Evening star., 1952-11-02
Confusion Due 10 Split
Puts Virginia in List
OF Doubtful States
By John v. Homer

By John v. Homer
Political complications unknown
to Virginia in modern times make
E the Old Dominion one of the
doubtful States in the election
Tuesday.
The Republican Party claim.
Gen. Eisenhower will get the Il
electoral votes held by the cradle
of Democracy. 1t also entertains
hope of sending one or more Rep.
resentatives to the House.
The claim is disputed by loyal
Democrats. They figure Gov. Ste
venson has impressed the voters
sufficiently to hold Virginia in
their column both for the National
ticket and in the congressional
races.
One of the most complicating
factors is provided by Senator
Byrd, head of the State Demo-
cratic organization. He refused to
indorse Gov. Stevenson for Presi-
dent and. in fact, denounced him
for accepting the Truman Fair
Deal record. At the same time,
Senator Byrd did not directly in
dorse the Republican ticket.
This leaves his organization in
Z. a quandary. Some members like
former Gov. William M. Tuck,
publicly stand with Senator Byrd.
Others Withdrew from the cam
paign and have done nothing to
corral votes for the party ticket.
Battle and Robertson Active.
But Gov. Battle and Senator
Robertson have been active as
Stevenson supporters. For this
election, at least. they are working
hand-in- hand with anti-Byrd fac
tions of the Democratic Party of
the State.
Interest in the campaign Is
heightened by several contests for
the House, notably in the North
ern Virginia area comprising the
new 10th district. The race there
is between Edmund D. Campbell.
a Democrat. and Joel T. Broyhill,
Republican.
The Republican National Com
mittee thought well enough of
Mr.. Broyhill's chances to advance
him $4,000 for campaign expendi-
\ lures in a State that hasn't had
COP Representative for years.
It did the same for the Republi-
can House candidate in the 9th
(Southwest) district. He is Will
liam c. Wampler, 26. who is run
ming against the veteran Demo-
cratic State Senator M. M. Long.
The Republican National Com
mittee put up $1,000 for Richard
H. Poff. the young Radford
lawyer trying to oust Representa-
tive Burton. Democrat, in the 9th
Virginia district.
The 10th district contest has
been heated. National figures
in both parties have gone to
the Arlington Alexandria rails
ChHch-Fairfax area to urge SUPP
port Of the two nominees. 8
Over 100000 in 10th.
In the last two House elections
before the communities were
taken from the old 9Th district
the vote there was almost evenly
divided between Democratic and
Republican candidates. The regis
tered vote in the 10th now exceeds
100000, an indication that a large
turnout can be expected Tuesday.
. Senator Byrd is running for
reelection for a six-year term
without serious opposition.
A special election for Lieuten-
/. ant Governor has attracted no in.
terest. After 1t. Gov. L. Preston
Collins dice few weeks ago, the
Democratic Party nominated A..
E. S. Stephens. and Robert w.
Wait. jr.. filed as an Independent
Republican.
In the third congressional dis
trict, Representative Gary, a Dem
ocrat. mas done little or no cam
paigning against his Republican
opponent. The same is true of
Representative Smith in the 9th,
and Representative Harrison, in
the 7th. Both are Democrats.
The general situation is compli-
Gated not only by the stand of
Senator Byrd and his close asso-
ciates, but by Virginia's frank aver
sion to the Fair Deal. and pro-
Eisenhower sentiment in some
quarters. The latter led to the
formation of an active, we'll
heeled organization called Vir-
ginia Democrats for Eisenhower.
Most Officeholders on Record.
On the other hand, practically
all of the Congressional delega-
ton and most local officeholders
in the State are on record as
Stevenson hackers. The amount
of campaign work they are doing
varies from much to nothing.
The net result is this: The elec-
tion outcome in Virginia. as in
many States, is anybody's guess
The uncertainty Is pointed up
by what Democratic and Republi-
can Party leaders have to say for
publication. The G. o. P. high
command claims 1t will carry
Virginia for Gen. Eisenhower by
$4,000 votes. The Democrats de-
clare Gov. Stevenson will win by
about the same margin if the
total vote is 450.000-and more if
the vote runs higher.
Predictions like that are rare.
Apparently both parties remem-
bered what happened in 1948.
That year, President Truman car
ried the State by less than a ma
jority of the vote. He polled 48
per cent of the total. while Gov.
Dewey the Republican nominee
4 received AZ per cent. Most of the
i remaining 10 per cent went to
Democrat Strom Thurmond.
i n