Atlanta Daily World

Virginia Dailies Oppose Tuck Stand

RICHMOND, Va. - (ANP) - The firm stand of the Richmond Times Dispatch and the Richmond News Leader editorially against Gov. Tuck's anti-Truman bill which was enacted by the Virginia General assembly last week has won the support of other white dailies in the state. Some of the dailies label the resolution calling for an investigation of the Richmond papers an attempt to gag the press and to destroy freedom of expression in the interest of the Democratic machine in the state.

Virginius Dabney, editor of the Times Dispatch, morning paper, and Dr. Douglas S. Freeman, editor of the Richmond News Leader, afternoon paper, both published by Richmond Newspapers Inc., opposed Gov. Tuck's proposals to penalize President Truman for his civil rights program for Negroes. They described Tuck's election change proposals as "dangerous to the political and civic rights of Virginia voters" and "against the citizens."

FORCED TO ACT

Both Dabney and Freeman questioned editorially the wisdom of President Truman's proposals at the present time and asserted that the Democratic party in the south would be forced to take action against proposals which endanger, as they contended, states' rights which the south consider of first importance to the sovereign's rights of each state in the union.

Former Gov. Ellis Arnall of Georgia, who was forum speaker here at the Thomas Jefferson High School scored the legislators for their resolution. He also delivered an address to the Women's club on Monday. He assailed members of the house of delegates for their passage of the resolution requesting the state corporation commission to investigate the Richmond papers and said their act was prompted by men with "guilty consciences."