~. vention following election of 40 Virginians to serve as members of that con-
weuld authorize the calling of & limited constitutional convention, six voted
agalnst and three were absent.
The proposal, after an exhaustive investigation, wase previocusly approved
unanimously by the Gray Commission, composed of 32 outstanding Virginians.
It has since been approved by the Superintendent of Public Instructicn, many
leading educators, who are deeply interested in the preservaticn of eur school
system, and other public and private citizens.
CONVENTION CALL ONLY
| Judging by the newspaper reports, there are scme erroneous ilmpressions as
to the effect and purpose of the January 9 referendum. It merely authorizes
the calling of a constitutional convention to consider one single amendment to
our State Constitution, and this is as follows:
To permit the CGeneral Assembly and the governing bodies of the several
counties, cities and towns to appropriate funds for educational purposes
which may be expended in furtherance of elementary, secondary, collegiate
and graduate education of Virginia students in public and nonsectarian
private schools and institutions of learning in addition to these owned
or exclusively controlled by the State or any such county, city or town.
If the calling of such a convention is approved by a majority »f Virginians
voting, then another State-wide election will be held to elect 4O members to
this conventicn, one for each State Senatorial District.
We should clearly understand that if affirmative action is taken on January
9, the effect is simply to authorize the assembling of the Constituticnal Con-
vention. ,
The voters will have the opportunity to elect Convention members for or
inst the adoption of the propesal to amend our present Constitutisn. The pro-
ced amendment is merely permissive and no finel action can be taken unless
gislation is enscted by a majority of both the Senate and the House of
elegates and signed by the Governor. |
Trherefore, throughout these democratic processes the will »f the people
ig protected in three ways:
irst, the Constitutional Convention cannot be assembled to adopt this per-
missive 8mendment without a majority so voting on January 9.
Second another opportunity is given to the people to express their will
when the m@wbers oI the Constitutional Convention are elected. Any quallfied 4
voter can be a candidate in such election on a platform for or against the
propesed amendment.
Third, there is a further safeguard in that no actien can be taken as a re-
sult of this amendment without approval of the General Assembly.
The amendment proposed is for the purvose of giving the Legislature some
leeway, under specified conditions in seeking to preserve our public school
system, which faces a threat such as has never occurred before.
Let us recognize that this is merely a first step. The road ahead of us
will be long and rocky.
In this statement I am not commenting on the other features of the Cray
Feport, . This report will come before. the-Generald -Assembly in-January; and-emple— e
time will then be available for full consideration.
The Ceneral Assembly that will convene in January was elected in November.
It comes fresh from the people, elected subsequent to the decision of the
Supreme Court. We can depend upon this General Assembly to act with wisdsm and |
high patriotism to meet the most serious crisis that has occurred since the i
War Between the States. |
Only very rarely in the leng history of Virginia has a General Assembly i
been called upon to solve a problem of such maonltuae and far-reaching conse- 5
guences to future generations of Virginians.
It has been my'pr1v1lege to serve Virginia in various capacities for nearly
LO years. It is my firm opinion that enforced integration will destroy the
public school system in large areas of Virginia. This would be a catastrophe;
young Virginians now being educated in the public schools must not be handi-
capped by lack of adequate education.
No problem In my public career has given me as much concern as the situatior
created by the decision of the Supreme Court on May 17, 1954,