Evening star., 1952-03-14
Virginia Election
Issues Cut Out
By Assembly
Leaders of Foctions
Will Argue Actions
In Drive for Votes
By Alex R. Preston

Of the way, leaders Of two majol
factions within the Democratic
Party as well as Republicans
turned their attention to thi,
years senatorial and congress
sional campaigns and the cam.
paign for Governor in 1858.
Here are some Of the things the
Assembly did which undoubtedly
will be argued in the drives fol
votes:
Redistricting the State to pro-
vide for q new 10th Congressional
District.
Run-Off Primary Law.
A run-off primary law which
moves the primary date from Au-
gust up until the first half Of
July. In some cases a run-ofi
would be held five weeks later.
Legislation permitting the sep
aration of ballots for presidential
candidates from those for other
national and State Offices.
Revisions Of the automatic in
come tax reduction law which re-
turns excess revenues to the tax
payers.
The Legislatures failure to act
on these issues likewise probably
will be the object Of campaign
oratory:
Legislation to reapportion the
States representation in the Gem
eral Assembly in line with shifts
in population since the 1910 cen
SuS.
Several proposals one
Of the simplest ever offered-to
repeal the poll tax as prerequis-
ite to voting.
A bill to repeal the 1948 "anti-
Truman law"
Legislation to tighten up the
absent voters law which is the
basis for numerous charges of elec-
ton frauds.
Probable Candidates.
Probable candidates in this
years Democratic primary for
Senator are the leader Of that
party's organization which has
control of the General Assembly,
Senator Harry r. Byrd Of Perry
vile, and the anti-organization
leader. Francis Pickens Miller Of
Charlottesville.
Next years gubernatorial cam
paign now looks like it may be q
free-for-all. No formal announce
ments have been made in this
field, either, but these are the
names most frequently heard:
Representative Thomas B. STAN
ley of the 5th District, reported
to have tthe strongest backing
Of Byrd organization leaders:
Delegate Robert Whitehead of
Nelson County, the anti-organiza-
ton leader In the Legislature;
State Attorney General j. Lindsay
Almond. jr., Of Roanoke: State
Senator Charles r. Fenwick Of
Arlington, and 1t. Gov. L. Preston
Collins Of Marion, in Southwest
Virginia.
Most Far-Reaching Action.
The redistricting bill was the
AsSembly'S most far-reaching ac-
ton is giving thickly inhabited
areas additional representation in
line with population shifts during
the last 10 years.
Because of population growth
to more than 3.3 million. the State
is entitled to a 10th member Of
Congress. The new district
carved Arlington, Alexandria,
Falls Church and Fairfax out Of
the old 9th, now represented by
Howard w. Smith of Alexandria.
But Representative Smith also
has a home in Fauquier County,
near Warrenton, which remains
in the new 9th.
Changes were made in all Of
the present nine districts except
In the 5th, 9Th, and 9th. Most
bitter feeling against the plan
comes from the Hampton Roads
area where the I'd District. as
revised, will have a total popula-
ton of 100000 while the new 7th
shenandoah Valley District will
have only 100000. 5
The congressional picture is
further beclouded by the fact that
q minority in the State Senate
only nine Of the 40 members
successfully prevented the addi-
ton to the bill Of an emergency
clause requested by Gov. Battle.
The result is that the new dis
tricts will not be created until the
law takes effect June 28. This Is
too late for candidates to file
for the July Is primary, for which
the deadline Is 80 days in adj
vance. E
Possibly the most noteworthy
omission Of the session was re-
fusal to reapportion the States
legislative districts for representa-
ton in the Legislature itself. Nor
folk area legislators argued that
they were forced to accept the
largest congressional district and
Still no allowance was made for
their areas growth by giving them
added voice in the Legislature.
The run-oh primary law win af-
feet Statewide offices only-that
is Governor, Senator, attorney
general and lieutenant governor
Whenever there are three or more
candidates for any of these Offices
and none receives clear majority
in the primary, the candidate poll
ing the second highest vote may
demand run-off five weeks later
between himself and the leader.
Anti-organization forces charged
this bill was drawn to assure the
nomination Of Senator Byrd prior