Evening star., 1960-07-18
Democrats
Feelings Are Mixed
Some Are Cool
To Nominees,
Rap Platform

OSAAAS AAAA<HNN ASSAAAAtso AAnNC WIN
expressed by Virginians about
the candidates and platform
approved last week at the
Democratic National Conven-
ton in Los Angeles.
Gov. Almond arrived home
Saturday night with comments
typical of those expressed by
Virginia delegates to the con-
vention. Gov. Almond, who
headed the delegation. gave
Senator Kennedy, Democrat of
Massachusetts, a series of glow
ing Endorsements
The overwhelming sense Of
the Virginia delegation is that
we should give the Kennedy
johnson ticket our enthusiastic
and active support" the Gov
ernor said.
Some 20 Richmonders who
disagreed with the Governor
went out to demonstrate at
Byrd Airport here Saturday
night. But Gov. Almond and
his party arrived in Richmond
by auto from Baltimore and
didn't meet the demonstrators
Kennedy Called Socialist
A spokesman for the group,
Mrs. Leslie Zodun of Highland
Springs, called Senator Ken
nedy a socialist. She said the
group won't accept the Ken
nedy-Johnson ticket and is
even more opposed to the ma
tional Democratic platform,
which she labeled socialistic.
Veteran political observers
at the State capitol were
somewhat cool toward the
nominees and platform. None
of the observers would speak
openly for publication. But
privately they voiced particu-
larly unhappiness about the
national platform and its civil
rights plank.
After pushing the South
around with that plank" one
said, they try to buy us back
by throwing us Lyndon john
son as a sop"
Some bitterness was ex-
pressed that the Texas Sena-
tor took the No. 2 post behind
Senator Kennedy.
Robert B. Crawford of Farm
vile, president of the Defenders
of State Sovereignty and In
dividual Liberties, said yester-
day he has never seen so
many people so stirred up in
my life" particularly over the
platforms civil rights plank.
Mr.. Crawford said there is con-
siderable demand for a meeting
of Virginia conservatives to
talk over the Democrats ma
tional ticket and the platform.
State Senator Mills E. God
win of Suffolk said yesterday
he has heard some sentiment
for a meeting Of conservatives,
but none to call back the State
Democratic convention. Sena-
tor Goodwin said he thought
most Southsiders would go
along" with the Kennedy-John-
son ticket, but added that Ito
man we are unhappy about
the platform"
No Word From Byrd
There has been no direct
word from Senator Byrd,
Democrat of Virginia, reported
ly in Europe during the con-
vention. But there were sug-
geStionS in the Virginia dele
cation that Senator Byrd would
be for the ticket. The Kennedy
staff has Senator Byrd's son,
State Senator Harry F. Byrd,
jr., listed as friendly.
Gov. Almond said the civil
rights issue lis going to be
settled in Congress and the
courts" and the Democratic
platform doesn't worry me
one iota."
The Governor commented
that Franklin D. Roosevelt and
President Eisenhower gave
the country different programs
from what was contained in
their party platforms. He noted
that Virginia's action in repu-
dating the platform leaves the
States congressional delegation
"unfettered and unhampered"
to continue it's fight on the civil
rights question.
And he added: wait until
you see the Republican plat
form"