Evening star., 1947-07-22

12Disqua|ified
In Arlington
Six Are Turned Down
For Committee Race
By Democratic Chief:
By Mory Lou Werner

SoAiAAOGCC, d4tCA GAlCy 1ldo DCC1i oIo
qualified because they did not ap
pear to answer questions before {
special subcommittee.
The committee qualified all thos'
who testified at the appeal hearing
yesterday or notified the commit
tee that they had voted for all part!
candidates in the last election. tn,
six the committee refused to certif.
either failed to appear or testified
that they voted for Daniel A. Dugan
who won the election as an indie
pendent over party-supported Ed
mund Campbell in the county boare
election last November.
This action was taken after AL
bert A. Carretta and others whit
appealed contended Mr.. Dugan wa!
a Democrat but that he had to rur
as independent because he was /.
Federal employe and thereby coule
not participate in partisan polite!
under the Hatch Act.
Points to Own Record.
Mr.. Carretta pointed out she a
one time ran for county board as ar
independent, because he was ther
a Federal employe.
Frank L. Ball, jr., attorney fol
H. Smith Rucker who also appealed
his disqualification, told the com.
mittee that, at the time of the
Campbell n-Dugan race, there was a
Republican club formed to support
Mr. Campbell.
It was pointed out by Mr.. Carretta
that since then it has been decided
to conduct county board elections
on nonpartisan basis.
Mr.. Ball attacked the attitude c1
the subcommittee in limiting that
the inquiry was conducted to keer
out overnight" Democrats.
Are we going to slap these new
people in the face and tell them we
don't want them in the party?" Mr.
Ball asked. Il don't know how the
Democrats can ever expect to win
another election in Arlington County
if we let this thing stand"
It was brought out by Mr.. Bal
that at no time had the candidates
been told what consequences would
ensue if they failed to appear before
the certification subcommittee.
I'VE claim they had no right to
set up new rules after the filing
deadline of June s." Mr.. Ball con-
tended. He cited decision OF the
Virginia Court of Appeals in a case
where the Democratic Committee OF
Stafford County had attempted tc
call off a Democratic primary after
the fling deadline. The court held
that, once the filing deadline had
passed, the committee had to &C
through with the election al
planned.
Calls Situation Novel"
In reply to a statement by Mr.
Grant that the certification investi-
CATION was a routine matter, Mr.
Ball said he had served for II years
on the executive committee and he
could never remember such an in
quiry ever being conducted before.
Mr.. Grant explained that this yeal
Arlington had been confronted with
a novel; situation.
Usually We had difficulty getting
people to run for the committee
but this year. at the last minute. al
least 80 people filed" he said. Alto
gether, Sc have filed as candidates
he added.
Many Of these people we did not
know or had never heard of, so we
thought we had better try to f1no
out something about them" he said
I'm order to do this. we fixed dates
for hearings so it could be deter.
mined if all candidates were bona
fide Democrats. We were much SUR
prised at the attitude Of some OF the
candidates who announced their in.
tention to boycott the meetings.
Had to Take Action"
when they did not appear II
placed us in an embarrassing posi-.
tion-but in a position where we hac
to take action. We recommended
that they be disqualified because W.
did not know whether or not they
were democrats after they failed tx
appear"
One of the candidates who did
appear for questioning by the spe-
cial subcommittee said that she was
disqualified because she had voted
for MIR. Dugan.
Mrs. Elizabeth w. White, the dis
qualified candidate, said, however
she had been told by Executive
Committee officials that, although
she was disqualified, it could be ar
ranged to appoint her after the
election to fill an empty seat on the
committee from her district.
Asks Committee "Why?"
"Why is it that I can be appointed
and serve on the committee and
still not be eligible to run?" she
asked the committee.
Harold L. Schilz, chairman of the
Progressive Democrats of Arlington
who led the boycott of the inquiry
produced ticket stub for 500 pei
plate Jackson Day dinner he at
tended in 1914 to prove his Demo.
cratic Affiliations.
Mr.. Carretta pointed out to the
committee that, although his name
already had been certified to appear
as a Democratic candidate for the
Virginia House of Delegates subject
to the primary, the Arlington COM
mittee had refused to certify his
name for the County Executive
Committee election.
Quizzed on Dugan Vote.
In answer to a question by one OF
District Committee members as tc
whether or not he voted for Mr.
Dugan last November, Mr.. Carretta
replied:
II will say that I have voted for
all nominees of the Democratic
party as required by the party plan.
Seconds later, in answer to ques-
tion of Gardner L. Boothe, 9Th dis
trict committee chairman. who con-
Quoted the hearing in Alexandria
yesterday. Mr.. Carretta replied that
he had voted for Mr.. Campbell in
the November election and not for
Mr.. Dugan.
The candidates who were certified
nv tho 9Th district cor,n,itfaa ron.