Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-29

OLD oroer-the preservation OF
segregation.
The Old Dominion still has
the time to take the right
course. There is only one cor
rect. law-abiding way to pro-
coed. and that is with the sug-
gestion of the Virginia Council
on Human Relations. The
council has urged Gov. Stanley.
In a sympathetic statement,
to respect and uphold the law
Of the land ''in accordance
with his solemn oath" by issu-
ing a statement Affirming that
Virginia will comply with the
letter and spirit Of the Supreme
Courts decision" The council
urged the Governor. further.
ITO request the cooperation
of Negro and white leaders
throughout the State III safe
guarding our public school sys-
TEN and promoting sound and
lawful human relations"
This is the most realistic,
face-saving, law-abiding, and
least expensive course that the
Old Dominion can take.
The Gray report does not
propose any good intent; it
proposes instead subversive
overthrow of the most i'm
portant function of State and
local governments" the free
public school system. I shall
vote against the report on
January 9 to Save Virginia
Schools"
Leonard Sitton Brown,
Student. Howard University.
$3.50
I am surprised by all the
commotion over the Gray bill,
which is merely an enabling
act to amend the State consti-
tuition by the legal means of a
referendum vote by the peo-
pie. 1t is truly democracy at
work, the same as the United
States Constitution was
amended by referendum vote
Of the majority of the people
tStates) in the case of the
Eighteenth Amendment.
1t would seem that, as it has
been ruled illegal for a minor
ity group to be forced to attend
segregated schools, it would
conversely be illegal to force
another minority group to
attend. against their will. an
integfated school system. The
majority of white people do
not object to integrated
schools, and the DIRECTORS are
in the minority. However, at
tendance at an integrated
school should be on q voluntary
basis and not be demanded on
a punitive basis by the Negro,
merely because in the past
he was wrongly Disseminated
against. Two wrongs do not
make a right.
I believe that in spite Of
all that has been said to the
contrary. county governments
are not going to give up the
public school system in favor
of an all-private system. This
would mean relinouishing too
much political power and job
patronage. Financially, schools
are big business and consume
most of the tax dollar. Think
a minute and see if you can
remember any county or State
politician ever relinquishing
any political power or advo-
eating giving up control of over
half of the taxable income.
Ridiculous! Neither the Gray
plan nor any other plan could
force such a thing.
In theory the people who
object to integrated schools
could always send their chill
dren to private schools, and
the wealthy do in any case.
But in actual practice this is
not true as today's astronomi-
cal taxes make it financially
impossible for the majority to
pay both the pro rata cost Of
the public system and the pri-
vate school tuition. The Gray
plan merely proposes the pay
ment Of the taxpayers own
money on a pro rata cost OF
the students public school tut
ton back to the same tax
payer who paid it in the first
place. This tuition grant is not
the States money but the tax
payers own, and in the long
run the taxpayer always pays
in more than he can ever hope
to receive. Those whose hearts
bleed and who rant and rave
that the State cannot tolerate
both public and private school
systems completely overlook
the Catholic parochial schools
which now rival the public
schools in size. These are
attended by Catholics who can
afford the tuition, while the
poor attend public schools.
These schools prove the Gray
plan would work.
nn~rlA n.A.--