Newspaper Articles


Clarksburg Exponent
April 26, 1960

Bob Kennedy Returns Here To Campaign

Rackets-Buster, Says It's Uphill Fight, But His Brother Is Gaining Ground

Bob Kennedy, the rackets-busting brother of U.S. Senator Jack Kennedy of Massachusetts, returned to Clarksburg Monday night to resume campaigning in Central West Virginia for the Senator who is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in the May 10 West Virginia primary.

Young Kennedy spoke Monday night before a dinner meeting of the Community Service Commission of the Harrison County Labor Federation (AFL-CIO) at the Hotel Gore. Harry Jackson presided over the meeting.

Bob Kennedy said in an interview Monday night in the Exponent office that he considers that his brother's campaign in West Virginia is still and uphill fight but he expressed belief that he is "gaining ground."

"I think that for the interests of West Virginians this election could be very important," Bob Kennedy declared. "In your industry you have major and difficult economic problems and a friendly occupant of the White House can make a major difference in this area's future.

"If Senator Kennedy receives the nomination, he is going to know it was the people of West Virginia who made it possible."

Bob Kennedy said that labor and farm groups have given members of his family "very friendly: receptions since the campaign started.

"I would say that in West Virginia we have received friendly receptions,: he continued. "They have been as friendly as we have received in any area of the country. Often the receptions were more enthusiastic than those in the State of Wisconsin."

Bob Kennedy stressed the idea that his brother knows how to solve economic problems such as those which are currently harassing West Virginia.

"We had the same economic problems in the State of Massachusetts that you have here in West Virginia," he declared. "We had greater unemployment at one time since the war than you now have in West Virginia. It was because of the work of my brother, chiefly with the help of other members of Congress from Massachusetts, that Massachusetts was able to revitalize itself. A friendly President can do the same thing for West Virginia.

"If my brother gets to the White House it is going to be because of West Virginia. West Virginia has never had a major role to play in selecting a nominee before. This time they could do it. ."

Bob Kennedy's schedule for today follows:

At 10 a.m., West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon; 11 a.m., Alderson-Broaddus College, Phillippi; 2 p.m., courthouse, Glenville; 2:30 p.m., Glenville State College; 3:45 p.m., Grantsville; 5:30 p.m., rally in the Gilmer County Courthouse at Glenville.

The itinerary for Wednesday will be: 10 a.m., Salem College; 12 noon, Bridgeport Civic Center; 1 p.m., Grafton, and 3:30 p.m., West Virginia University, Morgantown.


Gov. Rolvaag Sees Gains by Sen. Humphrey

Minnesota Official Says West Va. Needs Small Plants, Tourist Trade

Prompt government action is needed to ease the economic crisis in West Virginia, in the opinion of Lieutenant Governor Karl F. Rolvaag of Minnesota, who is a visitor in Clarksburg.

The Lieutenant Governor, who is spending several days in West Virginia working in behalf of his longtime friend, U. S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, a candidate for President, made this observation after a few [d]ays visit in Southern West Virginia and a brief visit here.

Rolvaag spent a day or two in Charleston, and then several days in Wyoming, Logan, Mingo, and Raleigh Counties, and this week he will spend much of the time in Central West Virginia.

He called attention to Senator Humphrey's 10-point program for relieving economic distress and pointed out that one of the things most needed is the Youth Conservation Corps bill. He reminded that U. S. Senators Jennings Randolph and Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia were influential in helping to get this bill through the Senate, but it has not received favorable House action.

Governor Rolvaag is particularly impressed by the beautiful scenery of West Virginia and its possibilities for tourist trade. He pointed out that Minnesota has capitalized on tourist trade within recent years and he thinks that the tourist trade has now reached a point where it is Minnesota's third largest industry.

After studying the conditions in West Virginia's Southern mine fields and conferring with scores of people there, Gov. Rolvaag reached the conclusion that to some degree the situation in this state is parallel to that which existed, and which still exists to some extent, in the Iron Range country of Minnesota.

He said that automation and other factors caused tremendous unemployment in the Iron Range country and that the people of Minnesota put on a drive for small plants. He pointed out that there are now three shirt factories and several small plants employing 50 to 100 persons in the Iron Range country and that they have helped greatly to relieve the economic crisis.

"Our present national rate of economic growth runs about two per cent, but to keep up with the population growth it should be five per cent," Governor Rolvaag declared. He pointed to the fact that the economic growth has been at a greater percentage in Western Europe and in Russia than it has been in the United States, and that there should be small factories available to help the situation in West Virginia.

"I think small plants could be moved into West Virginia as they have been moved into Minnesota," the visitor observed. "This economic growth is one of the most serious domestic problems that the incoming administration will have to face."

Discussing the abilities of Senator Humphrey, Governor Rolvaag declared: "I have known Hubert Humphrey for 15 years and I regard him as the most able man and he has great ability as a leader."

Governor Rolvaag declared that in Southern West Virginia counties he found very strong sup[p]ort for Senator Humphrey.

Governor Rolvaag observed that as a means of getting more tourist trade West Virginia could accomplish much by cleaning up the streams and by reforestation.

"I certainly have enjoyed my stay in West Virginia," he declared. "The people are warm and friendly and courteous."

Today Governor Rolvaag will visit Belington, Junior, Elkins, Parsons, Fellowsville, and Grafton, and then return to Clarksburg tonight.

His Wednesday schedule calls for a trip to Morgantown and return here Wednesday night.

Thursday he will visit Shinnston, Peora, Mannington, Farmington, Fairmont, and Monongah, and then go to Charleston.


Sen. Humphrey is Visitor in Buckhannon

Buckhannon - Traffic was interrupted on Main Street in Buckhannon on Monday afternoon about 2 p.m. when residents dropped their usual routines to hear Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket, as he spoke in front of the court house.

Office workers confined to quarters, opened the windows in their offices to listen to the speaker, and a crowd quickly gathered, surrounding the candidate.

In his talk, Humphrey said that he was proud of West Virginians who seek opportunities and not charity.

Humphrey's entourage, complete with chartered bus, public address systems, and photographers, left Charleston Monday morning, stopped in Summersville, where he addressed the local residents and had breakfast. The next stop was Webster Springs, and then Buckhannon. A spokesman for his party stated that Humphrey would climax this tour Monday evening when he arrived in Fairmont where he would be guest speaker at a Democrat dinner and rally.

Covering Humphrey's tour in West Virginia were photographers and reporters from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Life Magazine, Baltimore Sun, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, ENS, Washington, D. C., Wire service, both UPI and AP, and representatives from the Washington Post, according to one of the 20 members of his party.


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