Evening star., 1948-02-27

indicated at the same time that
brief period may elapse before final
approval is given SO as to avoid an
appearance of "railroading" legisla-
ton which would be this States
answer to President Truman.
Immediately after Gov. Tuck ad-
dressed a joint session Of the House
of Delegates and State Senate yes
terday, identical bills were intro
duced in both branches to carry out
his recommendation for drastic re-
visions of the States election laws.
With Southern Democrats in re-
bellion against President Truman's
proposals, yesterdays developments
here emphasized the possibility that
Gov. Tuck, while processing to speak
for no one but himself, may have
set the pattern for action to be
taken by other Governors and State
Legislators of the South.
Gov. Tuck was not among the
Southern Governors who called
to present the South's complaints
against the Presidents proposal. He
did spend considerable time over
last week end in consultation with
Senator Byrd, Democrat of Virginia.
Others May Follow Suit.
If Virginia's action does set the
pattern for other Southern States,
Legislatures now in session or those
called into special session may enact
laws similar to that proposed here.
In that event Southern bloc would
be free to support a favorite son can.
didate for President.
There was some indication that
the Governors program will not re-
ceive completely unanimous support
of Democratic members of the
Legislature.
Without warning, Chairman Roy
B. Davis of the Privileges and Elec-
ton Committee asked Immediate
consideration of a. resolution which
would submit the question of abol-
ishing the poll tax to the voters in
November.
In view of the fact that Gov. Tuck
had maintained in his address that
Virginia has sufficiently strong
anti-lynch law and because the poll
tax issue is another point IN Mr..
Truman's program, the move by Mr..
Davis was regarded by some as an
effort to show the national admin
istration that this State can solve
its problems in its own way.
First Adopted in 1916.
The poll tax legislation is in the
form of a joint resolution. which
first was adopted in 1916 and must
be approved in identical form at the
present session before the question
can be submitted to the voters in
November.
Delegate Robert N. Whitehead Of
Nelson County, outSpoken indie
pendent" Democrat, objected to i'm
mediate consideration of the resolu-
ton and action was postponed until
today. He said more than the poll
tax is involved in the proposed
amendments to the Constitution. For
one thing, he declared, State
board of elections would be estab-
lished with powers to remove local
election officials.
Well-informed sources regarded
the Governors message yesterday
as simply pronouncement of Sen
ator Byrd.
Since the General Assembly is
more than nine -tenths Democratic,
with only handful OF independent
members of the party, enactment of
his program was regarded as fore
gone conclusion.
The 10 Republicans out of the 140
House and Senate members of the
Legislature reserved comment on
the Governors message. Delegate
Ralph Lincoln of Marion, minority
spokesman in the House, and Sen
ator Floyd Landreth, one of the two
COP Senate members. indicated
that their party would make an Of
fetal statement soon.
Two legislators who are closest to
Senator Byrd introduced the iden-
tical bills in the House and Senate
yesterday. They are the Senator's
own son, State Senator Harry F.
Byrd, jr., and Mr. Moore, next
door neighbor of Senator Byrd.