Evening star., 1949-06-12
2-Party Election
For Council SET
In Alexandra
Full Democratic Slate
Entered in Tuesdays
Race for Seven Posts
By MorY Lou Werner

By Mary Lou Werner
Alexandria voters will have
their first opportunity to partici-
pate in a two-party City Council
, election Tuesday when seven
councilmen will be chosen from
IL candidates.
The Democratic Party has a
complete slate of seven in the
race. They are: Leroy s. Bend
helm, Marshall Beverly. Roy c.
Bragg. Albert A. Smoot and n.
Samuel Luckett, incumbents. and
Franklin P. Backus and James M.
Duncan, jr.
Nathan ]. Paulson and Clyde
j. Verkerke are the Republican
candidates and F. Clinton Knight,
Edwin Barrett and L. B. Mayer
are running as independents.
/ While Tuesdays council election
is the first with two major parties
in the running, it also may be the
last. A majority of the candi-
dates have said they favor nom
partisan municipal elections.
Some Voters Confused.
Politicians are awaiting the out
come of Tuesdays election with
special interest because they want
to see If voters will turn out for
a general municipal election
where nomination in the Demo-
cratic Party primary usually is
ltantamount to election.
Democratic leaders. fearful that
the usual apathy of party men,
bers in q general election might
mean a Republican victory, have
for the first time campaigned for
their council candidates.
This has served to confuse
some voters. They asked why the
Democratic Committee was med
ding" in the election. and wanted
to know how the seven Demo-
cratic candidates, who fought bit
terly among themselves before the
primary. could support each other
now.
Gilbert Cox, Democratic Com
mittee chairman. answered this by
reviewing the party system.
Cites Candidates Duties.
"In Alexandria. we have a two
party system of selecting members
of the city council, and until and
If this system is changed, the Alex
andria Democratic Committee
shall and must support and work
for the election of all the candi-
dates selected by party members
at Democratic primaries. he said.
He added that -. 1t Is thel
duty, and the obligation Of the
seven candidates who were elected
to represent the Democrats Party
10 support one another.&
It is the duty also of the candi-
dates defeated in the Democratic
primary to support the seven sue
cessful party candidates. said MIR.
Cox.
Prediction campaigning by
Democrats, Republicans and inde-
pendents has been spotty. No one
has campaigned openly for Mayor.
The person receiving the most
votes in the general election be-
comes Mayor. but Democratic
leaders have urged voters to sup
port all seven party candidates be-
cause a heavy vote for favorites
might make it possible for Re-
publican or independent to get
elected.
Take Office i'm September.
The seven councilmen elected
will take Office in September for
three-year terms. It will be the
first complete council chosen un-
der the at-large form Of govern
ment adopted by referendum last
year.
Polls IN the city's six precincts
will be open from 7:30 am. to $3.50
pm. Daylight Saving Time. This
gives voters Is hours in which to
cast their ballots, instead of the
usual 12-hour period OF winter
elections.
The polling places are as fol-
iows: First ward, A precinct
Armory Hall; First ward. B pre-
cinct-City Hall: Second ward
George Mason School; third ward
Mo. S Firehouse. 1910 Cameron
street; Fourth ward-Lee School;
Fifth ward. A precinct-Maury
School: Fifth ward. B precinct
George Washington High School;
Sixth ward, A precinct-Mount
Vernon School annex; Sixth ward.
B precinct-No. 2 Firehouse, 213
East Windsor avenue