Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-29
Party-Bdcked
Candidates Win
InMontgon1ery
Light Vote DeoIs
Severe Blow to
Charter Slate
By ChorIes [. Hoffman

0y OnoTIeS L. TIOTtm0n
Charter = Endorsed candidates
suffered overwhelming defeats
yesterday in Montgomery County
and Republican and Democratic
candidates backed by party or
CARNATIONS bowled over all OPP
position in both primaries.
Republican voters tosSe d
County Councilman Lathrop E.
Smith out of Office, giving Hugh
H. Hassell, politically unknown,
an eight to-five victory over the
charter Endorsed candidate for
the third district nomination. Mr..
HaSSell had organization sup
port.
The charter primary defeat
was the first major one since the
Republican-charter marriage in
1916 swept the Republicans into
Office.
The organization victories
came as only about % per cent
of the voters turned out to choose
their party standard-bearers for
next November.
Lightest Vote Since 1912.
It was the lightest vote since
the war year primary of 1912.
Only 81 per cent Of the Re-
publicans cast ballots.
Unofficial returns showed 49,
GOT, or about one-third of the
Democrats voting, with the Har-
mony slate victors in every race.
Louis H. Gravelle. the only
other incumbent councilman
rolled through easily, defeating
his opponent, Edward L. Hahn,
in the Republican primary, 4,852
to 1852.
Mr.. Gravelle, who had the
backing of the Republican organ
ization, lost his earlier Charter
Committee Endorsement last week
after he called for the defeat Of
Mr.. Smith.
Leading the Republican ballot
ing was j. Hodge Smith, who
rolled up 1922 to defeat Frank
r, Long for the States attorney
nomination.
Republican voters returned tt
Office the present State Contra
Committee headed by Walter w
Dawson, L. S. (Ted) Ray anc
George C. Warner, jr.
Ray Trails.
Mr.. Ray, under attack 'ast veal
as Montgomery member of the
Washington Suburban Sanitar!
Commission, trailed the other si1
winners by about 500 votes, but
still came out ahead of the Johr
r. Reeves Harold Hammond
slate. which had sought to unsea
the present committee. Mr.
Hammond is a member of thu
present county council and Mr.
Reeves is Maryland secretary o.
State.
While the Republicans were
giving Gov. McKeldin 5.493 vote'
of some 1924 cast, the Mont
gomery Democrats gave DR.. H. C
Byrd a 12,584-to-4,023 victor!
over George P. Mahoney. Re
publican James w. Gum of Dick.
erson polled 818 votes.
Montgomery Democrats sough
to deliver the 9Th distric'
Congressional nomination tt
Charles M. Ireland. of Silve
Spring. former United State
attorney in the District o
Columbia by piling I'D a 1877
to SAL vote for him over Edward
]. Ryan. Of Frostburg. Mr.. Ryan
however. carried strongly tn
other four counties in the dis
trict. Montgomery Democrat
cast 3,464 votes for F. Byrnt
Austin, of Takoma Park. who rar
last in the congressional nomina'
ton race.
NOrthrOp Wins.
Harmony candidate Edward S
Northrop. Chevy Chase attorne,
who headed the local slate, ais
won an easy victory, 9,803 t.
4,5O1, over Earl j. Lombard TO
the Democratic nomination TO
State Senate.
In the Democratic race 70
House of Delegates, all six Har
mony candidates were victoriou
in the 10-way running.
Leading the delegates tickle
was Blair Lee III, son of E. Brook
Lee, former county politics
chief who headed the Byrd cam
paign in the state. Other victor
included Warren Browning, Mrs
Margaret Schweinhaut. Mr.
Genevieve Wells. William E
Wheeler and Charles w. Wood
ward. jr.
Charter candidates for tn
county council faced oppositio
at three points in each primar!
Mr.. Smith, even in defeat. fare
best.
Cook Beats Wilcox.
Jerry L. Cook. Damascus re;
estate man with Republican OF
ganization backing, defeate
VeStus j. Wilcox, Charter car
didate. 4.419 to 2.285. for the fir
district nomination.
r In the I'd district, Charter-ir
dorSed j. William Purdum To-
5 to Cecil E. Custer, backed by tt
organization, 1904 to 1922.
. David Scull, Silver Spring bus
neSSman, and James A. 81
chanan w won the Republica
nomination for two at-large sea
on the council. Both had o.
ganization backing and Mr.. Bl
chanan was also Charter il
dorSed.
! William L. Slayton and Law