Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-09-27
May Investigate
.DiSfr9nchiSeIllent

New York, Sept. 19.-That there
IS political dynamite in Senator Nye's
investigation of Senatorial primary
elections, is the conclusion of Mark
Sullivan, Washington correspondent
OF the New York Herald-Tribune,
who bases his belief upon the pros
pect that the exclusion of Negroes
from voting privileges in the South
may enter the field of inquiry.
whether Senator Nye's investiga-
tions of Senatorial primaries will ex-
tend into Southern states is one OF
the most explosive questions Of the
campaAn," writes Mr.. Sullivan in
the Herald Tribune of September IT.
"In it intense interest is taken by a
group not mainly Republicans, but
rather to be described as Progress.
sives and Radicals in Washington,
New York and elsewhere. What this
group has in mind is to use the Nye
participation-or, more accurately,
non-participation-in Democratic pri-
maries in the South. That issue, car
ried to the end to which some per-
sons want to carry it, would question
the right of at least ten Democratic
Senators to their seats"
Mr.. Sullivan quotes the scope of
the investigation ordered by the Sen
ate as being, besides the examination
into improper expenditures, to cover
"the use of any other means or in
huence which would not only be of
public interest, but which would aid
the Senate in deciding any contest
involving the right to seat in the
United States Senate" He adds:
"That language MEANS" as respects
Southern Democratic primaries, the
participation or non-participation of
Negro voters"
The immediate dynamite in the
situation Mr.. Sullivan discusses as
follows:
"The matter is acute just now, for
two reasons. The National Associa-
ticn for the Advancement of Colored
People has grown confident because
Of its successful part in preventing
the confirmation of an appointee to
the Supreme Court, Judge John j.
Parker, of North Carolina, who was
charged with publicly taking posi-
ton adverse to Negro participation
in politics.
"In the second place Negro voters
have just won decisive advantage
in the Federal courts. A United
States Circuit Court has declared un-
constitutional a condition of the
Democratic primary system in Vir-
GINA which excludes Negroes. APP
parently the Virginia Democratic Of
ficials concerned did no tcare to con-
test the decision, for just this week
they have permitted the time limit
for an apnal to expire, and the de-
,ision stands.
"The net of the situation is that
there are energetic persons who are
determined to use the Nye committee
as a SIP toward a large end. The
purpose is to have the Senate debate
and pass upon the question whether
Southern Democratic Senator is en-
titled to his seat if he won it in a
primary in which Negro voters were
deprived of participation. THE per-
sons having this determination are
Radicals or Progressives primarily,
rather than Republicans, and Repub-
licanism is not their motive, although
the Republicans presumably would
benefit. Any one familiar with
American history since the Civil War
knows this is a decidedly explosive
situation"
The Virginia primary case referred
to by Mr.. Sullivan was supervised and
financed in part by the N. A. A. c. P.