National Affairs: Revenge in Maryland

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Although Maryland's Millard E. Tydings, making a comeback try for his old Senate seat (24 years, 1926-50), defeated George P. Mahoney by a narrow 6,000 votes in the state's tightest senatorial primary (TIME, May 21), Mahoney won more state convention delegates. Last week, when convention time came in Baltimore, the Mahoneyites with relish and in grim retribution slashed Tydings' backers to ribbons.

Bloodiest victim of the purge was Baltimore's Mayor Tommy D'Alesandro, who as national committeeman wielded the most power in a power-weak, faction-racked state organization. As the kingmaker who nudged Tydings into the race with Mahoney, D'Alesandro was booted out as committeeman, spanked again by being ignored when Baltimore delegates to the national convention were selected.

Curiously, the debacle may benefit Tydings when he battles Old Foe John Marshall Butler, the Republican who defeated him, with Joe McCarthy's help, in 1950. To anchor power and brighten prestige, the dominant Mahoney Democrats must help Tydings. Aware of this, Mahoney at convention's end poured balm on Democratic wounds with a close-ranks-until-November order of the day.