Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-07
School Plan Debate
To Wind Up Tonight
Virginions Vote
Monday; Final
Arguments Set
BY ALEX r. PRESTON
Star stan Correspondent

tuition was in It's nnal stage to-
day before Mondays vote on the
first step in the Gray Commits
sion plan to avoid compulsory
attendance at integrated public
schools.
Gov. Stanley went on a To-
station radio network last night
to ''prayerfully urge" citizens to
approve a constitutional J con-
lvention so that public funds may
be spent to educate children in
lprivate schools where no segre-
gated schools are available.
Campaign Ends Tonight
Spokesman on both sides of
the issue will wind up the CAM
paign tonight.
Former Gov. John s. Battle
viii speak for the pro-amend-
ment forces on the same radio
stations which carried q similar
appeal last night by Senator
Byrd, Democrat of Virginia.
Opponents to the private
school tuition program will get
in their final arguments when
Delegate John c. Webb of Fair
fax. speaks at 8 pm. over the
same network that carried Gov.
Stanley's talk last night. Both
were listed as paid political
broadcasts.
Gov. Stanley told his listeners
fatty: IF YOU vote against the
convention. you will be voting
for mixed schools in Virginia"
The Governor. as did the Gray
Commission in its report and
Senator Byrd in two public
statements, criticized the SUI
preme Court for its May II, 1854,
decision banning racial segrega-
ton in public schools. Gov. STAN
ley said the courts decision
placed Virginia's public school
system in jeopardy.
The private school tuition
grants. which would be made
possible by favorable vote in
Mondays referendum, is part of
a plan ito preserve our public
schools, within the framework of
law" Gov. Stanley said.
Concerning the Gray Commits
sion, the Governor said: ats
membership came from areas
with what might be termed ex-
IRENE integrationists and from
areas with extreme segregation
lists. Yet the remarkable and
commendable result was unan-
imous report. This demonstrates
forcibly to me that the commits
sion's recommendations are the
best that could be devised by
able and representative Virginia
leaders"
He declared that charges that
the private school tuition grants
could be diverted to paroch:al or
church schools represented att
Itempts to confuse the people"
He said the State and Federal
Constitutions prohibit such pay
mentS.
4 Against in Assembly
Meanwhile. the number of OPP
ponents to the tuition grants
program in the State Senate had
increased from one to at least
four in the session of the Cen
eral Assembly which convenes
Wednesday.
At the recent special session
State Senator Ted Dalton. Re-
publican of Radford. cast the
lone vote against the plan when
it was passed in the upper
chamber by a vote of 38 to l.
Two opponents in the House
OF Delegates-Armistead L.
Boothe of Alexandria and Stuart
B. Carter of Fincastle-will take
seats in the Senate as a result
of last November's election.
Yesterday saw another Sena-
tor-elect add his voice to those
Of the opponents. He is DR.. Ed
ward E. Haddock of Richmond.
a former Mayor of this city.
Wholesale use of public mon
ey for private elementary and
high school tuition grants" DR..
Haddock said, would spill the
life blood from our public school
system.
THE inevitable result is that
we would have inferior, inte-
grated schools for the poor. and
State assistance for the better,
segregated private schools for
those who might well afford
them from their own funds"
DR.. Haddock said he believes
a pupil assignment plan-also
included in the Gray Commission
programs adequate to deal
with the indignation problem in
Virginia.
Dalton Opposes Plan
Senator Dalton, meanwhile,
made his first public speech, re-
iterating his opposition to the
referendum question, since the
special session of the General
Assembly adjourned December 3.
He spoke last night in Blacks
burg before the American Asso-
citation of University Women.
Senator Dalton, who polled
about IS per cent of the vote
for Governor against Mr.. STAN
ley three years ago, approached
the problem in this manner:
While I am somewhat of a
political novice, it has not been
difficult to observe that the
Democratic) organization has
thrown it's full strength behind
this effort to amend the Con-
stitution.
1T appears to me that the
pattern is true to form--one by
one and day by day the political
stalwarts of the organization
have thrown their weight into
advocacy of the amendment,
which to some appears to have
started stampede of the people
in that direction.
"OnlV q Scattered feu, h q w Lad