The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-06-02
Chief Executive
Says State Will
Keep Schools Open

~ - - ~
The possibility Of draft Of stu
dents and faculty under a system
If federal education to offset closed
public schools was offered as a dis
tinct possibility by Governor j.
Lindsay Almond, Jr. in his address
Sunday afternoon at Longwood Col
lege's commencement ending its
18th year.
The governor, once teacher and
school principal, coupled that
federal threat with the wish that
'Virginians who would abandon
public education would think on that
eventually.
Earlier in the address, however
the chief executive. had declared
that Virginia will continue to pre-
serve its educational system, every
where. To abolish public schools
would be to surrender to those
whose purpose it is to destroy us. 7
Advice To Teachers
The Governor urged on the col
lege's largest four-year graduating
class in history +. l76 seniors
fivepoint program of personal
mental preparation for the role of
teacher.
II would urge you to hold respect
for constitutional principles, and to
devel op a determination to
strengthen this nation, he said
Then work for all that is right
and just under our own laws and
those of Almighty God. Have faith
in yourselves, in your felloWmen
and in your God
Then look with fearless eye
sure that you may have your place
in freedom 5 greatest hour Gov
ernor Almond said
The audience overfloWing 800
seat Jarman Hall heard the speaker
make a scathing denunclation of
the jurists who have made recent
years 'one Of the most difficult
periods in history for public cduca-
ton in Virginia That has been
brought about he charged.
Den0unccs Court
by the unconstitutional deci-
sions Of nine judicial Charlie Nc
Carthys appointed to chant h e
ventrlloqulsms of an organization
which does not even have at heart
the best interests Of the people it
represents.
Should the federal government
ever take over public education, II
do not have to tell you the con
sequences You have to look
only to what happened in Hitler )
Germany, Mussolini's Italy, n d
what is happening in Soviet Russia
to see the final result" the Gov
ernor told the Longwood graduates
Almond said he was sure the
graduates realized the importance
Of educating all Of the children in
our nation . Our freedom. our
hopes. our aims. our very existence
depends upon education"
Americans can be certain, the
Governor added, that the Com
munists have not put away their
dreams of world conquest and
still pursue "a design to weaken
and to conquer
This means that even if h G
United States escapes atomic war
it is saddled with ''cold war OF
indefinite duration-the strain OF
heavy defense expenditures, of high
taxes, of the most pernicious type OF
psychological warfare, designed to
undermine our own people S faith In
the efficacy and high purpose OF
their own government, Almond adj
! viSed.
I'VE must exercise our rights and
our prerogatlves as citizens to see
that the structure of our govern
ment - local, state and national
is preserved
The destruction of local govern
ment always has been a prelude
to the loss Of freedom. conversely
where local government remains
virile and strong. nation is best
equipped to resist the inroads Of
! tyranny