Evening star., 1952-09-25
Politics Is Heard
Far and Wide in
Virginia Today
Interest in Campaigns
Runs High on Farms
And in City Streets
By John v. Homer
Stor Sfoff Correspondent

By John v. Homer
Stor Sfoff Correspondent
LYNCHBURG. Va, Sept. U.s.
On q whistle stop tour of Vir
ginia by automobile, you'll I'm,
everybody talking politics.
The story is the same on tn
farm. the courthouse green an,
city streets. It's both refreshin,
and enlightening to hear tn
frank discussions.
The people seem to be talkin,
more freely than usual. Only
few timid souls and the practica
politicians are keeping thei
thoughts to themselves,
Not many years ago it wa
dangerous to ask a stranger hov
he planned to vote. When h,
told you bluntly that it was non,
Of your business, he was just al
apt to say so in language unfit fol
public print. He might even EN-.
phasize resentment at your in.
truSion by the use of physica
force.
TOuchy in Rural Areas.
Take the case of a man now
well established on Capitol Hill
He's a former newspaper reporter
who once sought to size up the
political situation in a rural Vir-
ginia community.
"How are you voting down
here?" he inquired of a citizen.
We're voting like we damn well
please" came the reply. And with
that the reporter was f1oored by
q well-placed blow on the jaw.
Not so this year. There are
some hotheads, as always; but
the political arguments seem
calmer. The presidential quail
f1cations of Gov. Stevenson and
Gen. Eisenhower are being exam
ined carefully. The issues are
being studied thoughtfully. For
the most part they are discussed
with commendable restraint.
Though Virginia by tradition is
q Democratic State, it cannot now
be counted a sure bet in 1852. This
year the voters are not blindly
following the party labels.
Negroes Backing Democrats.
The most solid block voting will
be done by Negro citieens. They
will support Gov. Stevenson be-
cause they credit the national
Democrats Party with their re-
cent social and economic gains.
AS Petersburg barber put it:
why should we colored people
turn our backs on the folks trying
to help us? A lot Of people don't
understand. We used to vote for
Republicans, but all they did was
to keep talking about what they
were going to do. Now the New
Deal and the Fair Deal have really
done something"
Despite the AFL Endorsement of
Gov. Stevenson, labor in Virginia
will not be solidly Democratic. Un-
doubtedly many unions will 60
down the line for the party ticket.
But it has been demonstrated re-
peatedly that Virginia laborers
are fairly Independent at the polls.
A hotel engineer in Richmond
said he has not made up his mind
between the Democratic and Re-
publican candidates and he would
not be swayed by the AF'L in
dorsement. He is a member of an
AFL local.
Many Still Confused.
"A lot of us are confused" he
said. I'm a Democrat and I don't
want to vote Republican. Yet
may, because I think we need a
change.
The working man is in a fix.
Suppose he makes twice as much
money as he did a few years ago.
If he has a family Of four or five,
what's he going to do? Money
isn't worth what it was. Some
body's got to do something about
imitation.
That's one thing good about old
Gabriel Heater. He keeps talk
ing on the radio about imitation.
He keeps saying something must
be done. Maybe some day it will.
''No. I don't know how I'll vote. {"
Similar concern over imitation
was expressed by a housewife at
Crewe. This is a railroad town,
the yards for the main line of the
Norfolk & Western. Sheesaid al
most every one around Crewe Is
disturbed by economic conditions.
The barber, the hotel engineer
and the housewife said they
thought their communities would
support Gen. Eisenhower in No
vember.
Has Definite Ideas.
A Richmond filing station at
tendant, a man Of SIS, had some
pretty definite ideas:
"I'll tell you one thing. If this
country is crazy enough to vote
Republican we might as well let
the Russians go ahead and bomb
us. I haven't forgotten what a
mess the Republicans made before.
I haven't forgotten the bread
lines or the soup kitchens or the
scandals under them crooks"
Now that he had stated his
personal opinion, would he venture
q prediction how Richmond will
vote?
"Oh. WELL" he snorted. Looks
mighty like these people are going
for Eisenhower.
In Lynchburg, a tailor who is
backing Gov. Stevenson said he
hears little else but talk of II Like
Ike" A merchant and an insur-
ance man said the same.
nNYk ni1 s,1l~~ .-,:kH