Evening star., 1954-01-05
Democrats Fail
10 Agree on
Maryland Race
Primary Bottle Seen
After 2 Candidates
Resist Compromise
By Gene Goodwin
Star siaff carraspandanf


ssar steff Correspondent
BALTIMORE, Jan. 5.-Mary-
land Democrats. despite numer-
Gus gestures Of harmony, were
faced today with the prospect Of
q primary battle this June that
probably will be as bitter and as
devastating as those in 1850 and
1852.
About $50 State Democratic
leaders sat down together here
yesterday to preach harmony and
lay the groundwork for what
Senator Herbert r. O'Conor
called "a fair and proper pri-
mary"
But after all the speeches and
resolutions were over. this fact
still remained:
George p. Mahoney, wealthy
Baltimore contractor whose ag-
gresSive campaign tactics tore
the party to shredS in the last
two primaries, Is still very much
in the running for the Demo-
cratic gubernatorial nomination.
He did not show up at the meet
ing.
Neither Appears Agreeable.
Reports that yesterdays har-
mony session might produce q
compromise candidate for Cover
nor turned out to be nothing
much but wiShful thinking on
the part Of some party leaders.
It appears that neither Of the
two candidates officially in the
running for Governor on the
Democratic side Is willing to step
down.
The other candidate is DR.. H.
C. Byrd, who now carries the
title Of president emeritus of the
University Of Maryland. Mayor
D'Alesandro Of Baltimore has
announced he viii run, but has
not yet paid his filing fee.
Neither Of these showed up yes
terday.
Political friends Of DR.. Byrd
said here yesterday he definitely
would not withdraw from the
race unless Mr.. Mahoney did so
first. And even then he would be
reluctant, they said. because this
would seem to be his last crack
at the Governors post TO which
he as aspired for some time. He
is "a.
There were rumors in the
lobby of the Emerson Hotel,
held, that Mr.. Mahoney has Of
Tered to run for State contFolIer
on DR.. Byrd's ticket.
That would entail dropping the
present controller, ]. Millard
Tawes, popular Democratic vote
getter and close friend Of DR..
Byrd. Mr.. TaweS is expected to
announce soon for reelection
to the job considered to be Mary
lands second highest.
Reliable sources also said Mr..
Mahoney had made overtures to
Mr.. Tawes to combine their
strength against DR.. Byrd. That
offer. too, repeatedly was given
tho coJfl elaoa1lflnf
Defends MahOney.
'Mahoney proposes to stay in
the campaign" Hugo r. Hoff-
man told the harmony gathering
in the only speech Of the day
backing one Of the party's can
didates. Mr.. Hoffman managed
Mr.. Mahoney's unsuccessful
campaign for the United States
Senate in 1852.
Other speakers. including for
mer Senator Millard Tydings and
Mr.. O'Conor. emphasized that
the party must quash its intra-
mural fights and concentrate on
licking the Republicans.
The Democrats adopted three
resolutions.
One was offered by Mr..
Tydings and called on Democrats
to tear into the Republican rec
ord in Maryland. which he said
is full Of "glaring errors, both of
omission and commission.
Another. offered by former At
torney General William C..
Walsh Of Cumberland, recon-
mended that all Democratic can
didates conduct their primary
campaigns "in the best traditions
. Of our party"
The third, from State Senator
Francis K. Dipple Of Baltimore
City. called on the Democratic
State Central Committee to meet
before the primary and name q
State party chairman. a post left
vacant almost q year ago by the
death Of Robert B. Ennis.
After the meeting, Mrs. Harry
H. Duval. senior vice chairman
Of the party's State central COM
mittee, called a meeting Of the
group for January 1S here in the
Emerson Hotel.
Miles Denies Bid.
The harmony meeting was
called by Clarence w. Miles.
president Of the Baltimore
Orioles Baseball Club and of the
State Bar Association. He origix
nally had asked only about go
to attend but as q result Of wide.
spread protests, the meeting was
thrown open to all Democrats.
Former Gov. Lane also had
: been SPOKEN Of as a possible
compromise" candidate, but he
too backed away from any such
offer.
Montgomery County was well
represented among. fl1e Y1artv