Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-20
Local Office Bill
Held Effort 10
Influences Suit
Foirfox Attorney
Coils U. S. Workers
Aliens in Virginia
BY Q sseff Correspondent o. The ssor

BY Ssesf Correspondent Of The Ssur
RICHMOND. FEB. 2o.-A
House committee yesterday
heard legislation to give Federal
employees the right to hold local
Offices In Virginia branded as
an attempt to influence the out
come Of q suit pending in the
Supreme Court.
Attorney Charles Pickett .Sof
Fairfax made the accusation
after branding Government
workers generally as Foreigners
and aliens" whose ideas do not
follow the Virginia tradition.
Only Mr.. Pickett and Attorney
John Locke Green Of Arlington
appeared in opposition to the
legislation at g. public hearing
by the House Privileges and
Elections Committee. A large
delegation from the 10th Con-
gressional District supported the
proposal.
Senate Approved Bill.
Under consideration was the
Senate-approved bill of Charles
r. Fenwick of Arlington and
John A. K. Donovan of Fairfax
to give counties the right to de-
termine by referendum whether
Federal employees may hold local
government offices. An identi-
cal measure. sponsored by the
10th districts House delegation,
also was before the group.
Because Of the influx of
strangers to Virginia." Mr.. Pick
EFT said. II and my friends have
been denied the right to be a
member of the House Of Dele
gates"
He said that it was because of
Federal employees that Francis
Pickens Miller defeated him in a
primary several years ago. Mr..
Miller later emerged as an anti.
organization Democrat who ran
against Senator Byrd and also
opposed former Gov. Battle.
He relied on the Federal en-
ployes who came here from all
over the United States" Mr..
Pickett said.
Foreign and Alien Ideas"
There's no possibility what
soever." he continued, that I
could be elected to office in
Fairfax County because these
people have come in with foreign
and alien ideas and want to
change Virginia into something
that is alien to me and to you
as Virginians."
Mr.. Pickett said he was not
charging any wrong motives"
but added that think the very
purpose of this bill was to in
f1uence the court in a decision
pending"
Malcolm A. Miller, attorney
representing the Arlington Civic
Federation. said the pending suit
has nothing to do with the Sec
ton of the law which is involved
in the legislation. The suit on
appeal involves the right of Gov.
eminent workers to serve on
school boards, as provided in
another statute. he said.
Mr.. Green reviewed the his
tory of the statute which places
the ban on Federal employees. He
said the law was written or i'm
plemented by such leaders as
George Washington. Thomas
Jefferson. James Madison and
George Mason. who followed the
principle that mo man can
serve two masters"
Mr.. Green argued there would
be a conflict Of interest for a
Federal employe who is sworn to
uphold the United States Con-
stitution if he also holds Office
in Virginia, and takes an oath
to support the State constitu-
ton.
Cites Segregation Case.
His reasoning was that the
Federal Government is challeng-
ing before the Supreme Court a
section of the Virginia constitu-
ton requiring segregation of
Negro and white children in
public schools.
Senator Fenwick commended
that the bill does not seek to
establish a new policy by the
legislature. In 1912, he said,
the General Assembly enacted a
law giving Federal employees the
right to serve in Arlington
County. but this law was invali-
dated in a suit by Mr.. Green
two years ago.
Edmund Campbell Of the Ar
lington Democratic Committee
said the 1850 census showed that
OF the $4,000 working popula-
tion.' more than SO per cent
are Federal employees. He said
there Is much less conflict of
interest where a man serves his
local government and works for
the United States than if he
were employed by a local bust