Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-11-08
Democratic DebocIe


The all-Democratic County Council which raised the
county tax rate by 81 cents last May to pay for higher
teacher salaries has answer very firm one
indeed to the wisdom of undertaking such move in
an election year.
They argued and with logic that Montgomery County
with its high income residents could afford to pay higher
teacher salaries to attract better teachers And they said
the e the fact that this election year should not
deter them from taking the step which they considered
proper to give the children of the coy the best possible
education.
On Tuesday, the voters threw them out of office
almost to man and along with them the four School
Board incnbents who had urgently requested the
There is doubt about it that the tax increase was
the biggest single factor possibly the only Of any
consequence - that led to their smashing defeat.
Republicans Shrewdly seized upon "high taxes" as
their main campaign theme And it paid off, splinter
group of conservative Democratic leaders who lost out in
the primary formed group which they called County
Above Party and they took discontinued conservatives
Democratic and Republicans alike - into their fold Then
they too hammered away mercilessy at the high taxes
theme. Between the strong drive from the COP out
of office for eight years and the wel-financed CAP
effort is apparent the Democrats licked before
they really started.
Master stroke of the campaign many believe was the
circulation by CAP Of eghpage tabloid newspaper
100000 county voters only few days before the election
In which the waste and extravaganza" theme ex-
plotted in highly effective way.
And close analysis of the results lead only to the
conclusion that the CAP newspaper played almportant
role in the oustng of the Democrats from the County
Council and the incumbent School Board members All 20
of the mixed ticket Endorsed by CAP eeced-whout
single exception The mathematical chances of this hap
penng concdentaly by chance million to one we
would guess So is led to the inescapable conclusion
that large bloc of voters who unhappy over the tax
rate increase took the CAP indorsed list into the voting
booths with them and voted it straight down the line to
give the CAPbacked list of hopefuls comfortable and
winning margin their opponents who were not ON the
list.
The conservativel inclined chalengers who ran for
the School Board now have firm control the policies
and practices of the school system for the next four years.
Five of the seven County Concmen are Republicans
ranging from moderate to conservative in their views
The Montgomery County government will be conser-
vatvely run for four years and the school system will be
dominated by conservatives for the same period
The winners, and properly will constre their election
as mandate to follow conservative practices local gov
eminent and the schools
The Sentinel has not believed that we have had waste
ana extravaganza" IN our local government or in our
schools Nor DO we believe that the school system has been
practcing is in public education We believe the quail
y OF public education here has been high And earnestly
hope it will remain so.
The winners of this election must now shoulder heavy
responsibility and we wish them well as they assume their
burden For conscientious dedicated performance of their
dutes-with the many long hours and sharp conflicts in
volved-wil be burden
Also, we remind the conservative winners Montgon,
cry has never been staybehind second class county
enjoys national reputation in the fields of governmental
finance and education and for its enlightened modern
public administration the winners jeoparze our present
fne standing they will learn to their sorrow in 1866 that
majority OF county residents want forward-lookng gov
eminent.