University of Virginia Library

Avoids Environmental Issues

As a senator from a state
where environmental criticism
centers around its leading
industry, coal, Byrd has
diplomatically taken neither a
"pro" nor "con" position
toward stricter regulation of
natural resources and land.

He has voted against mining
"Wilderness" areas before
1977, against giving the auto
industry a one-year extension
on a deadline to produce
pollution-free cars and against
an amendment that would
prevent establishing federal
water quality standards.

Yet, he voted against
reducing highway funds,
deleting Florida flood control,
and against the Proxmire
amendment forcing the
Defense Department to comply
with National Environmental
Protection Agency regulations,
all of which were measures
strongly advocated by
environmentalists.

"I recognize that we are
late in dealing with
environmental issues, but we
have acted in the past few
years with expedition and I
think with considerable
wisdom. I also think we have
to keep in mind that there has
to be a 'proper balance' in this
area, as in all others."

"While we must clean up
the environment and enforce
laws to that end, we also have
to keep in mind that we have
basic energy problems, as well
as economic and employment
problems. All these have to be
considered in striking the
proper balance."

***

Although Robert Byrd has
commanded respect for his
diligence and candor,
dominating state Democratic
elections and winning executive
favor, it has not always been so
easy. His record has a scar, and
it surfaced during his 1952
campaign for the U.S.
House of Representatives when
his opponent revealed that he
had been a member of the Ku
Klux Klan. Bluntly, Byrd
admitted to serving as a
kieagle, or organizer in the
Klan, during a campaign speech
explaining his opponent's
charge.

"I belonged from mid-1942 to
early 1943. Only 24 at the
time, I joined the order because
it offered excitement, and
because it was strongly opposed
to communism. About a year
later I became disinterested,
quit paying my dues and
dropped my membership in the
organization."

"During the nine years that
have followed followed I have
never been interested in the
Klan, but on the other hand I
have directed my energies
toward upholding my
community, my church and my
fellow citizens of every race,
creed and color."

This frankness managed to
save him the primary, but he
erred by mentioning dates.
Soon his Republican opponent
produced a letter which Sen.
Byrd had written in 1946 to
the Klan's Imperial Wizard
Samuel Green in Atlanta. This
clearly showed he had not, as
he claimed, lost interest in the
Klan.

"I am a former Kleagie
(organizer) of the Ku Klux
Klan."

"The Klan is needed today
as never before and I am
anxious to see its rebirth here in
West Virginia...I hope that you
will find it convenient to answer
my letter in regards to future
possibilities."

This letter prompted West
Virginia Gubernatorial
Democratic candidate Okey
Patteson to ask Byrd to leave
the state ticket. He lost the
party's support, but refused to
give up the race.

Instead, Byrd changed his
campaign approach, and
leveled an attack at his critics,
calling them "power mad," and
he claimed that they were
trying to divert attention from
"the real dangers of
communism, organized crime,
the moral values and
degeneration of religious life."
With this Protestant-fundamentalist
appeal, he again
won favor with the West Virginia
electorate, and went on to win
the race. It was the closest
Byrd would ever come to
losing an election.

Retrospectively, Byrd
discussed his Klan connections
in 1971, after his selection to
the majority whip post:

"It's difficult to say what
attracted me to the Klan. What
does attract someone into
doing something like that?
There was a time in our
history, back in my childhood,
when people belonged to the
Klan – some of the finest
people in the community –
ministers and lawyers, and
judges and so on."