Evening star., 1955-11-06
Campaign 0uiel
In Alexandra
Few Issues Arise
In Assembly Races
By PAUL HOPE

Iof the election storm swirlinI
llaround Northern Virginia.
The campaigns for two virt
Ginia General Assembly seats Ii
Tuesdays election have beef
marked by a lack Of issues and
general apathy on the part o
1.-THE voters.
I Seeking the post Of Stat
Senator. q position created re
Gently in o State redistricting
ARE Armistead L. Boothe, long
time Democratic member Of tn,
House of Delegates, and Charles
INV. Cobb, jr., an Independent.
/ vyfng for the Delegate pos
being vacated by Mr.. Boothe ar
james M. Thomson, a Democrat
land Stuyyesant B. Wright. a Re
publican.
G. o. p. Rejected Cobb
One Of the oddities Of tn,
Senate race Is that the Inde'
pendent candidate is a formel
Republican who was turned dowr
lby his party as a candidate
After Mr.. Cobb announced hi
candidacy as an Independent ths
ICity Republican Committee. o1
which he was a member, asket
him to resign and publicly dis.
iclaimed any Endorsement Of him
The Republican COMMITTEES
'Isaid Mr.. Cobb was offered sup
lport as an Independent by ,
group Of Democrats -out to gei
lBoothe. =
1 During the campaign Mr.. Cobl
iEsaid he is supporting Mr.. WrighI
land added that he expects to re,
turn to the Republican fols
latter the election.
/ In the Senate race there have
iIbeen few differences between
the candidates. Mr.. Cobb, lk,
.IMr. Wright. has based his cam.
Ipaign principally on the "neec
.lfor Q two-party system in vir.
Iginia."
1 In the Delegate race, Nh
Wright has called his opponeni
la captive candidate backed b
Ia Nsmall city machine. made ur
lmostly Of lawyers who want 1
front man In Richmond"
| Mr.. Thomson, q lawyer, sait
1.-THE charge does not dignity ar
answer. ITS as silly as II / hae
accused him Of being q captive
candidate of Wall Street because
lhe sells stocks and bonds" HI
lsaid.
/ IN two public meetings tn,
lonly major differences which
.lemerged between the DelegatI
candidates were ON the Statt
MIX Commission and school seq.
4regation.
Mr.. Wright would abolish thl
retail price fixing powers Of tn,
lcommission and add more con
lsumer members to 1t. Mr.. Thom'
lson says he Is satisfied with thI
lcommission and its powers al
now constituted.
| Segregation Debated
Mr.. wright says the stat,
should not try to circumven
1.-THE Supreme Court decision out,
Having segregation III the public
schools but should seek q "rnid
die road" policy. He says h,
thinks the answer may be loca
option.
Mr.. Thomson said he favor,
continued segregation but wouls
support d three-school system
one for whites, one for colores
and one mixed for those VIII,
want to integrate.
Mr.. BOothe, An, is a formel
Alexandra city attorney AMI
has been in private law prac,
tice since 1891. He is q membel
Of the Alexandria and 10th Dis,
trict Democratic Committees
He has served In the House d
Delegates since 1D48 and las
year was named the outstanding
member Of the Assembly by news,
paperlnans He was q leader D
the young Turk faction which
successfully battied the doni,
nant wing Of the State Demo
cratic organization In tax fight
Background Of Others
Mr.. Cobb, IS, is a graduate O.
Amherst College and Harvard
Law School. He has lived in thil
area since 1853 and is q mem
Der of the Alexandria Arlington
Young Republican Club. He hal
served as a delegate to conven-
stions Of the Young @, o. p
group. The candidate also Ii
commander Of Northern Virgins
Chapter No. IL, Disabled Amer.
tcan Veterans.
Mr.. Thomson. 80. is an attor.
ney associated with the Alexan.
dria firm Of Clarke, Richard
Moncure " whitehead. He ii
q graduate Cf Virginia Militar,
Institute and the University d
Virginia Law School. He is 1
past president Of the Ycunf
Democrats Of Alexandra, which
he helped organize two years ago
Mr.. Wright. 54, d retired Nav,
commander. Is q salesman fol
the Alexandria stock brokerage
firm Of Jones. Kreeger e. Hewitt
He was am active worker in the
Eisenhower campaign in 1885,
and in the successful campaign,
Of Representative Broyhill. Re.
publican Of Virginia.