Evening star., 1951-07-22
McCue Fears Battle
Wants Him Defeated
For School Aid Stand
By Alex R. Preston
Ster Staff Correspendent

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. July
21.-State Senator E. o. McCue,
ir., who in 10 years has succeeded
Gov. Battle twice in the General
Assembly. is making the hardest
fight Of his career for renomina-
ton against forces including those
Of the Governor himself.
Mr.. McCue thinks he is being
purged. Intimates of the Governor
deny this.
Nevertheless the governors son,
John S. Battle, jr., is among
those running Joseph T. Henley's
campaign to win nomination for
Mr.. McCue's seat in the Demo-
cratic primary August Z. Mr..
Henley is chairman of the Abe
marie County School Board.
THE governor must be against
me-" Mr.. McCue said, "or he
would have persuaded his son
to lay off," ..
Opposed Battle Pledge.
The present state Of affairs is
due to Mr.. McCue's opposition to
the very keystone of Gov. Battles
1949 campaign pledge. In a four
way primary race against stiff
opposition. the governor won by
a plurality-but not a majority
after promising State grants to
meet tagging municipal school
construction.
When the governors program
came to the Senate floor, the
vigorous assault of Mr.. McCue
caused CONSERVATION among some
OF his colleagues inasmuch as he
had just taken the seat vacated
when Mr.. Battle became governor.
Mr.. McCue held out for school
aid to require $3.50 matching by
localities. He was not alone in
this view. But after the plan was
defeated, the others went along
with the chief executive. Mr..
McCue voted against it.
Cites Fund Raising.
Mr.. McCue feels put out about
things today.
L was one of four persons who
personally guaranteed to raise
$4,000 for the governors CAM
psign fund. personally raised
over $4,000 of that, including
slzeable contribution of my own"
Mr.. Henley said he does not
doubt that.
Any interest Mr. McCue took
In the election of Senator Battle
for governor was, in my opinion.
TO create a vacancy in the Senate
30 that he could succeed to that
post"
Sources close to the governor
say that when Mr.. Battle cam
paigned on the promise to pro-
vide school grants, Mr.. McCue
took no exception to the platform.
Mr.. Henley goes not have a cam
palgn manager. Instead, strategy
is planned by four-man steering
committee. They are Mr.. Battle
the governors son: Roscoe S,
Adams, ST.. former Charlottesville
mayor; E. J. Oglesby, University
OF Virginia professor. and Junius
t1shburne. attorney and son of the
late member of Congress from this
district.
Committee Organized.
The steering group has organized
a COMMITTEE of 400" which has
openly indorsed Mr.. Henley
Among the 400 signers of an ad-
vertisement in a local newspaper
are w. S. Hildreth, president of
the Peoples National Bank;
Joseph Sneed, chairman of the
Fluvanna County Democratic
Committee; G. P. Griffin, chair
man Of Fluvanna County super
visors; Paul H. Cole. superin-
tendent of Albemarle County
schools; Henry Chiles of the Albe-
marie County Board of Super
visors: r. S. Graves of Syria, Madi-
son banker; Cecil Coppage. chair
man of the Madison County Re-
publican Committee and a num-
Der of Republican leaders and Uni
Versity OF Virginia professors.
Mr. McCue first was elected to
the House of Delegates in 1894.
when Gov. Battle vacated a seat
there to win election in the Senate
Mr.. McCue says he has never
voted against legislation which
would benefit the schools. He in
sists that, if returned to office. he
will continue TO press for cid to
localities based on matching
funds. The more prosperous To-
calities are not carrying their
fair share of the burden, he be-
lieves.
He Blames Henley.
He has served as chairman of
the Virginia Advisory Legislative
Council and has headed its school
study commission.
Mr.. McCue says Mr.. Henley is
responsible for an excessively
high Albemarle County tax rate
to provide unnecessary school
buildings. The senator said he be-
lleves more stress should be
placed on improving teacher
standards and curriculum.
Mr.. Henley never has held po-
litlcal office and said he entered
the race at the request of friends
who seek Mr.. McCue's defeat.
He admits that he urged a
school program requiring a.
higher tax rate but contends the
program was sorely needed to