Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-12
Primary Holds Key
To Almond Control
Third of Seats
Are Contested
In Virginia

In Virginia
BY ALEX r. PRESTON
Star stan Writer
A bitter struggle between
massive resistance and moder-
ate blocs to win control of the
1860 General Assembly hinges
on the outcome of Tuesdays
Democratic primary in Vir-
GINA.
About one-third Of the l40
legislative seats are contested
See Editoriol-Eyes on Alexandra.
Pose CO
but three State Senate races
present the most serious chal-
lenge to Gov. Almonds razor
thin majority in that body.
The Governors freedom Of
choice" program for preserving
public schools but preventing
enforced indignation, cleared
the Senate by a 20-19 test vote
at recent special session of
the Legislature. A key feature
of the plan passed the House,
53-46.
Face Big Challenge
The Governors Senate back
ers facing the most serious
challenge from massive resist
ance- minded opponents are
Armistead L. Boothe of Alex
andria, Edward L. Breeder of
Norfolk and Blake T. Newton
Of Hague.
One Of the Almond support
ers was absent at the time Of
the critical test vote in the
Senate last April so that the adj
miniStration's actual strength
in that body stands at 21-19.
The Executive Board of the
Virginia Committee for Public
Schools yesterday called on its
$4,000 members to support cam
didateS who stand with the
Governor on the school issue.
The board issued a statement
saying the Governors program
offers "the best solution at this
time"
Most tightly drawn House
races have shaped up in Char
lotteSville and Fredericksburg,
although the threat of single
shot balloting in Arlington's
four-way race for three seats
has confused the picture there.
Tuesday will mark the first
time since Virginia's massive
resistance school-cloSing laws
fell in the courts that citizens
have had an opportunity to ex-
press themselves at the polls.
Polls will open at 6 am. and
close at 7 pm.
46 Seats Contested
A total of IL of the 40 Senate
seats and "a of the 100 House
seats are contested. The public
school indignation dispute is the
prime issue in four Senate dis
trictS involving six seats and in
eight House districts involving
16 seats.
Bitterest of all the fights are
in Alexandria between Senator
Boothe and former Mayor
Marshall J. Beverley, and in
Norfolk between Senator Bree-
den and Reid M. Spencer.
Mr.. Boothe is a strong sup
porter of the Governors school
program as recommended by
the Perrow Commission. Mr..
Beverley was just as firmly
behind the old massive resis-
lance school-closing laws be-
fore they were invalidated.
AS the campaign progressed,
however, Mr.. Beverley empha-
sized he would not vote for
closing a school, even if it
were integrated. He prefers
a three-school syStem-one
white, one Negro and one in
tegrated.
Both Back Segregation
Mr.. Boothe has countered
that the three-school system
has been invalidated by Fed
eral courts in Tennessee and
points to the Perrow Commits
Sion'S consideration of that
plan before it was discarded
as unavoidable. Both men stress
their belief in segregation.
In Norfolk, the threat to
Senator Breeder comes not SO
much over the school issue as
from intra- party disunity over
local politics involving the APP
pointment of a judge.
Mr.. Breeden's opponent, Mr..
Spencer, however, has the back
ing Of the Defenders of State
Continued on Page b.