The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-06-15

1t Ia Better 70 lie ON IOur fees
Than to Live on Your Knees"
Most H~eartening News m out OF
the State Democratic Convention (6-8-
44) just closed. Mississippi Democrats
had the grit to serve notice that we
will not submit to being run over in the
National Convention. We will not stand
for the insertion in the Platform Of a
racial equality plank; nor an anti-poll
tax plank. States rights must be respect
ed and restoration Of the two-thirds
rule agreed to. If our reasonable de-
mands are refused our electors will be
at liberty to cast their votes for any
Candidate holding views in harmony
with their own. The Convention pro-
ceeded to select an able and stiff-backed
delegation to represent the State at
views outlined at the State Convention.
II the Administration chooses to seek
the northern negro vote, continues to
truckle to the Political Action Commit
tee, to Comrade Browder, they will lose
the electoral vote Of Mississippi. Fool
ish GESTURE? Let us see. The election
promises to be close. This State has nine
electoral votes. 1t may be that fewer
than that will separate the Republican
and Democratic candidates. If that
should happen we would be In control
and could exact our own terms Another
angle-great discomfort has already
been expressed by South Carolina, Tex
as, Virginia, others. We and they might
walk out Of the Convention, organize
a Jeffersonian Democratic Convention,
nominate Senator Harry F. Byrd Of
Virginia or some other sturdy, able man
who would hold the best interest Of the
Nation above personal ambition. The
boilers might not have a majority but
they would certainly have enough to
deny a majority to any other candidate.
Thus election would be thrown into the
House of Representatives with each
State having just one vote. Again the
South would be in an excellent bargain
ing position and might come out with
a President. Those delegates the citizens
sent to the State Convention were men
of courage, of honor, of patriotism.
They could not be bought nor frighten-
ed. They had the courage to stand up
in plain sight and advocate policies to
restore the nation to a rule of Laws in
stead of men; to restore States rights
and freedom Of effort that in the last
century and a half has made this the
strongest, freeist nation on Gods earth.
Seventy-five Years Ago. in the case
of Paul vs.. Virginia, the Supreme Court
declared that Insurance is not inter-
state commerce and therefore under
State control. All the States proceeded
to set up Insurance Departments and
enact laws dealing with the subject ac-
cording to their various needs. Over the
years state court decisions nave built
mp a body Of p~recedents so that all con-
ditions and words of policies nave a
definite, established meaning, adjust
ment practices are standardized. 1t is
obvious that insurance on factories and
railways demand somewhat different
treatment from dwellings and both diff
fer widely from insurance pertaining to
ships and eargoes at sea. Just as rail-
ways may not charge one passenger a
higher rate than another or one shipper
more than another, just so an Insurance
Company may not charge one insurer
more h a another. In Mississippi and
most, if not all, other state each risk is
checked by a State Insurance Bureau
and must conform with the States in
surance law. Last week the United
States Supreme Court by a 4-3 decision
a minority Of the Court, mind you
upset the whole established practice
and declared that the Federal Govern
ment has jurisdiction. Now it will be
necessary to start all over again taking
cases to Court to find what the new law
is and will probably take some thirty
years to again settle procedure and
meanings. 1t is to weep-for the insta-
bility Of present legal knowledge
Another Thrilling Naval Story tells
of the torpedoing and bombing Of the
German battleship Tirpitz, rel u ted
strongest man-of-war in the world, rs
she lay in fancied safety many miles up
. narrow and crooked Norwegian Fiord.
It 10 the first page story In this weeks