Evening star., 1935-07-07
CANDIDATES BEGIN .
T0E-T0-T0E FIGHT.
Arlington Primary Cam
paign Quickens as Last
Month Is Entered.
BY ANGUS GREEN.
STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.

ARLINGTON COURT HOUSE, Va.
July 6.-The halfway mark in the
Democratic primary campaign has
been reached and after quiet and
listless beginning 1t appears now that
events of the week will change con-
siderably the tempo Of the campaign,
and serious down to- business fighting
will be the order from now until Au-
gust 6.
Lending credence to this view is
the fact that twice during the week
candidates spoke to full houses,
wide contrast to the many previous
meetings when only q handful OF
voters were present.
And keeping pace with attendance
records is the vehemence with which
candidates have attacked their oppo-
nents. They have. so to speak. taken
the gloves OF and gone right after
each other.
Sheriff Fight Hot.
Outstanding in this respect are
Sheriff Howard B. Fields and H. J.
Odenthal, his opponent. Odenthal
has selected the grounds and laid the
gage of battle. He has walked over
to the sherif1's corner and boxed.
feinted and slugged. Fields has
fought back. using all the tactics OF
a skillful political fighter.
Odenthal has challenged Fields
manner of administering the Police
Department; he has hurled the charge
that Fields is lax in law enforcement,
particularly in respect to the burning
dumps, slot machines and off-sale
beer establishment, and he has
charged Fields with using the Police
Department to create a political
dynasty"
To all these charges Fields has
come back fighting. He admits the
police are in politics; he denies lax
law enforcement and proclaims his
Police Department to be the best in
the couRtry. Strong language, not
overstepping parliamentary bounda-
ries. however. is the practice, now
that charges are flying thick mad fast.
Second to the Fields -Odenthal fight
is that Of Commemorative Attorney
Lawrence w. Douglas and Emery N.
Hosmer. John Paul Jones, third
candidate for that Office. has so far
declined to get into the argument
with one exception.
Stands on Record.
Douglas has invited the voters to
go to the court house and examine
his record, which he says is his plat
form for reelection. Hosmer counters
with the statement that the people
have not the time or experience to
ascertain what the record is, and he
thereupon reads 1t from the platform.
Douglas and HoSmer clashed at the
meeting of the Organized Women's
Voters. with Douglas defending his
record in regard to employing outside
counsel and in regard to criminal
prosecutions. Jones jumped into this
fray with an attack on the settlement
of the Duncan bond case, in which
Douglas accepted fee Of $3.50
Douglas replied the court awarded
him the fee.
Jones is fighting what he calls
propaganda" being spread around
the county to the effect that he is in
the race to split the vote" because
he has only been in the county a
year and does not expect to win" In
his speeches Jones is denying this.
Harry A. Fellows and Treasurer
Charles r Jesse are having a fight
also. 1t has not yet reached the
heated stage Of the sheriff's and
commemorative attorney fights, but
observers believe that 1t may in the
next four weeks. The same answer
applies to the four -cornered fight for
the nomination for county clerk.
Another fight which political leaders
are not overlooking. but which voters
may have, according to best opinion
available. is that for the control OF
the Democratic Executive Committee.
County Chairman Charles r. Fem
wicks leadership is being contested in
his own home precinct. Twenty-Five
committeeman are to be elected and
they will select from their ranks the
county chairman
This fight is being watched with
keen interest because of the effect it
will have on the organization in re-
gard to State and Federal patronag.
and party policy.