Newspaper Articles


Fairmont Times
April 5, 1960

Rallies Here Will Enliven Vote Canvass

Smith Reception, FDR Jr. Dinner Spur Interest In Primary Drive

Two major political rallies are scheduled here this week as the pre-primary tempo picks up five weeks from election day. Several others are planned later.

State Democratic Chairman Hulett C. Smith will arrive here late tomorrow from New Martinsville and will spend the evening and all day Wednesday campaigning in Marion County for the Democratic nomination for governor. Smith, one of four entries in the race, will visit Mannington, Worthington, Monongah and other county towns.

A rally is booked in the Moose Home at 8 p.m. when friends of the candidate will gather to meet him. Smith's visit will find one of his chief supporters absent. Former Sheriff Homer C. (Sandy) Toothman is undergoing therapeutic treatment at Berkeley Springs and is not expected to be present. He has been the leader of an active group for Smith here in the past month.

Plans are virtually complete for a Kennedy-for-President rally in Monongah Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. Friday when former Congressman Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., son of the late President, speaks in behalf of the Massachusetts senator.

Mrs. J. Max Gill, ticket chairman, said that reservations already made are nearly up to the capacity of the Monongah building's dining room. A limited number still available will be sold on a "first come, first served" basis.

A parade through Monongah at 6:15 p.m. will follow the arrival of the speaker with an escort from Benedum Airport. Frank Nicholas with his donkey and rooster, the Monongah fire departmeont [sic], Bill Hamilton's band, the Gospel Singers and a caravan of cars from Harrison and Marion Counties will be in the line of March.

The program will include group singing, music and speeches. Roosevelt will be introduced by A. James Manchin, former member of the House of Delegates from Marion County who is now a school teacher in Wood County and a member of the state Young Democratic executive committee.

A fireworks display will follow the dinner-meeting. Decorations on the streets of Monongah will be placed by Richard Maddox, Walter Riggs and Robert Knobel. Mrs. Gene Carlot heads the committee on decorations inside Town Hall, while Mrs. Helen Riggs will have charge of the door prize, Adolph Konza the reception committee and Mrs. Betty Vandetta the hostess committee. Hostesses will include Mrs. Mary Konya, Stella Manchin, Melba Haught and Ann Christian. Mrs. Edna Bock is general chairman.

Arrangements have been made to install a public address system outside the Town Hall in order that those persons who cannot attend the dinner to hear the program.

Tentative plans call for an appearance here next Monday of Atty. Gen. William Wallace Barron, another Democratic candidate for governor. U.S. Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota, who is opposing Kennedy in the state presidential preferential primary, will be here April 25 to address a fund-raising dinner sponsored by the Marion County Democratic Executive Committee.

Registrars will sit at the 95 voting places in the county today and tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to complete their field work. They will turn over their books Thursday to County Clerk Maria H. Clark. Precinct 116 registrars will sit in the residence of Tom H. Haymond, Lindan Lane, instead of the Pleasant Valley school.

The Marion County Court is scheduled to appoint election officials today. They will be recommended by the chairman of each political party.


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