Newspaper Articles

Charleston has been tentatively selected over Wheeling and Huntington as the site of the face-to-face debate between Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Hubert H. Humphrey and John F. Kennedy.

The announcement came last night from the Charleston Gazette, the newspaper, Fred Forbes, a member of the Kennedy camp in Charleston, said is handling arrangements for the much publicized debate.

The debate, according to the Charleston sources, would be held in Charleston on May 4 between 7 and 10 p.m., and would be televised over a statewide television network originating out of WCHS in Charleston.

However, despite the reports by the Charleston sources, United Press International said last night that the location of the debate was still being determined and could be held either in Wheeling or Charleston.

The spokesman for the Charleston paper said that there were at present no plans to televise the debate over a national network although telegrams have been sent to network officials concerning the matter.

Last night the only thing remaining to firm up the meeting in Charleston was approval by Humphrey forces who have said they would like a major network to carry the telecast.

Gene Foley, a representative for Senator Humphrey in Wheeling, said that the time and place is up to Kennedy backers and that the only thing they ask is that the debate be live and not tape recorded and that it be on national issues.

Forbes said that the details are being left in the hands of the Charleston newspaper.

Meanwhile both senators continued to ply West Virginia on campaign tours as the primary heat begins to bring the political pot to a boil in West Virginia.

They primary itself is only slightly more than two weeks away and both candidates indicate thy will spend most of that time in West Virginia.

The state is regarded as a crucial test of Kennedy's ability as a Catholic to draw votes from a predominantly Protestant (95 per cent) area.

Kennedy will take a cue from Senator Humphrey in his campaigning over the southern coal fields and travel by bus as he moves east from Huntington at 9 a.m., stopping at Wayne, Williamson and Logan on Monday, and then Pineville, Mullens, Welch and Bluefield on Tuesday.

During this period, he promised to unveil his "program for the economic recovery of distressed areas."

Humphrey, meanwhile, having covered the southern coal fields last week, will move north, winding his way through the mountainous terrain of Summersville, Webster Springs, Buckhannon, Philippi, Fairmont, Kingwood, Keyser, Romney, Martinsburg and Charles Town.

The Minnesota senator said he will outline "a program of progress for West Virginia."

At his speech in Fairmont on Monday night, Humphrey will be on the program with another Democratic presidential prospect, who is not entered in West Virginia, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas.

Humphrey is not expected to reach the Northern Panhandle area until May 5 when he has a scheduled engagement.

During the coming week, the two candidates will begin to cross trails with one another and people are looking forward to the opportunity to judge between Kennedy's relaxed, let's-talk-it-over approach and Humphrey's full-blown and overpowering oratory.

The two candidates are both youthful, Humphrey 48 and Kennedy 42, and both seem to be calling for the voters to not consider them on a raligious [sic] basis.

Kennedy, a Roman Catholic, at each stop brings up the subject of religion, asking to be judged on his record. Humphrey, a Congregationalist, also has asked the voters to make they May 10 choice not on the basis of religion.

He said he would prefer not to win if it meant it would be on a religious bias and then chided Kennedy for his charges that he is being "ganged up on."

A newspaper poll in the state indicates that Kennedy is slightly favored at present, but points to a large segment of voters who have not as yet made up their minds in this predominantly Democratic state.

Gene Foley, campaign coordinator for Sen. Hubert Humphrey in the panhandle area, addressed the Marshall County Farm Women's group at the Adaline school Friday night.

Foley said it was regrettable that newspaper columnists from outside of West Virginia have insisted on steering the discussion of the current presidential campaign from a campaign based on issues to one centered on side issues and no issues. "these people," Foley said, "come into the state with their own preconceived opinions as to what the state is like, spend a couple of hours on a campaign tour, and then attempt to write as an expert on W. Va."

Foley pointed out that one purpose of any campaign in a democracy was to help educate the public concerning the differences in the programs and voting records of the respective candidates in order that people might have an opportunity to decide which candidate most represents their thinking on the great issues facing the country.

Foley also pointed out Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy of the Humphrey campaign committee, who was expected to be campaigning in this area Monday in behalf of Sen. Humphrey, was forced to cut his campaign tour short in order to attend an important Senate Committee meeting Monday morning.

Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy, brother of the presidential hopeful, Sen. John F. Kennedy, faces a heavy two-day schedule in the Ohio Valley area this week.

Coming here to campaign on behalf of his brother, he is expected to arrive in Wheeling tonight and stay at the McLure Hotel.

He is to be picked up by Benwood Mayor Henry Musilli at 6 a.m. Monday for breakfast scheduled from 6:30 until 8 a.m., and after that is to go on a whirlwind tour of business places, shopping centers and industrial plants in the Marshall County area.

Arrangements there have been made by Musilli, Mayor John Higgins, of Glen Dale, and Mayor Vic Mojzer, of McMechen.

From 9 until 11 a.m. Kennedy is scheduled to visit Benwood and McMechen business places; from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., the Louis Marx toy factory; from 1 until 3 p.m., the "roundhouse" at Benwood, and "Millgate" from 3 until 4:30 p.m.

He will go to dinner, with approximately 25 people, from 5:30 until 7 p.m.; attend a meeting in the courthouse at Moundsville from 7:30 until 9:30 p.m., and visit the American Legion Hall from 9"30 until 10:30 p.m. He will spend Monday night in Wheeling.

Kennedy's itinerary on Tuesday includes a visit to Gate 5, Weirton Steel Corp., from 6:30 until 7:30 a.m.; breakfast from 7:35 until 8 a.m.; a visit to the Newell and Chester potteries from 8:15 until 10:15 a.m., and a news interview from 10:30 until 10:45 a.m.

From 10:50 until 11:10 a.m. he will be at the courthouse in New Cumberland. Between 11:30 and 12:15 p.m. he will see the Cusick-Haines stamping factory. He will be interviewed at the Weirton Daily Times between 12:20 and 12:45 p.m.

From 12:50 until 1:45 p.m., he will have lunch at the Community Center in Weirton; from 2 until 4 p.m. will visit the tin and steel operations of Weirton Steel Corp., and look at the Stravaggi construction installations from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m.

He will have dinner at Furbee's Restaurant from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m., and then will see a tournament at the Weirton Heights bowling alleys.

Afterward, he is scheduled to drive to Pittsburgh and fly to Washington.

Mrs. Hubert H. Humphrey, wife of the Democratic presidential hopeful, will arrive in Wheeling Tuesday night.

Mrs. Humphrey will be in the northern panhandle all day Wednesday. Her schedule of appearances is now being arranged. Her Minnesota senator husband is not due to arrive in Wheeling until May 5.