Evening star., 1948-04-14
Primary 10 Test
Anti-Trumanism
In Alexandria
Democrats Schedule
Vote June 8 to Elect
State Delegates
By Alex R. Preston

py tiex N. TICStoH
Alexandria today became the first
potential testing ground in the
Northern Virginia area to deter
mine the States anti-Truman SEN
timent.
The Democratic Committee an
nounced. through Chairman Gilbert
J. Cox. that a primary will be held
there June 8 to elect delegates to
the Democratic State Convention.
The State convention. If it follows
the plan of Gov. Tuck and the re-
cent General Assembly, will leave
the door open to oppose the re-
election of President Truman II he
is renominated at Philadelphia.
Unlike the method of selecting
State delegates in Arlington-Where
a county convention will be held
all qualified Democratic voters In
Alexandria will be able to ballot.
In Arlington, only persons who file
a IS fee as delegates" to the county
convention may participate in the
election of delegates to the State
convention.
Must Have 20 Delegates.
Mr.. Cox said the primary would
not be held only if % or less cand1-
dates file as delegates to the Rich
mond conclave If less than the
delegate strength files, he said, the
city committee probably would ap-
point persons to bring the dleega-
ton up to full strength.
C. H. Barnes, counsel for the
Hatch Act Division of the Civil
Service Commission, said there is
this difference between participation
by Federal workers in the choice
of State delegates from Alexandra
and from Arlington:
Any Democrat may vote in the
Alexandria primary although the
Hatch Act prevents Federal en-
ployes from filing the required s5
fee and becoming candidates Tor
the State convention. In Arlington,
he said, Federal workers may not
participate in the balloting for State
delegates because of the combined
requirement that each voter file
S. fee and be known as a delegate"
to the county convention.
Boothe Originated Plan.
Armistead L. Boothe, member OF
the House of Delegates from Alex
andria, is the originator OF the Alex
andria primary plan. After the So
called "anti- Truman" election bill
was introduced with his name as a
co-patron at the recent General
Assembly, storm of protest greeted
the proposal because the bill made
it practically impossible for the
name of President Truman, Henry
A. Wallace or any one other than
those approved by the Democratic
and Republican State conventions
to appear on the ballot.
Mr.. Boothe took leading part in
cleaning up the legislation to the
form of its final enactment in which
the name of any candidate of a
bona fide party may have his name
printed on the ballot. The new law,
however, leaves the way open for a
second State convention, after the
Philadelphia national session, to-
select a presidential nominee if Mr..
Truman is the national candidate.
Thus the electors for President
Truman, as we'll as those for the
Virginia Democratic Party, would
appear on the ballots.
In a letter to Mr.. Cox, Mr.. Boothe
said the wrongs" of the original bill
have been corrected in the substi-
tute bill; however, some people still
seem to think it is a scheme on the
part of certain persons to sew up
the Virginia vote"
No Candidates Have Filed.
He declared a primary will in
sure a free and unhampered express
sion of public opinion and leave the
answer to this most important ques-
ton in the hands of the people and
not in the hands of any organiza-
ton"
Because the Alexandria plan was
announced only today, no candi-
dates for delegate to the State con-
vention have filed. 1t is possible.
however, that some will file as sup
porters of President Truman and
others as opponents. State party
leaders oppose the. President be-
cause of his civil rights program.
Some observers were surprised by
the Alexandria plan. That city, the
home of Representative Smith, is
regarded as a party organization
stronghold A convention primary
Is unique in Alexandria for a presi-
dental election year, although the
system has been used previously in
congressional and State contests.
Mr.. Cox said candidates may file
with him up to midnight May 9.
Arlington Plan Opposed.
Meanwhile, in Arlington, the
Democratic Executive Committee
has scheduled meeting for tomor-
row night. Arthur F. Souther,
chairman of the Americanism Com
mittee of the Virginia State Society,
Sons of the American Revolution,
renewed his protests of the selection
plan adopted in that county.
Mr.. Souther wrote Chairman C.
Harrison Mann of the Arlington
Democratic Committee:
In view of the ruling Of the
Civil Service Commission that Fed
eral workers may attend a con-
vention or mass meeting in their
individual capacities as Democratic
voters, your denial of party respon-
sibility is without merit. 1t is not
the Hatch Act which bans the Fed
eral voter from participating in the
selection Of delegates but the
adoption by the Arlington Demo-
cratic Committee of a method in
volving unprecedented qualifications
for individual voters
4 He compared the IS fee to par
ticipate in the county convention
with "a poll tax" to vote for the
State delegates.
Thy SnIe Nets S70 001