Evening star., 1948-02-26
Tuck Asks Law
10 Keep Truman
Off State Ballot
Bill Is Introduced
To Let Virginia Pick
Uninstructed Electors
HOUSE COMMITTEE action on
antilyncfing bill blocked by tech
nicality. Page Az.
By Alex R. Preston
Star Sfaff Correspondent

WV 0Sh tOoQJ dohCu 01lC SCIl-
eral Assembly to pass a law
which would prohibit printing
the name of Harry S. Truman or
any other candidate, on Virginia
ballots, if the Chief Executive
seeks reelection.
Instead voters would select presi-
Dental electors in the Electoral
College who would not be bound to
support the Democratic or Repub-
lican candidate for President and
Vice President.
The Governors request was his
answer to President Truman's mes
sage to Congress asking abolition of
racial segregation. establishment of
d Fair Employment Practices Com
mission, Federal antilynch law
and Federal law abolishing the
poll tax as voting requirement.
Gov. Tuck asked the Legislature
to enact a law "to promote the con-
stitutional rights of the people of
Virginia and to shield them from
iniquitous influences which have
permeated both of cur national po-
litical parties" Thus, the Old
Dominion may be the first Southern
State to back up by law the South S
revolt against the Democratic lead
ership. The Legislatures of South
Carolina, Mississippi and Kentucky
also are in session now.
Addresses Joint Session. ~
Southern Democrats hope to force
President Truman to back down on
his program or knock him out of
the primary so as to avoid a fight
within the party.
Gov. Tuck, speaking to a joint
session, of the State Senate and
House of Delegates. declared:
THE purpose of the proposed leg
islation is to revise the State elec-
ton laws so as to permit any Vir-
ginia political party to nominate
electors for President and Vice Pres
ident and to provide for the printing
of the names of the said electors on
the ballot under the name of the
party so directing, but without there
appearing on the ballot the names
of any particular persons for whom
they may vote for President and
Vice President"
The Democratic state convention
or a party committee designated by
it could leave the Presidential elec-
tors uninstructed or even direct
them to cast their votes for the Re-
publican or any other candidate.
Listeners Jam House.
The floor and gallery of the
House were jammed as the Gov
ernors spoke and the upper tier
included a number of Negroes.
A burst of applause greeted this
declaration:
"I am recommending the estab-
lishment of legal machinery by
which we can remain loyal to the
true tenets of our party, and not be
driven from the house of our fathers
by those alien to the principles we
cherished and held dear on the
sacred soil of Virginia"
Immediately upon the, completion
of the Governors 17-minute mes
sage, Speaker G. Alvin Massenburg
said:
"I desire to thank you from the
bottom of my heart for an inspir-
ing address"
Thereupon the bill carrying out
the proposal was introduced. 1t
carried the names of 10 house pat
rons. headed by Delegate E. Black
burn Moore, of Berryville.
Bid Extended to Other States.
The proposed legislation also
would bar the Henry Wallace third
party from the ballot by limiting
it to parties which participated in
the last presidential election or
polled 10 per cent or more of the
vote in any general election in the
State during the past five years.
Gov. Tuck also invited the rest
of the South to exert pressure on
the national party by saying:
If Virginia and the other South
ern States should find it necessary
for their own preservation to hold
their electoral votes in allegiance, I
believe it would prove an effective
remedy for most of our grievances
and insure us an influential voice
in the councils of our respective
parties.
THE seeds sown here in Virginia
may take root and flourish else
where y" He went on.
IF such civil rights legislation is
enacted, it will constitute a prec-
edent which will bring about the
final and complete destruction of
the autonomy of not only the
Southern States, but of all the
States. Precedents are dangerous.
Door to Totalitarinism.
These proposals, if adopted, will
open wide the door for the estab-
lishment of totalitarian form of
government in this country. If
the Federal Government is permit
ted to exercise. jurisdiction in the
field of general crime by the anti
(See TUCK, Page A-41