University of Virginia Library

Godwin Speaks Out

The latest publication of the Virginia
Commission on Constitutional Government,
commented upon in this column October
31st, has brought a disclaimer from
Governor Mills Godwin and a suggestion
that the Commission's state subsidy may be
ended.

According to yesterday's Times-Dispatch,
Governor Godwin said the Commission's
future as a state agency was "under advisement."
The Governor also indicated that
he disagreed with the Commission's proposal
that "home guard" units might be
advisable to protect citizens against rioting
mobs in Virginia's cities.

The Governor's remarks were one more
step in the growing realization in Richmond
that the state has no business paying for an
agency whose chief function, according to
the Times-Dispatch, "has been to prepare
and publish pamphlets and booklets in support
of the conservative, states' rights interpretation
of the federal Constitution."
Mr. Godwin's comments are particularly
significant since he is an ex officio member
of the Commission.

The Commission has performed a public
service in printing and distributing copies
of such documents as the Constitution and
the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom,
but the extremely conservative bias of some
of its pronouncements has been offensive
to many Virginia taxpayers. We understand
that one of its guiding figures, the newspaper
columnist James J. Kilpatrick, has
advocated continuing the Commission on a
private basis. We hope this is done, for
there are too many other demands-education
and mental health, to mention two-on
the state tax dollar that deserve higher
priority.