Evening star., 1945-08-01
Byrd Machine
Sharply Hit
By P|unkett
Says Foes Forces
Didn't Represent
People Of Virginia
Iy the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
DANVILLE, Va, Aug. Mos.
Plunkett, seeking the Democratic
nomination for Governor, asserted
in a radio address here last nigh,
that Virginia's dominant Democratic
organization never represented the
people. never co-operated with Pres.
ident Roosevelt, never wanted de.
mocracy in Virginia, did not want
the servicemen to vote and fought
against President Roosevelt's effort:
ito do something for our farmers
I'VE should also know that this
same machine cannot be expected
to participate adequately in the
Federal program for road and bridge
building after the war" Mr.. Plunkett
declared. The machine is penny
pinching and it would let that
money slip away from the people OF
Virginia and into other States"
Mr. Plunkett. who is running In
the August primary with 1t. Gov
William M. Tuck of South Boston
devoted virtually his entire address
to an attack on the organization
headed by Senator Byrd, which is
backing Mr.. Tuck.
Calls for House Cleaning.
while the machine has lulled us
with sweet lullabies about how Won
derful everything has been and is
In Virginia, and what good gov
ernment we have had. our Nation
and the world have taken man.
sized strides toward a greater to-
morrow" he said.
Our sons have taken up arms,
and many of them-your sons and
mine-have died to help secure for
all of us world of peoples gov
ernments, free of dictatorS and free
of the kind of misrule which is in
herent in boSs-ruled machine poll
tics.
las Virginians who are proud of
the deeds of our forefathers, it be-
hooves us to clean house of the
Tory-type politicians who always
look backward and who dare not
face the future"
Raises Soldier Vote Issue.
Mr.. Plunkett said the machine
fought to prevent adoption of a
plan for simple and easy voting
by our boys in the service" but
finally yielded to popular demand
and granted limited right to vote
to those who take the trouble to
comply with very complicated pro-
visions covering requests for ballots -
,"As in all matters" Mr.. Plunkett
continued. the machine was grudg-
ing and slow to yield to the service
men only fraction of what should
have been cheerfully granted to
them
Now let us look at the results:
OF 100000 Virginians now serving in
the armed forces all over the world.
it is freely estimated that no more
than 5000 will cast ballots in the
election next Tuesday. This shame
full percentage is primarily due to
the awkward restrictions imposed
by the same machine which now op-
poses my candidacy for Governor.
Didn't Discuss PIanks.
Mr.. Plunkett did not discuss his
planks, but said he spent weeks dis
cussing with people all over the
State what they wanted of their
government and that the platform
''bespeaks their hopes and aspira-
tions."
He said he advocated a large-scale
road and bridge program to be
launched Immediately after the war
in cooperation with the Federal
Government, not only because the
program is needed but to provide
employment.
And I make no beclouded cam
paign promise when / speak of road
building" he said. My stand is
based upon the hard fact of 81 ,500,-
100000 which Congress has already
appropriated for this purpose, of
which amount $100, 0,000, 900 is avail
able Immediately to finance survey
ing and planning of this huge pro-
gram. This money is to be matched,
dollar-f for dollar, by any and all
States willing to participate in the
program. I propose to utilize every
possible dollar of this, sum to build
an adequate road system in Vir-
ginia.
Wants Roads Connecting Farms.
Mr.. Plunkett said he wanted to
see better and straighter highways
but felt the primary emphasis
should be placed on the construc-
ton of all-weather roads to con-
meet every farm with the highway
system"
Too long" he asserted, "have the
farmers of Virginia been denied ade-
quate roads. Too long have they
been denied adequate schools, prop
erly financed and cheerfully sup
ported. Too long have they been
denied electricity and other advan-
tages long enjoyed by farmers in
other states.
The result has been that the
cream of our youth left the farms
most Of the ambitious and energetic
moving to other States and to Cam
ada in search of opportunities and
the modern living standards denied
them in their native State