Evening star., 1949-07-22
Negro Bloc Vote CouIt
Determine Choice Of
.Virginia' S Governor
By John V. Horner

For the first time in history,
Negro voters can determine who
will be the next Governor Of
Virginia.
This seeming paradox in a pre-
dominately white electorate re-
suits from the extremely close
race for the Democratic Party
nomination in the primary Au-
gust 2.
Four candidates are running:
State Senator John S. Battle,
backed by most members of the
strong Byrd organization;
Francis Pickens Miller. candidate
of the anti-organization bloc;
Horace H. Edwards, who stands
between them. and Remmie L.
Arnold. industrialist turned poll
tician.
Vote OF. 275,O00 Seen.
Mr.. Arnold is conceded no
chance of winning.
AS the situation stands, Mr..
Edwards appears to be in third
place. He claims great strength
among public school teachers and
farmers and he has a host of
personal friends throughout the
State. Yet. he has been unable
to cite big bloc of votes which
is a prerequisite to victory this
year.
Senator Battle has the core of
the organization vote. Mr.. Miller
has the majority of those who
are anti-organization. Their
views contrast. Inevitably. the
campaign is shaping up between
them.
The total vote is expected to
approximate 275,000. Few expert
enced politicians have predicted
the outcome but all agree the WIN
ner will be chosen by a plurality
and not by a majority of ballots.
If they are correct, any candidate
who polls $4,000 votes is threat.
Such votes as are cast for Mr..
Arnold will come from citizens
who otherwise would support Sen
ator Battle. With a middle of
the-road program, Mr.. Edwards
will draw both from the Battle
and Miller camps. How much, no
one can guess.
Margin to Be Small.
This situation leads to a con-
Iviction that the margin of victory
will be small, possibly a few thou
sand votes.
1t is estimated that perhaps
$4,000 or 10000 Negroes will par
ticipate in the primary.
AS a bloc, Negroes could have
profound effect on the outcome
But even though they divide the
distribution of their votes they can
settle the issue if the campaign
continues a nip-and-tuck affair.
Roscoe c. Jackson, colored civic
leader in Richmond. is among
those who believes the contest has
resolved itself to a fight between
Mr.. Miller and Senator Battle
He said Richmond Negroes regard
Mr.. Miller as a liberal and there
fore will support him.
Joseph Simpson, editor of the
Richmond edition of the Afro
American. expressed the opinion
that the nomination will go either
to Senator Battle or Mr.. Ed
wards.
i Explains Opinion.
] Sentiment for major govern
mental changes in Virginia is not
SO great as Mr.. Miller would like, -
he said in explanation.
i Mr.. Simpson said he held this
belief despite a shift of Richmond
Negroes from Mr.. Edwards to Mr.
Miller.
\ In a survey a month ago, he
reported, the Richmond colored
population leaned heavily towards
their former mayor. He said the
recent shift is due to q growing
belief that the Edwards sales tax
proposal would hit Negroes hard
Senator Battle is not expected
to poll heavy Negro vote in the
populus centers but his hackers
declare he will receive substantial
support from those in the coun-
ties, particularly the Southside.
Before 1929 most Virginia Ne
groes were Republicans. Mr.. Jack
son said that since the Supreme
Court ruled they could partici-
pate in Southern primaries, nine
tAnfhS Of them heca me- Denocrafs