Evening star., 1963-04-28
Vote-Seeking Baltimore Politicians
Use Every Trick of Showmanship
BY WILLIAM DUKE
Star Staff Writer

BALTIMORE, April 27-Pol-
itics is still the major spec
tator sport in this port city
even though the hometown
Orioles lead the American
League.
The reason is simple. Moth
ing that happens at the Stad-
ium, not even a es-loaded
home run at the top of the
ninth inning, can equal the
show produced by politicians
during a Baltimore municipal
election.
In the current campaign, for
example. the lineup includes:
Mayor Philip H. Goodman, a
diminutive Democrat who rides
fire engines and garbage
trucks with a rose in his la
pei, and literally runs from
meeting to precinct meeting
denying he's trying to be the
"Fiorello" of Baltimore.
Hyman A. Pressman, the
unofficial and unwelcome
watchdog" of the Democratic
Party. who is fighting in court
for the right to run for city
controller with his former
enemies on the Republican
ticket. But odds are his name
won't even appear on the bal
lot on anybody's ticket. He's
awaiting the results of a court
test to put it there.
w. Rae Dempsey, jr., who's
no longer running for any
thing, but whose name will
probably appear OH the ballot
as the Republican candidate
for the $15,000-a-year con-
troller's Job.
Election Important
Tall. fast-moving and fast
talking former Gov. Theodore
rR. McKeldin, a Republican,
who attends all meetings no
matter how small, to tell vot-
ers that he wants to retire
from politics from the mayors
office.
Charges, mostly by Mr..
Pressman, that the city's Dem
ocratic bosses (there are one
and sometimes two in each Of
the sixth legislative districts
who claim this title) are try
ing to buy" the election by
promising to hire hundreds of
runners" at $40 a head to
deliver the votes Of their fam
lilies on election day.
Despite its showmanship as
poets. however, most Baltimore
observers believe that the elec-
ton of a mayor. city council
president. controller and city
council on May 2 will affect (
the progress of the city for
many years.
Baltimore is in the midst /
of a multi-million dollar urban
renewal effort which will dras-
tically alter the economy and
appearance of the downtown
area. Like other large cities,
It is plagued with a rising
crime rate. Inadequate mass
transportation, unemployment,
and has its share of zoning
problems. +
McKeldin Campaigns
And like most large cities,
Baltimore is losing people to
the suburbs. AS election time
approaches, the city has 939,-
600 residents, 10000 less than
in 1850. About one third of
them are Negro. The registered
Democrats outnumber the Re-
publicans four-to-one.
But population and registra-
ton figures don't seem to
bother Mr.. McKeldin, 81, who
was mayor between 1943 and
1947 and Governor Of the DEM
ocratic State for eight years.
There's only one way to
give this city the administra-
ton 1t deserves he told an
audience of 35 in the Brook
lyn section of South Baltimore
recently, And that's brow
out all the bosses. The people
of this city know me, and
! think I can do it,"
At about the same time Mr..
Goodman, who was promoted
to mayor from city council
president last December to fill
a vacancy, told about so vot-
ers in a middle-class section
near the Stadium:
I'm the hardest working
mayor this city has had in
years. But I've only been in
office four months, and can't
be responsible for everything