Maneuvers in Maryland

While the higher-flying Democrats politicked at a national level last week, local leaders attending the Chicago convention were also busy with their own problems. A TIME correspondent, prowling a hotel lobby, overheard this conversation between Baltimore's broad and boisterous Mayor Tommy D'Alesandro and another Maryland delegate. Subject: Millard Tydings, hand-picked last spring to battle Republican John Marshall Butler for his old Senate seat, since hospitalized with a serious attack of shingles.

Delegate: Tommy, we gotta get rid of Tydings.

D'Alesandro: Tydings 90% dead is better than Butler.

Delegate: Yeh, but we can't run him from John Hopkins.

D'Alesandro: Why not? The Republicans are running Ike from Walter Reed.

Delegate: Naw, we gotta have a winner.

D'Alesandro: We will. We're going to dump Tydings. I'll announce it in a couple of days.

Delegate: Who is it, Tommy?

D'Alesandro: I can't tell you yet, but I will say this. He's a businessman, he's clean, he's never been in politics and he's okay with the [Baltimore] Sun.

Delegate: Why not you, Tommy?

D'Alesandro: Hell, no. My boys want jobs. What can I give 'em from the Senate? Just some lousy elevator operators.

From his home at Havre de Grace, Md., Tydings announced this week that the state of his health made it "impossible for me to conduct a vigorous campaign." He withdrew from the Senate race.

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