Evening star., 1948-03-10
Virginia Senate
ToAct Today on
Bill
Measure Passes
House, 75-24, After
Charges Of Pressure
BY Alex R. Preston
Stor SfoH Correspondent


attempt will be made to push the
anti Truman election bill through
the State Senate today after its
passage by the House of Delegates
by vote Of rs to "a.
This was disclosed in connection
with plans for a meeting of the
Senate Committee on Privileges and
Elections which spokesmen for Gov.
Tuck said is expected to report the
measure today. Committee Chair
man Robert C. Walden said he would
attempt to have the Senate con-
slider the bill this afternoon.
The measure passed in the House
yesterday after the administration
received a verbal attack for high
pressure tactics" in pushing through
the program.
Amended Bill Outlined.
Under the amended bill, State
Democratic convention can throw
Virginia's II electoral votes for
President and Vice President to
any one it chooses if it fails to ap-
prove the ticket and platform of
the Democratic National Conven-
ton.
The original bill-Gov. Tuck's
answer to President Truman's civil
rights program-would have banned
President Truman's name from the
ballot in the event of nomination.
While the House devoted three
hours to settling the election issue,
the Senate spent most Of its time
adopting other legislation of the
Tuck administration-the reorgani-
zation of more than 10 agencies into
81 departments under the Cover
nor.
The verbal onslaught against the
election law revisions was conduct
ed almost single-handly by Dele
gate Robert N. Whitehead of Mel
son County, who charged the Gov
ernor had gone too far and then
asked:
Why should we save some one
else's face?"
Most Members Present.
Every member of the House was
present for the vote on this ses-
sion's hottest issue, except Delegate
Samuel Rodgers of Petersburg, who
has been i'll for almost all of the
session. The eight Republicans OF
the 100-member House of Delegates
voted In a block against the bill
and were joined by is Democrats.
All of the remaining rs Democrats
voted for the bill.
OF the Northern Virginia delega-
tion only three opposed the bill.
They are William j. Gibson, Demo-
crat, OF Fredericksburg and w. G.
Lambert of Shenandoah County and
g. I'M. Taiiaferrp OF Harrisonburg,
both Republicans.
House Floor Leader e. Blackburn
Moore. chief patron OF the bill and
Delegate Armistead L. Boothe of
co-patron, presented
the main arguments supporting pas
sage of the measure. They described
it as making the election laws more
liberal. Most of the arguments ad-
vanced by them had been pre-
sented the day before by Mr.. Moore
in the Privileges and Elections
Committee.
Measure Is Attacked.
The Nelson County delegate said
that probably nothing he or any
one else could say would change a.
vote of any member Of the House.
Referring to the purpose of the
legisla tion-Virginias answer toI
President Trumans civil rights pro-
gram, the Nelson County delegate
had this to say:
II think Mr.. Truman made a.
great mistake. He went about it the
wrong way. But, gentlemen, the
Negroes in Virginia have not re-
ceived their just desserts"
He predicted the Assembly will be
called into extra session "in Is
months" to meet the problem of
inadequate schools for Negroes.
1t took the Senate just about an
hour and half to vote favorably-
with only one minor change-on 20
amendments to the bill to recodify
Virginia's laws.
Before approving the bill and
sending 1t to the House Of Delegates
by vote of 81 to 0, the Senate
killed by voice vote proposal to
block return of the pardoning and
reprieve power to the Governors
office.