Evening star., 1953-03-08
Virginia Aides
Draft 6. 0. P
Patronage Plan
Purty Chiefs Hope
Policy Will Bring
Them More Jobs
By WiIIiom J. EIvin

Walter Johnson, former g. o. p:
candidate for Governor, summed
up the objections Of some party
leaders to recent administration
appointments. There has been
grumbling among some Repub-
licans that all major appoint
ments in the Eisenhower admin
istration dispensed to VirginianS
have gone to pro-Eisenhower
Democrats.
Democrat after Democrat is
being pulled out of Virginia"
Mr.. johnson said. "If we staff all
top jobs with Democrats, where's
there any patronage for Repub-
licans?," he asked at a meeting
of the Republican State Central
Committee in Alexandria.
Members who have been be-
sieged by job applicants kept
the States national committee
men and the three Virginia Re-
publican members of Congress
working most of the afternoon
on a procedure for screening job
applicants until a formula fin
ally was agreed on.
June Farley Planned.
Although party leaders ex-
pressed dissatisfaction with their
share of the spoils, the presence
of the three House members and
frequent references to them
selves as the party in power in
Washington gave the gathering
in the George Mason Hotel an
air of confidence, unusual in past
Virginia G. o. P. meetings.
The group voted to hold a con-
vention in June, probably at
Roanoke, to nominate candidates
for Governor, Lieutenant Gov
ernor and Attorney General.
James Berkey-of Arlington,
unsuccessfully urged postpone
ment of the convention until
after the Democratic primary
July IA. r. r. Harman of Char
lottesville, agreed with this
strategy.
IF you're going into a war;"
Mr.. Harman said, you should
know your adversary"
BENJAMIN M. Hedrick of Ar
lington. opposed this view.
Fighting a Losing Game"
I'VE are fighting a losing game.
We know we aren't going to elect
a Republican Governor" Mr..
Hedlick said.
There were cries of ''No!",
"No!"
Mr.. Hedrick, a former Judge Of
the Arlington County Court, then
said, IF anybody wants to bet on
1t, III take your bets right now"
There were no takers.
Mr.. Hedrick said he favored
holding the G. o. P. convention
in June because that policy would
help build the Republican Party.
James r. Elliott Of Norfolk,
said if the G. o. P. failed to con-
vene in June, Republicans would
vote in the Democratic primary,
a procedure he opposed.
Lets go into this one with
clean hands and invite all right
thinking people to refrain from
voting in the Democratic pri-
mary" Mr.. Elliott said.
Patronage Plan Offered.
State Chairman S. Floyd
Landreth will appoint a COM
mittee to make arrangements
for the convention. He will name
another committee to study the
party plan and bring recon-
mendations for changes in it to
the June convention.
A procedure on patronage ap-
plications was proposed by Mr..
Landreth, of Galax, who also is
a national committeeman; State
Senator Ted Dalton of Radford,
another national committeeman;
Mrs. Emily w. Logan, of Wood
stock, the national committee
woman, and Representatives
Broyhill, of Arlington, 10th dis
trict; Wampler, Of Bristol. 9th
district, and Poff, of Radford,
9Th district.
Their first tug-of-war behind
closed doors resulted in only
partial agreement. The first an
nouncement was regarding ap-
pointments at the city or county
level.
In a congressional district
which has COP representative,
they decided. the representative
shall establish and declare the
Endorsement policy which shall
obtain in his district"
Asks for Job Policy.
Applications for Federal jobs
at this level in areas represented
by Democratic congressman
would have to be cleared through
the city or county COP commit
tee and then the National Com
mittee members, in consultation
with the district chairman in
volved. @
The State committee members
insisted that a policy be an
nounced regarding the method
of handling requests for State
and national political jobs.
w. Ernest Trusler, of Manas-
saS. in the 9th District, asked,
what are we going to do about
all these letterS?" He said he
wanted to know what would
happen to job requests that he
forwards to national committee
men or members of Congress-.
After more than an hour the
subcommittee returned with
this proposal, which was ac-
cepted:
Applicants for positions at the
State or national level shall OBJ
tain Endorsement of a majority
of the national committeeman
and Representatives. Names Of
applicants with this Endorsement
| would he forwarded To the Ma.