Montgomery County Sentinel

Political Literature Given to Students
In Violation of School Board's Policy

Maryland University professor Elbert Byrd, 38-year-old candidate for the Democratic nomination for U. S. Senator in the primaries, gave a campaign talk and has allowed some of his campaign material to be distributed to students and teachers during school hours at the Montgomery Junior College, in violation of regulations against politicking on school property.

County school officials expressed dismay at this violation of the School Board's policies and procedures and indicated they are seeking to determine why distribution of Byrd's campaign literature was permitted.

Activities of the Maryland University faculty are outside the Montgomery County School Board's jurisdiction. County school officials can, however, pinpoint and rebuke the educators at the junior college who allowed the campaign material to become available in the Science Building lecture hall following a talk by Byrd.

A spokesman for the junior college said Byrd was invited to address political science students and members of the faculty by two students, who cleared arrangements for his talk through Emory Fast, head of the college's political science department.

Following his speech on "Liberalism and Conservatism," Byrd told his audience that he had brought with him copies of a one-page document summarizing his campaign platform, which two aides would distribute on request at the front of the lecture hall, the spokesman said.

His companions reportedly were Royal Hart, campaign chairman, and Simon M. Prieto, treasurer, who gave out the flyers covering Byrd's views on such subjects as: Conduct in office, foreign affairs, tax reform, representative government, education, labor, business, full employment, civil defense, farm supports, medical aid for the aged, civil rights and voting age.

There were conflicting reports about how political in nature Byrd's actual speech was, but the candidate, asked later by the Sentinel whether he considered it political, replied: "Yes, I guess it was."

Byrd denied that he was aware of any regulations against political speeches on school property during school hours.

The School Board's formal policy on campaign materials, established in November, 1958, declares:

No printed material or literature advocating the nomination or election of any candidate for public office shall be distributed from or through the public schools of Montgomery County—except as provided for under State law allowing schools to be used for announced political meetings after school hours, or for school board elections.