University of Virginia Library

Council To Rebuke JP

Stephens Denies Mail Infraction

By Mike Gartian
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

In reply to accusations made last
week, Student Councilman Scott
Stephens said yesterday that he did not
write nor did he sign a note instructing
Student Council secretary Mary Lou
Edgar to send Jefferson Party campaign
literature through messenger mail.

Mr. Stephens said that he did not
know who signed his name to the note
nor the person who left the letters outside
Council offices.

Party Worker

He said that "it was probably a party worker
who wrote the note and left the letters for
mailing."

Mr. Stephens told The Cavalier Daily
yesterday that he thought it was "permissable"
to use messenger mail to distribute campaign
literature." He said that there was nothing
negative about his actions and that the whole
affair was a misunderstanding.

Mr. Stephens said also he did not think that
he, "ought to be disciplined for his actions."

Positive Campaign

In remarks on the campaign the Councilman
said that the Jefferson Party waged a "positive"
campaign and that the VPP carried on a
"negative" campaign. He said also that the
letters sent out by the JP "were nothing"
compared to the slam sheets sent out by the
VPP."

Mr. Stephens charged that a headline
appearing in the December 9 issue of The
Cavalier Daily "had a great deal to do with the
poor showing by JP candidates in the recent
election."

In a related incident, Bobby Lee Cook, Jr., a
member of the Jefferson Party, resigned his
position as chairman of the Student Council
Committee for Elections, effective December
11.

Mr. Cook told this reporter that the
campaign charges against the JP "had nothing
to do with" his resignation. He said that he was
resigning for personal reasons and that there
was "no purge against him" nor was he
"resigning under any duress whatsoever."

One of Mr. Cook's last actions as chairman
was to propose that the Jefferson Party be
fined for their campaign violations. He said that
there was no meeting of the candidates before
the election and if there had been such a
meeting "might have averted the campaign
problems in the election."

Kevin Mannix, President of Student Council
said yesterday that he did not know what
actions would be taken against the JP or Mr.
Stephens. He said that "if no other action is
taken that Mr. Stephens and the JP would
receive a rebuke from Student Council."