Evening star., 1948-03-04
Assembly 10 Receive
Tuck Elections Bill
Substitute Today
by the Asseeiatsd Press

RICHMOND. Va, Mar. "A
complete substitute for Gov. Tuck's
Anti Truman election bill was
ready for the General Assembly to-
day.
1t was q variation on the call to
arms theme for a revolt against the
Presidents civil rights program
And the tone was somewhat sub
dued. But Gov. Tuck gave 1t his
full approval.
The substitute, which will be Of
fered to the Privileges and Elections
Committees Of House and Senate
prior to tonight's public hearing,
opens the door TO the appearance
of President Trumans name on the
November ballot.
But If the State Democratic con-
vention should instruct for some
other presidential candidate. Presi-
dent Truman couldn't appear as the
candidate of the Democratic Party
of Virginia even II the national con-
vention nominated him.
Could Get On Ballot.
He could get on the ballot, In
spite of such action by. the con-
vention, by being offered as the
candidate of new party. A petit
ton of 1000 names or more is all
the new bill requires for qualifica-
ton on the ballot. President Tru-
man could be the candidate of such
an organization as "the Jeffersonian
Democrats" or the "the Civil
Fighters"
The Governor defended the broad
objectives of the original measure
while conceding that it may have
been loosely drawn in some re-
spects. These objectives, he said,
were the preservation of the entity
of the Democratic Party in Virginia
and the right of the people to vote
for presidential electors whose
views are in harmony with true
democracy and constitutional gov
eminent"
THE revised draft should remove
all objections which could be raised
by any reasonable citizen, cognizant
of the peril which confronts us in
the form of the so-called civil
rights program of President Tru-
man now pending in Congress.
Differences Outlined.
Principal differences in the two
bills are:
/. The names OF presidential and
vice presidential candidates will ap-
pear parenthetically at the top Of
the proposed slate Of electors under
provisions of the new bill, along
with party designations. The orig
inal measure would have removed
the names of candidates entirely.
2. Amy parties may appear on the
ballot If they polled S per cent OF
the vote at the preceding general
election and have maintained their
central committees, or who present
a qualifying petition of 1000 or
more names. The original banned
parties who did not appear on the
last presidential ballot or who had
not polled 10 per cent of the vote
In a general election within the
last five years. 1t would have kept
the Wallace third party off the bal
lot as first drawn but committee
amendment changed this to allow
any party to appear which had
qualified in 10 other States.
In line with Gov. Tuck's disclos-
ure over the week end. political par
ties, under the new bill, would be
required to file their slate OF elec-
tors together with the candidates
the electors are expected to vote for
at least 80 days before the election.
They would furnish the information
to the State Board of Elections.
First Bill Protested.
From the wording of the original
it appeared that the State party
could merely instruct
the party electors to use their own
Judgment. This posed the possibility
that Virginians might vote for a
slate of presidential electors without
having any idea whom they would
support.
Protests began to grow and meet
ings in opposition to the plan were
held in various parts of the State.
Then Gov. Tuck explained that fur
ther changes were being prepared
to assure that party electors were
/