Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-04

effort ended there.
That marked the death forI
many years Of any chance for
local moderates to do some
thing about reopening the
public schools, Dean Moss be-
lieveS.
Looking back to the situa-
ton, Mr.. Bass says, Most of
the people who were in the
bush group now recognize 1t
would have been much better
If they had come out in the
open"
The diehard segregationists
are led by a small group of
men who own important local
businesses and hold nearly all
of the elective political Of
fees.
Editor Is Spokesman
j. Barge Wall, ST., publisher
of the twice-weekly Farmville
Herald, is their principal
spokesman. A week ago he
editorialized that the only set
Element of the school situation
which he calls q 'constitu-
tional" question should be
made in the courts.
(Two court orders aimed at
forcing the county to reopen
its public schools are now
being appealed.)
1.-THE Importance Of a clear
cut decision of constitutional
principle cannot be sacrificed
on the altar of expediency,"
wrote Mr.. Wall. He decried the
recent demonstrations, which,
he said, are being led by PRO
fesSional outsiders (who WANT
to disrupt the charted course
of law and order among our
people,"
He ended the editorial with
his motto of massive retalia-
ton to integration efforts:
prince Edward stand ready!"
Back Down q Surrender
His son, the newspapers gen.
eral manager, w. B. Wall, says,
81 would call it complete sur
render if we back down"
Farmville Mayor William s.
Watkins and Police Chief Otto
s. Overton say they will allow
the Negroes to demonstrate
peacefully and indefinitely, as
they say they will. But both
officials say sustained efforts
at sit-ins, kneel-ins and dem
onstrations on Saturdays, when
the town is packed with shop
Ipers, will be met with arrest.
The local officials learned
well on recent visit to Dam
vile how that Virginia city
used legal means to thwart Ne
gro demonstrations.
Early last week Prince Ed
ward County Commemorative
Attorney Frank Nat Watkins,
uncle Of the mayor, obtained
a court order opening IL
nearby jails for use by county
police in case of mass arrests.
Is Deputies Added
Standing ready, in case Of
trouble, are more than Is spe-
cial deputies quietly added to
the local police force during
June and July in anticipation
Of the marches.
Meanwhile, town and county
police carrying portable 2-way
radios line Main street during
the 3-hour daily march by the
Negroes. Officers direct traf-
fic and civil rights marchers
at the towns main intersec-
ton.
A Democratic primary on
July 8 for the board of county
supervisors virtually proved
that local citizens will not vote
to reopen the schools even in
the secrecy Of the voting booth.
A local appliance store own
er. L. M. Pairet, campaigned for
the board asking a referendum
on the question Of re-opening
the schools.
Closed School Men Win
Mr.. Pairet lost to incumbent
John c. Steck, 438 to 799. A
third candidate, c. H. Lafoon,
received 376 votes. Both Mr..
Steck and Mr.. Lafoon support
ed closed schools.
On July IS after several
weeks Of training in non-vio-
lent demonstrations, the Negro
teenagers began marching.
The Rev. L. Francis Griffin,
local Negro leader and State
president Of the NAACP, says
the youths are the moving
force behind the demonstra-
tons. Its their project" he
says.
A large number Of the APP
proximately 125 youths who
have taken part in the marches
have attended schools outside
the South since Prince Ed
wards public education ceased
in 1859.
They have studied in the Dis
trict Of Columbia schools and
] In other systems as far awav