Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-29
DemocratRuns
For Arlington
County Board
Purty's Decision
Sets Off Blast
From ABC Pair

~ 0AANC " put III lklb bOll
County Board elections back on
Ia Democratic Republican level
erupted into q bitter political
battle today after Democrats
decided to field q candidate in
the fall election.
The drive, smoldering under
the surface of county politics
for months. came into the open
last night when the Democratic
Executive Committee, headed
by Ernest L. Lyons, voted over
whelmingly to choose a candi-
date for next falls County
Board race at nominating
convention June %.
The move gave opposition to
the heretofore unopposed in
cumbents. David L. KrupsawI
and Ralph r. Raul, members
|of the non-partisan Arlingto-
mans Tor a Better County.
This definitely is an effort
on the part of the committee
to begin returning Arlington
politics to q strictly partisan
level-the Democratic Republic
can level-and to do away with
these splinter groups" Mr..
Lyons said today.
This includes ABC and lin
gering adherents to the Arling-1
ton Independent Movement.
which disbanded last year for
the. sake Of unity" Mr.. Lyons
said. AIM was a conservative
coalition which opposed the
more liberal ABC.
Kaul Walks Out
Mr.. Raul walked out of the
Executive Committee meeting.
Mr.. Krupsaw today issued a
statement saying: This (the
committees vote to name its
own candidate rather than in
dorse the ABC nominees) is the
first step in the most sordid
and cynical political deal in
Arlington's history.
1.-The Democrats and Repub-
licans have obviously reached
| q back agreement to
name only one candidate each
and then cross-indorse. Neither
party has the courage nor the
honor to name a candidate for
both (vacant) seats on the
board. We have here a new
version Of AIM, and in spite Of
what the Democrats and Re-
publicans have been saying
about party responsibility and
elimination Of splinter groups.
all we have is q union of
tweedledum and tweedledee.
This is q new and dishonest
coalition, Arlington's first truly
splinter group"
Both Democrats and Repub-
Ilicans denied the 'back-room
agreement" charge.
Two Candidates Planned
"Mr. Krupsaw also is wrong
when he says each party will
field one candidate" Mr.. Lyons
continued. The Republicans, he
declared, have said they will
run two nominees.
Scoring the initial" groups
as causerS of dissension and
misunderstanding in politics,
Mr.. Lyons pointed out that the
Democratic party in Arlington
has not fielded a candidate for
the County Board since 1854
when a newsman, Brian Bell,
sought election and lost. The
last Democrat to serve on the
board was Wesley Cooper, who
was elected in 1858.
Opposing the naming Of a
candidate by the executive
committee last night along with
Mr.. Raul and Mr.. Krupsaw
were Mrs. Virginia Thatcher,
Mrs. Kate Edleman, william A.
Backus, and Neil B. Kabatch-
nick, who Joined Mrs. Char
lotte PelisSier, a member Of the
subcommittee, in voting no.
In q statement Mrs. Pelis-
sier, who also walked out Of
the meeting, said: I'VE should
be seeking policies which will
promote unity rather than dis
sension in order to achieve q
majority vote in the next con-
greSsional race for the Demo-
o,.afin nondidakaa -