Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-18
continued From First Pag.

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the Senate and the House Of
Delegates and signed by the Gov
ernor.
Three Ways
Therefore. throughout these
democratic processes. the will Of
the people is protected in three
ways:
First, the constitutional con-
vention cannot be assembled to
adopt this permissive amendment
without a majority so voting on
January 9;
Second, another opportunity is
given to the people to express
their will when the members Of
the constitutional convention are
elected. Any qualified voter can
be a candidate in such election
on a platform for or against the
proposed amendment;
Third, there is a further safe
guard in that no action can be
taken as a result of this amend
ment without approval Of the
General Assembly.
THE amendment proposed is
for the purpose Of giving the Leg
iSlature some leeway. under
specified conditions. in seeking
to preserve our public school
system, which faces a threat
such as has never occurred be-
fore.
''Let us recognize that this is
merely a first step. The road
ahead of us will be long and
rocky.
I'm this statement I am not
commenting on the other fea-
lures of the Gray Report. This
report will come before the Gen.
eral Assembly in January, and
ample time will then be avail
able for full consideration.
New Legislature
"The General Assembly that
will convene in January was
elected in November. 1t comes
fresh from the people, elected
subsequent to the decision Of the
Supreme Court. We can depend
upon this General Assembly to
act with wisdom and high
patriotism to meet the most
serious crisis that has occurred
since the War Between the
States
"Only very rarely in the long
history of Virginia has a General
Assembly been called upon to
solve a problem of such magni-
tude and far-reaching conse-
quences to future generations Of
Virginians.
ut has been my privilege to
serve Virginia in various ca
pacities for nearly 40 years. 1t is
my firm opinion that enforced
integration will destroy the
public school system in large
areas of Virginia. This would be-
q catastrophe; young VirginiansI
now being educated in the public
schools must not be handicapped
by lack of adequate education.
mo problem in my public ca
reer has given me as much con-
Germ as the situation created by
the decision Of the Supreme
Court on May II, 1854.
1T is disturbing, to review the
various decisions that have been
made on the question of segre-l
CATION in the public schools and
to note that the present Supreme
Court nullified all previous del
cisions, without indicating where
in the previous decisions were in
error.
Equal, Separate
an other words, for 100 years,
the eminent jurists who served
on the Supreme Court Of the
United States did not nullify
segregation that existed through
that period. but, to the contrary,
by specific decisions. upheld seq
regated schools on a basis Of their
being equal but separate.
THE May. 1854. decision of the
Supreme Court was not based
upon any law or upon any
change in the Federal Constitu-I
ton that had been enacted since
the last decision upholding seq
regation.
I'm my various public positions,
I have done all I could to uphold
law and order. AS Governor Of
Virginia. I presented to the Gen.
eral Assembly in 1926, and the
General Assembly adopted it, a
recommendation making the
crime Of lynching one Of MUIR
der on the part of those who were
in the mob.
THAT lynching law. enacted in
1926, is the strongest anti-lynch-
ing law that has ever been en-
acted, before or since, in any
State in the Union. Since that
date. Virginia has not had q
single lynching.
LET us not mislead ourselves
as 20 our serious situation. The
battle to preserve our public
school system may last for many
years, and we may find it nee
essary to change our tactics from
time to time. Some believe that
the Washington Court will be-
gin to fine and imprison Of
ficials in Virginia next Septem-
Der unless interrogation is in OPP
grafton throughout the State. II
such drastic measures are adop-
ted, believe VirginianS will ind
some way to preserve what they
feel is right.
1.-THE Supreme Court itself rec
ognized the terrific impact Of its
decision when they themselves
postponed the effective date, and
even now have not set q date
for indignation, except to say
that indignation should proceed
with deliberate speed" I feel
that the emphasis should be on