Evening star., 1946-12-08
|Anti-PoIl Tax
Drive Backed by
Virginia G. 0. P.
End of Restriction
In National Election
Urged at Meeting
BY the As.oeioted Press

ROANOKE, Va, Dec. Virginia
Republicans decided today to get
actively into the effort to abolish
the poll tax in National elections
through Federal action and called
a State convention to reorganize the
party in Virginia.
The convention will be held at the
Roanoke Hotel here February Is,
with the basis of representation
being, one delegate for each loo
votes or major fraction thereof cast
for Gov. Dewey in the last Presi-
dental election.
It is being called to consider re-
vision of the party plan OF organiza-
ton and to name a successor to
State Chairman I. Randolph Dovel,
of Luray, who today announced he
would resign.
Committee Is Selected.
The party's candidates for the
United States Senate and House OF
Representatives, all defeated in the
general election last month, were
named as a committee to go to
Washington and urge the House and
Senate Judiciary Committees to pass
an act eliminating the poll tax as
prerequisite to voting in National
elections. The group expects to go
shortly after the 80th Congress con-
venes in January.
The actions were taken at joint
meeting of the State committee, the
State executive committee and
prominent party leaders from all
sections of the commonwealth. The
meeting was at times tumultous,
with the delegates humping chairs
on the floor when one speaker at
tempted to express his opposition
to the party's getting into the Fed
eral poll tax fight.
Chairman Dovel said he was Of
fering his resignation with no hard
feelings toward anyone: but on the
contrary considered it privilege
to have served as chairman for the
past three years. He stated bluntly
however, that some members Of the
Executive Committee should follow
his example and resign.
Some Called Dead Wood"
"They ought to do so because they
have contributed nothing and will
contribute nothing to the party
Mr.. Dovel said. I'VE have too much
dead wood. There is nothing want
from the party but there are some
members of the committee who
want to be United States marshals
or poStmasters.
He said he was going to give his
successor every cooperation anc
would do "all I can to take some
skin off those ducks who are doing
nothing in official party positions.
He> charged some Republicans hac
actually had dealings politically
with the dominant Democratic or
ganization headed by Senator Byrd
The State Committee elected Ken
meth Livingston OF Arlington finance
chairman of the party and recon-
mended that District caucuses at thu
State convention name nine men tx
work with him. Mr.. Livingston wa:
campaign chairman for Lawrence
Michael in the latter's campaign fol
Congress in the eighth district.
8 Men to Draft Program.
Mr.. Dovel was authorized to name
committee of nine persons to work
out a program for the party to bt
submitted to the convention. He also
was asked to urge county and dis
trict chairmen to endeavor to gel
candidates for every local and legis.
lative Office in the 1947 elections
and to include a letter to this effect
in the call for the State convention
John Locke Green, Arlington
County Republican leader, who Ii
attorney for Mr.. Michael in con-
test filed in the House of Repre-.
sentatives over the seating of Repre-.
sentative Smith, urged every Repub-
lican senatorial and House candidate
to file similar contests.
He said he already had been au-
thorized by Lester S. Parsons, Re-
publican candidate against Senator
Byrd, to file contest in the Senate