The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-10-05
Som N. Johnston.
Mississippi Native;
Cont Support Demos

Hon. Sam NJ. Johnston, prominent
and highly regarded attorney and citi-
ssn Of Mobile, Alabama, and a past
president Of the Alayama Bar Associa-
tion has resigned as a Democratic nomi-
. for ~elector Of Alabama, an office to
which he was nominated in the Alabama
State Democratic convention.
Tn letter which he wrote TO the
shsirman Of the Alabama State Demo-
cratic Executive Committee should be
Of interest to all persons in the south
who value their southern and American
heritage. That a mar Of Mr.. Johnston's
known calibre would find It impossible
to cast an electoral vote for the present
Democratic candidates is q matter not
70 be dismissed lightly by Alabama and
southern voters.
Mr.. Johnston Ii q native MissisAIppian
and was educated at Ole Miss. He fin
ashed In the same law class at Ole Miss
- did Hon. Henry H. johnson and Hon.
Paul P. Lindholm, Lexington attorneys.
His letter follows:
JOHNSTON, MCCALL q JOHNSTON
aWyers
First auonal Bank Annex
Mobile, Alabama
p. o. Box $50
August Soth, ls44
Hon. Gessner T. MeCorvey
Chairman, State Democratic
Executive Committee
Mobile. Alabama
Dear Mr.. McCorvey:
MY resignation as a candidate for one
Of the Presidential Electors from Ala
bama is hereby rendered to you, as
Chairman of the State Democratic Ex-
scutive Committee, l having been nomi-
mated to that office by the Democratic
Party OF this state sometime prior to
the meeting of the National Convention
in July. view with fearful apprehen-
sion and alarm the consequences of the
success Of the National Democratic Par
ty in the coming presidential election
1t is with sadness that l should want
to see that party Of my fathers, and of
mine, which for generations stood for
splendid and noble principles of govern
ment and of human rights, without
which free men cannot live in security
and peace, 60 down in defeat.
Under the studied and malignant in
nuence of the present National Demo
cratic Party, as now dominated by com
munists, socialists, metropolitan ward
leaders, star-gazers, political opportun.
lists, and that elusive but never proven
balance of power" called the "negro
vote. the genius of our institutions has
been uprooted, and sacred traditions OF
our Southern Life, indispensable to or.
der and good feeling among our races
have been torn from their hinges.
No longer will | contribute to the de
struction of my State and my Country
BY paying homage to a party that is
spurious in a great part of its platform
and which fatefully menaces the hopes
aspirations and existence of our South.
ern people; a party whose wild and row.
ing orgies of the past twelve years has
glutted its appetite with usurped pow.
er and pernicious innovations.
Whatever criticism may be levelled al
the Republican Party, we know that
from the days of Reconstruction until
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected
President of the United States, it never
interfered, except casually, in the race
question in the South, nor in our local
affairs. The Civil Rights Laws passed
shortly after the Civil War which
sought to grant Negroes equal rights
81 entry into restaurants, hotels, inns
theatres and public conveyances along
with white people, were stricken down