Evening star., 1928-10-30
NORTHERN VIRGINIA
POLITICS MUDDLED
First. Seventh and Eighth
District Democrats Split.
Smith Holds Edge.

BY DONALD A. CRAIG,
Stan CorrespoY1dent of The Star.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, October
30.-In that portion of Virginia between
this city and Washington, and which
is bounded on the east partly by the
Potomac River, political conditions in
this presidential campaign are as COM
plicated and unprecedented as they
have been found to be in { ther portions
of the Old Dominion visited by The
Star correspondent. Everywhere the
Democratic party is split in twain. In
this immediate section the supporters
of Smith, Democratic nominee for the
presidency, seem to have a slight ad-
vantage, but the opposite Is true in
other parts of this region.
Everywhere the Democratic party is
divided into Smith and anti-Smith fac
tions. Sections whose vote is usually
easy to forecast weeks in advance of
the election are today so torn by con-
flicting political sentiments and claims
that except in few instances 1t Is vir-
tually impossible to foreteli with any
degree of accuracy what will happen on
election day.
In this region, south Of Alexandra,
the two largest cities are FrederickS-
burg and Charlottesville. Charlottes-
vile is near the University of Virginia,
Overlooking it, about miles away, is
Monticello, home of Thomas jefferson,
founder of the Democratic party. His
beautiful mountain residence Is shrine
of Democracy that is visited each year
by thousands of persons from all over
fhn TTaifnd Cf0fnc ond o1wNo&
Part of the region between this city
and the National Capital belongs to the
seventh congressional district. Another
part--and that lying adjacent to Wash
ington-iS in the eighth congressional
district. The third part, including
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Coun-
ty, belongs to the first congressional
district, which extends across Chesa-
peake Bay and embraces the Eastern
Shore of Virginia.
The eighth district lies wholly east
of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and for
the most part between those mountains
county is Arlington. The seventh dis
trict reaches across the Blue Ridge and
includes most Of the Shenandoah
Valley.
Situation in Albemarle.
Albemarle County, of which Char
lottesville is the principal community
seems to be the main Smith stronghold
of the whole seventh district. It is ira
dittonally Democratic Ever since
Thomas Jefferson led his bride to their
unfinished n1ountain-top home this
region has been priced for its beautiful
scenery, fine climate, fertile farms and
homes that exemplify all that is best in
| the Old Dominion.
Charlottesville is not merely a uni
| versity town: 1t Is a fast-growing busi-
ness community, with an up-and-cof
ing Chamber of Commerce, Retail Mer-
| chants Association, other trade organi-
cations and numerous groups of men
and women who are banded together
for the improvement of the city and
the surrounding county.
But here also, at the very shrine of
Democracy, large numbers of Demo-
Gratis this year are announcing inten-
tions OF deserting the head of the Dem
ocratlc ticket, although most of these
insist that they are still good Demo-
Gratis, and say they will vote for the
Democratic candidate for Congress,
Representative Thomas Walter Harri-
| son.
| Religion and the liquor question are
the main issues in the campaign in all
this region, just as they are elsewhere
IN the State Albemarle County and
the city of Charlottesville customarily
have given in the past about 1900
majority to Democratic presidential
nominees. After survey of the situa-
ton here 1t appears to detached OBJ
server that Smith will carry the county
CONTINUED on Page S, Column 81