Evening star., 1951-09-16
Non-Partisans
Face Real Test
In Arlington
Must Bottle 6. o. P.
As Well as Democrats
In November Election

Arlington County'S non-parGl-
sans should find out just how
strong they really are in the No.
vember general election.
They will have to defeat botf
Republican and Democratic op-
position this time to retain theil
80 control of the County Board
Since 1914, when the last Re,
publican effort for election to the
County Board was made, the non.
partiSans have been fighting il
out solely with the Democrats.
The first victorious non-parti-
san candidate-Daniel A. Dugar
was elected in 1916 after Re-
publican leaders formed an in
formal coalition with the non
partisan faction to weaken the
seemingly invincible Democratic
hold
Most G.. o. P. leaders had been
content in succeeding elections tc
go along with the non-partisan
candidates, as they gradually wore
down the Democratic control.
Now Have Own Candidates.
Now for the first time in eight
years Republicans have put up
their own candidates for the
County Board-one for each of the
two vacancies.
However, some Republicans
chose to support Democratic can
didates instead of the non-parti-
sans during recent years, and the
return of G. o. P. activity may
cost the Democrats some votes.
But most Democrats are con-
fident that their party will be the
one to benefit from the division of
non-partisan and Republican fac
tions. The big worry of the Dem
ocrats is that their vote also may
be split because two independent
Democrats are in the race in ad-
dition to the two candidates in
dorsed by the Democratic party
A third independent, not aSSoci-
ated with any organization also
has filed.
County Board Seats Open.
The two County Board seats tc
be filled are those of Mrs. Flor
ence Cannon, non-partisan anc
chairman of the Board, and F
Freeland Chew, veteran Demo
cratic Board member, whose term;
expire December 81.
Both the non-partiSanS and the
Democrats were rocked earlier
this year by the trials for NAL
feasance in Office of Board mem
bers Dugan and Chew. They
were cleared of the charges.
It was in the wake of their
trials, however, that Republicans
laid plans to capture the Novem-
Der election from both the non
partisans and Democrats. They
nominated Robert A. Peck, 81,
automobile dealer. and George NJ.
Rowzee. jr., 38, assistant bank
cashier. for the board.
The Democratic committee re-
fused to indorse Mr.. Chew for re-
election, selecting two other cam
didates. Mr.. Chew has stayed in
the race as an independent Demo-
crat. Running on the same basis
is Fred w. Bach, who unsuccess-
fully opposed Mr.. Dugan last year
Candidates with Democratic
party Endorsement are Wade
Pearson, 81, manager of a theater
chain, and Carroll Wright, At, rea!
estate man. Although no Demo-
cratic primary was held, the
county's Democratic Executive
Committee gave them the party
nod.
Smith and Dean Selected.
The n-partiSanS, at their
Town Meeting in June. rejected
Mrs. Cannon as a candidate fo1
reelection, picking instead, T
Oscar Smith and Alan l.. Dean as
their representatives in Novem-
ber's balloting. Mr.. Smith, 40
is a former president of the Ar
lington Civic Federation, and is
employed as an attorney-advisel
in the Justice Department. Mr.
Dean. 80, is with the Budget Bu-
reau.
A ninth candidate in the County
Board race is Jacob Bechtel, "a,
Independent. a builder.
The Republican organization is
seeking to capture other local of
f1ceS-including one now held by
a Republican.
The party has indorsed School
Board Chairman Colin C. Mac
PherSon as its candidate for
treasurer in the general election
against incumbent John Locke
Green, who also is a Republican.
The Democratic candidate is
Charles R. Quade.
Attorney Oren R. Lewis is at the
top of the COP slate as the party's
candidate opposing incumbent
State Senator Charles r. Fen
wick, Democrat.
G. o. P. candidates for the two
seats in the House of Delegates
are James H. Berkey. 38, construc-
ton company president and for
mer Navy lieutenant-commander
and Fred N. Windridge, retired
auto dealer.
Oppose IncumbentS.
They are opposing incumbent
Democrats j. Maynard Magruder
and George Damn, who are cam
paigning as members of a legis-
lative team headed by Senator
Fenwick.
Lined up in the thre-way Com
monwealth's Attorney race are
William G.. Hassan, Democrat;
Charles o. Pratt, Republican, and
Malcolm D. Miller, Independent
who sought to run in the Demo
cratic primary but was declared
ineligible.
Commissioner of Revenue candi-
dates are Republican Theodore B
Nickson, certified public account
ant and retired Navy commander
and incumbent Democrat George