The Farmville Herald

Speaking at a Democratic dinner in Powhatan, J. Lindsay Almond said that Ted Dalton, Republican gubernatorial candidate, "is opposed to mixing races in parks because that is social mixing, but not to racial mixing in the schools, because he thinks that is not a social problem."

Almond quoted Dalton as saying that, because it is a social problem, Virginia's parks may be used on a separate basis for whites and Negroes. Almond challenged Dalton to tell what his plan is for operating the state parks on a separate racial basis.

It took 180 pounds of turkey and 50 pies, among other items, for the dinner, which was prepared by county Home Demonstration clubs as their project, under the direction of Mrs. H. Stuart Jones.

She was assisted by Mrs. Sam Parker, Mrs. B. S. Brent, Mrs. E. P. Hicks and Mrs. Earl Messenger.

Nearly 400 persons attended the rally, sponsored by the Powhatan county Democratic committee, and heard Almond accuse Dalton of "accepting the national level policies of the Republican party and of planning to impose them upon Virginians if elected governor."

Almond asked his audience why the national Republican administration elected in 1952 and 1956 went back on their promises to secure their support by word, act, deed-- "what has Virginia done to bring down upon her the most vicious, diabolical onslaught against her very rights to exist as a sovereign state?"

Rep. Watkins Abbitt, Charles T. Moses, state senator from Appomattox, and L. H. Irby, candidate for the general assembly from the district that includes Amelia and Powhatan counties, were among the guests at the rally.

Persons from Amelia, Buckingham, Prince Edward, Appomattox, Charlotte, Nottoway, Goochland and Chesterfield attended the dinner, held at the Powhatan War Memorial building.

Democratic leaders from eight counties Friday heard their candidate for governor charge that his Republican opponent did not consider school integration in Virginia.