Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-29
MARYLAND
I ydings' Sickness
Worries Friends

Senator is confined to his sickbed-
all the Democratic State Central
Committee members from the IS
counties and six Baltimore city
legislative districts would have to
meet to select a pinch hitter.
1t would be folly to speculate
at this time who might be favored
by that unwieldy group to take Mr..
TydingS' place, but Mr.. Mahoney
would have to be put at the top
of the list, if for no other reason
than the fact that he probably
would be the only Democrat of
stature willing to get into the cam
paign that late.
Other names that would 60 into
the hat undoubtedly would include
former Gov. w. Preston Lane, jr.,
and former Senator Herbert r.
O'Conor.
Post-Lobor Doy Stort
Whether Mr.. Tydings stays in
the race or in bed, ID is beginning
to appear that the Democrats
won't be launching their campaign
against Senator Butler until after
Labor Day. If MI. Tydings con-
tinues to be the standard bearer,
it probably will be that long before
he is able to campaign actively; and
if he withdraws, it will take at least
that long Tor the new candidate to
get rolling.
Under ordinary circumstances,
that would still leave Mr. Tydings
or Candidate x plenty of time.
After all, the general election isn't
until November 6. And it wasn't
too long ago that Maryland held
its primaries as late as September.
Two-Heoded Donkey
But these are not ordinary cir
cumsJanceS-unleSS one considers
ordinary the two-headed donkey
that has syinbolized the Maryland
Democratic Party since 1850.
While Mr.. Tydings has been in
capacitated, no one has gotten the
ball rolling toward organizing the
general election campaign. What
little primary organization Mr..
TydingS had-and he didn't have
much because he ran pretty much
of one-man campaign last spring
has disintegrated.
Senator Butler, on the other
hand, has been quietly lining up
his workers and mapping strategy
in the traditional manner. In this.
he presumably has had the assist
ance of the regular Republican
State organization, which has re-
manned active in its Baltimore
headquarters all summer.
Mr.. Tydings has no State party
organization TO fall back on. I'm
less and until he himself is able to
at least superintend the beginning
of campaign organization, it is not
likely that he will have one.
This predicament results from the
fact that although Mr.. Tydings de-
feated Mr.. Mahoney in the primary,
he was not able to defeat him in a
subsequent struggle for party con-
troll at the State Democratic con-
yention.
Old Guord Bumped
All but two Tydings supporters
including many of the well-known
Democratic elders sometimes re-
ferred to as the Old Guard-were
bumped from their traditional posi-
tons as National Convention dele
gates in favor of many lesser-known
politicians who had worked for Mr.
Mahoney.
Baltimore's Mayor D'Alesandro,
who had played a major part in
the primary against Mr.. Mahoney
at the last minute, was ousted as
National Committeeman. The job
was given. TO Michael j. 3irming-
ham, Mr.. Mahoney's campaign
manager
Mr.. Mahoney was able to ac-
complish this rather amazing coup
because, during the primary, he
had lined up the support of most
Of the local party bosses through
out the State. And although these
local leaders had not been able in
all instances to carry their areas
for Mr.. Mahoney in the primary,
they still controlled a good majority
OF the State convention delegates.
All Mr. Mahoney did was to per-
suade these local bosses that it
would be to their advantage to
stick with him through the con-
vention even though he had lost
the primary.
If these local bosses are still be-
hind Mr.. Mahoney, his chances of
getting the nomination in the event
of Tydings withdrawal would seem
to be good. In most areas the forces
that control the State convention
delegates also control the central
committees.
The Endorsements that Mr.. Ma
honey collected like scalps during
the primary campaign from 20 of
the % county central committees
might soon become significant again.