Evening star., 1948-03-09
Virginia House
SET 10 Act on
Anti-Trun1an Bill
Senators Debating
Reorganization Of
Stdte Agencies
By Alex R. Preston
Siar Stoff Corrsspondsnt

By Alex R. Preston
star .steff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Va, Mar. s.-Two OF
the most controversial issues of the
session confront the General AS
sembly today.
The House has set for final debate
and action on Gov. Tuckis bill maxi
ing it possible to withhold Virginias
electoral votes from President Tru-
man if he Is the Democratic Party
candidate.
The Senate has before 1t In .
similar status the Governors legis-
lation for reorganization Of II
agencies of the State government.
Both measures have been altered
in major respects to arouse the least
possible objection and at the same
time to carry out their main pur-
poses.
The anti-Truman bill comes to the
floor after the Governors spokes-
man, who also is close to Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia, declared
he did not believe Mr. Truman would
be nominated at the Democratic
National Convention.
Truman Nomination Doubted.
Floor Leader E. Blackburn Moore,
a next-door neighbor of Senator
Byrd in Berryville. told the House
Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tions yesterday he did not believe
Virginia would have to invoke the
law, adding that he had information
ION pretty good authority" that Mr..
Truman would not be nominated.
Object of the legislation, which
the committee reported, II to l, Is
to prevent Mr.. Truman from run
ming as the candidate of this States
Democratic Party and If the Presi-
dent Is nominated, to permit the
Virginia convention Of that party
to nominate some one else.
Mr.. Truman, or any one else, how
ever, could appear on Virginia bal
lots on petition Of 1000 qualified
voters.
Before the committee acted, mem
bers also heard a plan outlined
whereby Virginia's delegates to the
Philadelphia convention would take
a walk" when the name of this State
is reached If it appears that Presi-
dent Truman Is to be the nominee.
Bill Is Substitute.
The election bill is substitute for
one originally proposed by Gov.
Tuck on February 26 and reported
by the committee the following day.
The revised DILL would make it
possible for the Democratic or Re-
publican electors in the electoral
college to be instructed to vote for
some one other than the national
candidates by a State convention,
instead of a committee. II they
were not SO instructed, the electors
would be expected to vote for the
national party candidate.
Delegates Status Questioned.
Delegate Delamater Davis of Nor.
folk inquired what would be the
status of Virginia Democrats who
might vote for the national candi-
date of the party and not for the
candidate who may be nominated
by the State convention. He want
ed to know If those Democrats still
could qualify to vote in the l949
party primary.
Attorney General Saunders ruled
nearly 20 years ago that we do
not have a primary for President
only general election" Mr..
Moore replied.
Therefore, he added, Virginia
Democrats would not disqualify
themselves from voting in the pri-
mary, regardless of which presiden-
tial candidate they might support.
He said the attorney generals Office
today concurs with the earlier ruling.
The committee also approved a
companion bill to revise the election
laws which Mr.. Moore said had been
introduced only to make sure that
the main anti-Truman bill does not
conflict with existing statutes. The
second bill makes it unnecessary to
print the box to be marked by the
voter at the left of a candidates
name. The new plan proposed to
place the box beside the party des-
ignation. under which would be the
names of the candidates in paren-
theses and beneath that the name Of
the electors.
The reorganization legislation be-
fore the Senate today would con-
tract II agencies into 27 depart
ments instead of II as originally
was proposed by Gov. Tuck.
The plan, as reported to the SEN
ate, leaves unchanged the existing
functions of the following agencies:
Commission of Game and Inland
Fisheries, Industrial Commission.
Department of Labor and Industry.
Unemployment Compensation Com
mission and Commission of Fish
cries.