Evening star., 1948-10-23
10 STv0 I s I
Sfaunton Likely
To Settle Race
In 7th District
Robertson Win Seen:
TimberIuke Has Edge
Over Harrison
By Alex R. Preston
Stry Stn$f S.vraxn~n1anS

by Alex n. rTeston
star Siaff Correspondent
STAUNTON. Va, Oct. 23-Thi!
city and surrounding Augusta Coun.
ty may determine the outcome o.
one of Virginias most hotly con.
tested House races.
The Seventh Congressional Dis.
trict. of which this is part, ha.
Democratic candidates who appear
to be in both the most favorable
position and the most serious trou-
BILE.
Senator Robertson lives in Lex.
ington, which is in the extreme
southern end of the Seventh, while
Representative Harrison, Democrat
lives in the northern area at Win.
chester.
Robertson Win Expected.
AL are agreed that Senator Rob.
ertson will come through the No.
vember 2 election leading all can.
didates on the ballot with the larg.
est margin of victory. This Is be.
cause he will accumulate a tota
State vote and also because of the
Truman-Thurmond-Dewey split or
the presidential ballot.
On the other hand, Representa-.
tive Harrison is in a critical posi-.
tion and his Republican opponent
Stephen D. Timberlake of Staunton
appears to have an edge. Next te
the Ninth District, where Republic.
an prospects also are favorable, the
Seventh has more Republican
pockets" or strongholds, than any
other area.
Both congressional candidates
are working feverishly from one end
of the district to the other. and
each has his program filled from
here on out.
Concede COP Strength.
The Democrats claim Mr.. Harri-
son will be returned to the House,
but they concede the Republican
strength.
Guy Farley, chairman of the
Staunton Democratic Committee,
lists Page, Shenandoah and Rock
ingham Counties as COP strong
holds. Moreover, the city of Har-
risonburg is frequently in the Re-
publican column. and Highland
County is a toss up. Furthermore,
Mr.. Timberlake is well connected
through family and friends in
Staunton and the nearby area.
With the exception of Highland
County all are the districts heaviest
voting areas. Also heavy voting, but
conceded to Mr.. Harrison is the
Winchester area.
Mr.. Harrison, former Winches-
ter Corporation Court Judge, is ex-
pected to draw nearly as many
Republican votes In the north end
of the district as MIR. Timberlake
will down here.
"Close," Says Timberlake.
IT consider it will be a close
race" Mr.. Timberlake said. TT is,
of course, an uphill fight for a Re-
publican in Virginia, but I believe
that I will win with the vote of
Independents and Democrats, as
well as Republicans who believe that
the best interests of our district can
be served by the election of a Con-
gresham who can work in harmony
with the new administration"
Mr.. Harrison, who also has been
commonwealth attorney, State
Senator and judge of the Clarke
County Circuit Court, bases his ap-
peal on the fact that he has had
II years experience in public life,
whereas his opponent "bolted"- the
Democratic Party and never has
been active in politics.
Mr.. Timberlake twists the lack
Of political experience to his advan-
tage by claiming he would go to
Washington free and unhampered
by ties to any political faction.
Born of Democratic Family.
He admits he was born of Demo-
cratic family and was raised in that
party but said he became a Repub-
lican during President Roosevelts
first term.
The Democratic administration
then in power" he said, went back
on every tradition of the Demo-
cratic Party. It abandoned States
rights, turned its back on the theory
that the least governed are the best
governed and became convinced
that the greatest contribution I
could make would be to build up
o two-party system in Virginia"
George M. Cochran, member of
the House Of Delegates, who is sup
porting the candidacy of Senator
Robertson and Mr.. Harrison, feels
that the House race will stimulate
a considerable voter turnout on
election day.
There is considerable Thurmond
sentiment here. The two daily
papers, published by the E. Walton
Opie family, have come out for the
States Rights candidate. Gen. Opie
is close personal friend of Sem
ator Robertson and nominated the
Senator at the Richmond conven-
ton two years ago to fill the un-
expired term of the late Senator
Carter Glass.
Mr.. Farley said he was to receive
sample ballots today which would
be marked in behalf of Senator
Robertson and Mr.. Harrison. The
squares beside the names of presi-
dental candidates will be unmarked,
however. Republican sample bal
lots, issued at Mr.. Undertakes
Office, are marked all the way down
the ticket, including Robert H.
Woods, State COP chairman who is
opposing Senator Robertson.
Mr.. Timberlake, incidentally, said
he has mo comment" on Mr.. Woods
campaign. Observers here said the
House candidate does not desire to
tread on the popularity of Senator
Robertson, a next-door neighbor,
fguratively speaking.
Assembly Makeup.
The extent to which Republicans
have remained in power in this dis
trict is shown to some extent by
the General Assembly makeup from
this section. Harrisonburg now has
q Democrat, j. o. Stickley, and a
Republican, George w. Taliaferro
N, the Hn11ss of neIecatas aod until