Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-10

Ane state Senate race in
Alexandria comes as near as
eny IN Virginia to testing voter
sentiment between Gov. Al
mond's freedom Of, choice"
program or a return to massive
resistance for dealing with pub
lie school migration.
Nearly all the legislative con-
tests revolving around the pub
lie school issue elsewhere in
Virginia are brought into To-
Gus by the acrimony hurled
between State Senator Armi-
stead L. Boothe and his chal-
lenger, Marshall j. Beverley.
The struggle, which will end
N Tuesdays Democratic pri-
mary, Is critical. Mr.. Boothe was
one OF those who gave the Gov
ernor q 20-l9 margin Of victory
IN the Senate in April when
Virginia veered from massive
resistance to a more moderate
local-option school plan.
The Senate race in Alexan-
dria, along with two others, in
Norfolk and in the 29th Sena-
torial district, has Statewide
importance because these are
the areas in which the Almond
loyalists In the Senate are
threatened most seriously by
opponents favoring the massive
resistance approach.
! Governor Involved
, The Governor, himself has
Become involved in the contest.
IN June he said he was staying
cut of all local primary fights
but he looSed a verbal barrage
ct Alexandria Delegate James
NJ. Thomson, one of his Severest
critics who is unopposed for re-
domination and who is backing
Mr.. Beverley.
Mr.. Boothe, in q television
Interview, referred to recent
speeches by the Governor in
which he pleaded with the
people to send Legislators to
Richmond to support his pro-
gram, and that is the Perrow
Commission program, essentf-
ally. He did not ask them to
send my opponent, he is asking
them to send me. II feel that
the Governors statement about
Mr.. Thomson was q delightful
packhanded Endorsement which
) welcome with open arms"
: Mr.. Thomson said Gov. AL.
Dnond had once branded Mr..
Boothe as an integrationist and
Said that "he couldn't be
trusted"
. The Governor denied this. He
charged Mr.. Thomson with
making "vitriolic and deliber.
ately false" statement and &C.
cused him Of conducting q
Studied campaign of character
assassination"
Backed Resistance Laws
Mr.. Beverley was a hacker of
@1e old massive resistance laws
which Mr.. Boothe opposed. IN
der those laws an integrated
school automatically was
closed. Massive resistance laws
kept nine schools closed for half
d year in Virginia until they
we're invalidated.
Recently, however, Mr.. Bev-
erley said. II am not in favor
Of the State getting out of
the public school business. I
Want a public school system,
but I want them segregated"
Mr.. Boothe said his oppo-
dent is inconsistent. In the !,
summer of 1887" Mr.. Boothe
said. "he energetically en-
Hraced massive resistance for
school cloSings. In February Of
'S8 the only plank in his plat
form was his support Of school |,
dosing laws. But on June 20. i
1859, he hoisted the white nag
of surrender with the Il
rypocritical cry, Save curl
schools"
Mr.. Beverley has assailed
the Perrow local-option school
program under which no
parent may be compelled to
send his child to an integrated
school. A system Of tuition
Grants now called scholar
a1ips-is provided for children
desiring to attend private
1on-Secretarian schools.
Mr.. Boothe on June ~ said
be thinks tuition grants are
Unconstitutional" Mr.. Beverley
said, land he does not think
they are legal. Have you ever
heard Of such double talk
vo ting for something and
babbing about it and now he
says it's unconstitutional and !
Illegal?
/! Recalls Opposing Grants
sMr. Boothe said that in 1855 ]
when the Gray Commission
predecessor to the Perrow
Commission) report was being y
studied, II argued then that
tuition grants would be uncon-
Stitutional. Because I argued
that was called an integra. I
ZIONIST. III
I'm any event, the people
adopted the amendment Ito the
State constitution) which per-
rhitted us to spend public funds
for private schools. ] then sup I
ported tuition grants because I |
want the people to feel we're !
doing everything possible to !
contain indignation in our +.
schools as well as maintaining ,
a public school system itself. :.
."Of course, when the school, :
closing laws were passed. Bev- s
erley supported them from top ,
to bottom, and they were ruled
Unconstitutional" ,
Letters for Beverley