Evening star., 1946-03-16
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Virginia Republicans
Meet Today 70 Pick
Opponent for Byrd
By Alex R. Preston,
Stor Stof4 Corre,pondent.

nominated To-Day by party delegate
who gathered here for their Stat,
convention.
Sidney H. Kelsey, Norfolk, Nav.
veteran of the Pacific, will serve a.
temporary convention chairman
until after an opening address b,
]. r. Dovel, Luray, State chairman
Today's program calls for organ,
ization of four convention commit.
tees, each comprising membel
from each of the States nine con.
gressional districts. The committee.
are for nominations, resolutions
credentials and permanent organ.
ization. r
Each districts delegates wer,
called into caucus to name theil
representatives to the committees
but preliminary indications were
strong that the 9th district caucus
headed by w. F. Trusler, Manassas
also might take up the question Of
setting a district convention place
and date to name an opponent fol
Representative Smith, Democrat, o1
Virginia, whom they expect to be q
candidate to succeed himself barring
unforeseen shifts in the Virginia
Democratic lineup.
Action on Second Seat Possible.
In this connection, there were a
number of delegates here who con-
tinue to hope that Senator Glass
whose term does not expire for an
other two years but whose i'll health
has prevented his attendance in the
Senate for about three years, will
resign before the primary filing
aeadline. A preconvention effort
was being made to have the dele
gates today name a possible candi-
date for Senator Glass seat as well
SIS that Of Senator Byrd, in the
event the senior Senator should re-
sign. If such should occur, the
Governor would appoint successor
until the Office could be filled in
November.
State Senator Ted Dalton, Rad
ford, was being mentioned promi-
nently as permanent convention
chairman to preside, over the re-
mainder of today's proceedings
which will include as highlight
che keynote address by State Sen
ator s. Floyd Landreth, Galax, Re-
publican candidate for governor last
year.
Dissention is expected when dele
gates present for adoption today
= number of revisions to the party
plan submitted by a committee
headed by Glenn Ruebush, Har-
risonburg.
One change will be an extension
of the principle of electing all State
officers at conventions. Formerly
all officers, with the exception of
the chairman, we're named by the
executive committee and it was
only in 1914 that the plan was
altered to elect the chairman at
conventions, Mr.. Dovel having been
named in that year. The new re-
visions would extend this principle
Of convention elections to vice
Chairman, the secretary and treas
urer.
Committee Plan Controversial.
A revision expected to draw the
most fire, however, is a proposal to
elect members of the State Com
nittee and the State Executive
Committee on the basis of Repub-,
hcan votes cast in each district in
the last preceding presidential elec-
ton. At present each district
names 10 members to the State
Committee and two members to the
Executive Committee.
The change would give each dis
trict one member on the State
Committee for each 1000 party
votes or major fraction of that
amount cast. Similarly, the Execu-
tive Committee would comprise one
member for each 10000 votes cast
in each district. In no case, how
ever, would a district have less than
one member on each of the two
committees.
Othar revisions would prohibit
proxies from voting when the prin-
cipal delegate is present at conven-
tions and a plan whereby party
chairmert in State senatorial. and
House of Delegates districts could
call conventions for the purpose of
entering candidates.
Although Senator Landreth's key
note speech was not scheduled until
later in the day, he said he would
issue an appeal for stronger party
unity and make plea that capable
nominees not decline as the candi-
date to oppose Senator Byrd.
Landreth and Green Mentioned.
Although Senator Landreth has
been frequently mentioned as a
possible opponent, he previously
refused while the General Assem-
bly, was in session. Arlington's
treasurer, John Locke Green, who
sought by legal means to unseat
Senator Glass, also is frequently
mentioned as a possibility, but he
was emphatic in his refusal to con-
slider the suggestion last night.
Other names mentioned include
Senator Dalton, State Senator j. A.
CARRIER, Harrisonburg; Joseph c.
Shaffer, Wytheville, former United
States district attorney; j. L. Dill
low, former Commonwealth's attor-
ney for Giles County; William G
Holman, Fluvanna County, and
Howard ziegler, Harrisonburg.
Mr.. Dovel said his address today
will include the following points
Opposition to loan to Great Bri-
tain and request for a convention
resolution expressing this view; op-
position to a military alliance with
Great Britain: an expression that
the General Assembly did not &C
"far enough in passing election re-
form laws which, he said, the Re-
publican party has urged for 4(
years: condemnation of efforts in
the General Assembly to reduce
court circuits in the State from 81
to %: a charge that Senator BYRD
is insincere in pleas for nationa.
economy and less Government per-
sonnel when, he declared, only siz
States have more public employees
ner capita than docs UirUi,,io u,Lick