Evening star., 1953-07-12
Fenwick and Stanley
Near Campaign End;
Primary Due tuesday
By Alex R. Preston

For six months now two men
who ordinarily don't act that
way have been travelling about
Virginia ladling out Brunswick
stews. giving the kiddies bal
looms and Serenading country
sides with hill-billy tunes.
They spend up to Is hours a
day shaking hands and Grating
in true campaign style; they've
used televiSion and sound trucks
as no one like them has before.
but it'll all be over tomorrow.
On Tuesday, voters will put
an end to a running debate be-
tween Arlington State Senator
Charles r. Fenwick and former
Representative Thomas B. STAN
ley. opponents for the Demo-
cratic nomination for governor.
Candidates Met BY Many.
Never before in Virginia have
so many people been treated to
a personal introduction to men
seeking Office.
On the surface it looks there
are no issues. That's because
both men are waging campaigns
on the high plane preferred by
the ominant organization
headed by Senator Byrd. The
organization diSlikes messy
fights within the ranks.
A considerable number of
anti organization Democrats,
however. are lamenting the abb
sence of a 1ire-eating candidate
like Delegate Robert Whitehead
who would blast Mr.. Stanley as
''the chief flunky of the Byrd
machine" and Mr.. Fenwick as
"the same ole coon with another
ring around his TAIL"
Mr.. Whitehead. along with an
organization stalwart. Attorney
General j. Lindsay Almond, jr..
chose at the last minute not to
run, thus taking this years cam
paign out of the cat-and-dog
category that characterized the
four-way race of 1949.
Between $50 am. and 1880
pm, local time. Democrats also
will choose a nominee for Lieu
tenant governor. There has
been practically no contest be-
tween the incumbent, A. E. S.
Stephens of Smithf1eld. who IS
virtually assured of victory, and
Delegate Charles N. Loving of
Bath County.
But ii seats of the 100 seats
In the House of Delegates are
being contested.
Levin Mock Davis, secretary of
the State Board of Elections,
predicts vote of 250.O00. In
last years senatorial primary, a
total of 345, ,309 votes were cast.
Mr.. Stanley. a 62-year-old fur
niture manufacturer from South
side, Virginia and Mr.. Fenwick,
So. patent lawyer in Washing
ton and Virginia, announced in
January they would be candi-
dates.
'At the appropriate time" Mr..
Stanley said, Il shall make
known to the people of Virginia
my position on all matters which
vitality affect the progress and
welfare of the Commonwealth"
Platforms Released.
Mr.. Fenwick's January an
nouncement was accompanied
by a 12-point platform stating
his position on education. agri-
culture. health. roads. taxation
and other topics.
On April /, Mr.. Stanley released
his platform.
From the opening gun, Mr..
Fenwick was on the run, carry
ing his campaign to thousands
Of people at the grass roots level.
The Stanley camp was slow in
getting under way. The former
Congressman had the backing
of eight out of nine of his for
mer colleagues in the House; he
claimed "a out of 40 members of
the State Senate and 81 out of
100 in the House of Delegates.
The opposing candidates ap-
peared on the same platform to-
gether four times. Then Mr..
Stanley stopped. And midway in
the campaign this led to what
Mr.. Fenwick terms one of the
major issues between them.
The Arlingtonian accused his
opponent of running away"
from joint appearances before
such groups as the League OF
Women Voters and Chamber of
Commerce Mr. Stanley retort-
ed he was overwhelmed with in
vitations and that he could not
accept them all.
Inc League OF women voters,
the Virginia Federation of Jew
ish Women and the Mental
Health Society submitted ques-
tionS to both candidates. MIR.
Fenwick wrote back answers.
M. Stanley didn't, but he said
he would answer the issues raised
In his campaign speeches.
Mr.. Stanley has been silent on
the thorny subject Of repeating
the poll tax.
LAS Governor" Mr.. Fenwick
declares, Il would send a mes
sage to the General Assembly
urging it to pass a resolution so
that the question could be sub
mitted, in the simplest terms
possible. to the voters"