Evening star., 1949-10-25
Church Council
In VirgiiniaHits
Changes
Suffrage Amendments
Called Vague; Byrd
Supports Proposal
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press
The Campbell suffrage amend
ments won the public support of
Senator Byrd, but drew the op-
position of the Virginia Council
of Churches yesterday.
In a surprise move, the Execu-
tive Committee of the church
council - representing Is Prot
estant denominations-approved
resolution recommending an
against" vote in November "be-
cause of the general vagueness of
the proposed amendments to the
constitution of Virginia and the
uncertainty as to their mean
ing. ="
The council, headed by Bishop
F. D.. Goodwin of the Episcopal
Diocese of Virginia, acted after
the matter was placed before a
meeting in Richmond by it's de-
partment of social education and
action. A subcommittee of the
Executive Committee prepared the
resolution and the parent body
approved it unanimously.
Section on Tests Opposed.
1t expressed. particularly. the
committees opposition to the par
agraph in section 20 of the pro-
poSal which says that the voter
is to meet such tests as to liter
acy and such further requirements
as the General Assembly may pre-
scribe. =" This section was
called vague" and uncertain"
The Executive Committee of
the Virginia Council of Churches
opposes the proposed amend
ments," the resolution added. and
1t named the II sections that
would be altered. The Rev. Jo-
seph S. Johnston, Methodist pas
tor of Norfolk, heads the depart
ment of social education and ac-
tion which laid the matter before
the executive group.
The Virginia Council of
Churches includes the following
denominations: Episcopal. Meth
odist and Presbyterian U. S.
(Southern). Presbyterian U. S. A.
(Northern), Associate Reformed
Presbyterian, Society of Friends,
United Lutheran, Evangelical
United Brethren, Disciples of
Christ. Evangelical and Reformed,
Congregational Christian, Church
of the Brethren and the Baptist
General Association and allied
bodies, the Baptist Good Will Con-
vention and the Baptist State
Convention. The three Baptist
denominations are Negro groups.
Charges Attempt to Confuse.
Senator Byrd, however, like Gov.
Tuck, found the amendments
worthy of support at the polls
November 8.
II intend to vote in favor of the
amendments to the constitution
which will be submitted to the
voters OF virginia, SAID Cle
Senator in a statement.
In my long experience as a
legislator, I have rarely seen per-
lection attained. But I say en-
phatically that these amendments
do represent the patriotic judg-
ment, first to the bipartisan COM
mission appointed to make the
recommendations and, secondly,
the judgment of two sessions of
the General Assembly, elected for
different terms.
THE opponents of these amend
ments have very cleverly endeav-
ored to confuse the actual effect
of the proposed amendments to
the constitution by asserting that
certain recommendations of the
commission will be written into the
constitution. when, in fact. such
provisions are to be left to the
future action of the General As
sembly, thus giving the electorate
of Virginia an opportunity to in
struct their representatives on the
question as to whether such meas
ures should be enacted into law.
Too Much Leeway Seen.
Senator Byrd said he believed
the General Assembly can be
trusted to act wisely and effec-
lively"
Much of the opposition to the
proposals, which would repeal the
poll tax as a-prerequisite for vot-
ing and enable the Legislature to
effect number of electoral se-
forms has been made on the
point that the General Assembly
Is being given too much leeway.
Gov. Tuck indorsed adoption
of the resolution in a statement
over the week end. He said he
was convinced that it was to the
best interests of Virginia for the
amendments to be adopted.
The week end also brought ex-
pressions of opposition to the
amendments from the Virginia
Department of Amvets, the Ma
tional Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People and
the president of the Virginia State
Federation of Labor.