The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-03-12
Khan Influence Now Almost Neg.
ligibIe and Senator Fights
Desperately
READ OUT By DEMOCRATS
BY No Means Deserted, Rural
Districts Will Support
Their Champion
READ OUT By DEMOCRATS
BY ROBERT TALLEY

By ROBERT TALLEY
Birmingham. Ala, Mar. 12.-(NEA)
After nearly 80 years in the two
houses of Congress. Senator j.
Thomas Helm of Alabama is facing
defeat for the first time and Is fight
ing with his back to the wall to keep
from being retired from public life.
This is a fair and impartial state
ment. made after a rst-hand survey
of conditions in the state, and is based
largely on these points:
l-Heflin has been read out Of the
Democratic party in Alabama by the
state executive committee and barred
from the Democratic primary because
he bolted the party to oppose AL
Smith and support Hoover in 1928
and in Alabama the Democratic
nomination has always been equiva-
lent to election.
2-The Ku Klux Khan which four
years ago dominated Alabama politics
with a power sufficiently strong to
elect a governor and a U. s. senator
is now pretty much a thing of the
past in the state. Its organization
has fallen apart, its influence is neg
ligible.
3-1f Hcflin runs as an independent
at the general election in November,
as he 10 plans. he will face a seri-
Gus technical obstacle in the fact that
voters desiring to split the ticket for
his benefit will have to mark the bal
lot for each individual candidate in
stead Of making one mark under the
picture Of the party emblem and thus
voting a straight ticket as it usually
Goes in Alabama.
This means n mistake or duplica-
ton will invalidate the whole ballot
and in I'M counties there will be SO
Or more names or the ballots.
Two Democratic Opponents
Qualified as regular Democratic
candidates seeking the nomination in
the primary on Aug. IL are John H.
Bankhead Of Birmingham, and Fred
erick I. Thompson of Mobile. Bank
head is a wealthy corporation attor-
ney and a retired coal mine operator.
Thompson is publisher Of five Ala
bama newspapers and a former men,
Der of the United States Shipping
Board.
The Republicans may or may not
put out a candidate. If they do. his
vote will be futile because Alabama
is overwhelmingly Democratic and
has always been SO. The fact that Al
Smith. admittedly crippled by Hef-
Inns opposition. carried Alabama over
Hoover only by a margin Of $4,000 to
100. 900 votes. is not an indication Of
Republican strength. Instead, it was
an indication of Democratic dislike
for Smith. famed by Helm.
Helm Not Deserted
The $4,000 regular Democrats WHIT
temporarily abandoned their party tt
vote for Hoover did SO because oil
their objection to Smith as a wet ano
a Catholic. Since Smith is not now a
candidate, it is unlikely they viii
leave the fold again in very appreci-
able numbers, ever to vote for Tom.
Helm. though facing a stiff battle
for his political life, is by no means
deserted. In the rural districts Of the
state-especially in the more remote
districts-he is still a power with a
great mass Of voters, many Of whom
have never seen a Catholic ano
who still believe if AL Smith had
been elected. the pope would have
left for Washington on the next boat
There are many, too, who regard
Cotton Tom as their personal
champion and may support him as
an independent candidate for thi.
reason. They have known him for 81
years. he has fought their battles al
Washington. made speeches at their
picnics and at their Confederate Me-
mortal Day exercises. kissed theil
babies and-in Wilson's adminiStra.
ton, at ~least-passed out government
Jobs to the faithful.
A Boosted Tradition
But the straight Democratic
ticket is a boosted tradition in Ala.
bama. and has been ever since re.
construction days. The Republican
party. in Alabama's eyes. stands fol
political equality for the negro with
negro office holders-and that is un.
thinkable in Alabama.
For this reason, although the negro
population of Alabama is about hal
Of the total, the negro vote is no fac.
tor. There just isn't any. Under tn.
state law by which county officer.
test the qualifications Of applicant.
for voting papers. the officials have
SUCH wide latitude that they can, i
they desire, make the requirement.
impossible.
Helm has been charging that
Smith. Raskob and the Roman Cath.
Ole wet crowd Of New York" ar,
flooding money into Alabama to bea'
him. Yet. his personal strength ant
some OF the remnants of this dyin,
bitterness may cause some Democrat
to desert in his favor.
Hcflin Seems Worried
Heflin'S course seems to indicate b,
realizes the seriousness Of his situa
ton. When the Democratic stat
committee barred him. he came rush
ing down from Warrington with
war club in his hand. The war clu1
soon turned into an olive branch. H
spoke at we'll attended meeting
throughout Alabama and made mum
|, erous pleas to get his name on tn
Democratic ticket but to all these til
state committee turned q deaf ear.
A suit to compel the committee {
do this was filed but no action ha
yet been taken.
Thompson, the newspaper publislae
has merely stated, in announcing h
candidacy against Bankhead for til
Democratic nomination, that h
. doesn't propose ITO see the nomins
ton 60 by default" Thompson IS q
ancient foe Of the Alabama Pow(
Co, and strongly opposed to the klal
Bankhead's Views
q. 8ankhead has not vet ANNOUNCED