mrs. Marquis Childs, Karl
Riemer, Mrs. Julia Russo, Louis
Cohen, William Lloyd Burdette,
Clagett Jones, and Frank L.
Hewitt. Jr.
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Clayton K. Watkins.
Surveyor-Robert K. Maddox.
A last-ditch effort to put Ray
Murphy, a leader of the Ken
sington insurgents, on the State
Central Committee, failed in
the aStern areas caucus.
The slate was formed after
results of straw votes at the
precinct level were. tabulated.
Last nights session ended with
pleas by Mr.. Ely. Phillip Thor
son, of Bethesda, and James
Gill, of Silver Spring, for clean,
fair" campaigns on the part of
all Democratic candidates in an
effort to avoid a split after the
June % primaries.
Last nights meeting with Mr..
Mahoney was reported attended
by John B. Cullen, william Pres
colt Aforementioned as a can
didate for CongresS-Jay Fitz-
gerald, F. Archie Meatyard,
Thomas Carolan. and Austin
Carlin. Don Dunnington was re-
ported to have been invited but
was unable to attend.