Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-05-03
The Main Issue


David L. Krupsaw took ex-
ception to your editorial.
The Main Issue" which
stated that the main issue is
not whether the election to
the Arlington County Board is
held on an even or odd year.
but rather that the present
method of electing a board
member every year be
changed to biennial elections.
Mr.. Krupsaw loses sight of
the main benefits and objec-
tives of this legislation in his
desire to inject personalities
and name-calling into the
issue. Mr.. Krupsaw says:
". The main issue is that
the gentleman who sped this
legislation through the Vir-
ginia General Assembly re-
fused to permit the people of
Arlington to choose between
even and odd year elections"
Mr.. Krupsaw. as usual, fails
to give all the facts.
At a conference in Deem
Der of the County Board and
the Arlington delegation to
the General Assembly relative
to a legislative program. Mr..
Krupsaw proposed biennial
elections for the Arlington
County Board. During the
discussion, Mr.. Krupsaw said
he preferred the election be-
ing held on the odd years but
II he could not do better,
would settle for the even
years, rather than continue
the present method of having
an election every year, which
resulted in bitterness and
factional fights. This is quite
different from his present
position.
Mr.. Krupsaw says: "An Of
fetal resolution of the Airing
ton County Board and a tele-
gram to Senator Fenwick re-
questing such a choice (even
or odd year elections) we're
ignored in the hope that
in these years safe candi-
dates will squeak through and
win by a handful of votes"
Mr.. Krupsaw fails to state
that the bill in question was
introduced in the Senate
February II and in spite of
wide publicity in the press
the delegation was not in
formed of any action Of the
County Board until March 4.
At that time the bill had
passed the Senate and was
on the calendar for passage
in the House. It passed the
House on March 5. The Legis-
nature adjourned on March 8.
At that late date it was i'm
possible to make the change
requested, as it would have
required two entirely diff
ferent plans and procedures
for the, election of members.
Such a ballot would have re-
suited in utter confusion to
the voters.
Mr.. Krupsaw states: They
disregard the long history of
municipal reform which has
insisted on separation of local
and national elections. :"
1t is interesting to note that
in 1898. on the recommended
ton of the Civic Federation,
the people of Arlington
County voted to change from
electing all the board mem
bers in odd years to electing
one each year-which in
cludes elections in even years.
1t is also to be noted that
many city councils in Vir-
ginia are elected in even
years, this being true in both
Alexandria and the city of
Richmond.
Mr.. Krupsaw states: They
have no reply when it is
pointed out that the wise men
who framed the Virginia con-
stitution provided that State
elections should be held in
odd years. They are silent
when it is pointed out that
local elections need the same
treatment and that almost
all other local elections in
Virginia are held in odd years,
E" We are glad that Mr..
Krupsaw pays such high trib-
ute to the constitution of
Virginia, but Mr.. Krupsaw is
not correct. The fact is that
the General Assembly sets
the time for election of State
as well as local officers.
Mr.. Krupsaw says, They
ignore the fact that Federal
employees are particularly
sensitive to the penalties of
the Hatch Act in years of
Federal elections and many
who would willingly paTtici-
pate in campaigns for local
once discreetly sit at home"