The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-09-12

vote oVerWHelEllIlRly LOT
 At this writing, thanks to cooks Roosevelt, Governor Coke Stey. enSon and Wallace spelling tho broth, it looks aS If the Texas electoral situation was more mud dled than ever and that mini- mum of 10 votes would go to Harry Byrd in the Electoral Col- lege next November
 Tn q tight election, this might decide who Is tO be the next President of the United States.
 Latest development in the tumultuouS Texas turmoil began when Vice President Wallace dropped in on anti. Roosevelt Governor Coke Stevenson at the Governors Mansion at 6:30 one morning last month. Gov, Steven- son wasn't up, but he did get up at 0 a. rl., at which time he and Wallace brewed coffee and had pleasant chat.
 Later reporting to FDR, Wal- lace said that Stevenson had been badly treated in Washington, had been ignored when the President went to the Mexican border, and felt badly, He suggested that FDR invite the Governor Of Texas up to Washington for chat, and that they might iron out the fact that anti-Roosevelt Democrats, headed by Jesse Jones nephew, had chosen 9 electors. of which at least IS were certain o vote against Roosevelt next November. FDR.STEVENSON FARLEY
 So Governor Stevenson was irl- vited to Washington. Arriving here, he was coralled by Jesse Jones, who conferred with him for an hour, then took him to the White House, introduced him to the President, and sat outside the door waiting for the conference the break up.
 Inside the Presidents office, FDR and Stevenson talked about
 the problem of reconverting Texas war plants. one of which in Austin had closed on the day
 Coke left Texas. Then they got around to the real subject Texas politics.
 The President had seen an opinion by William Flippen, prom inent Texas attorney, that the Dallas convention would have the right to select a new group of Texas electors, busting the anti Roosevelt electors chosen in May. The President also knew that his friends in Texas had 7i0 votes pledged out of the 1850 coming to Dallas, and that they were con- fident they could put the new pro-Roosevelt electors across.
 So he suggested to Stevenson that they clean out the old cleo. tors and get a new list. But the Governor demurred. He argued in favor of a compromise plan where by two lists of electors woulc. be on the ticket one list for Roosevelt. one list against him. so the voters could take his choice.
 Stevenson talked convincingly, said he had talked things over with Vice President Wallace, that Wallace had invited him to come to Washington, and that he felt confident he could Straighten everything out with his com promise if the President would leave things to him.
 So the President, faced with the promise from the Governor of the State and pre-occupied with war problems he was to discuss with Churchill, argued no more.
 Stevenson got the definite in- precision that the President &C., quiesced and, when he got back to Texas, so informed his friends The Stevenson Wallace compro- mise of two sets of electors on the ballot was said to have re- ceived the White House blessing. FDR'S FRIENDS AROUSED
 Whereupon Roosevelt's friends in Texas hit the ceiling. Mayor Tom Miller of Austin phoned Washintgon, raising cain. Jimmy Alfred. Alvin Wirtz, Speaker Sam Rayburn, together with 17 Texas Congressman out of 2l. felt them selves very much out on a limb.
 Sam Rayburn tried to phone the President to find out what
 had happened. but FDR had gone to Hyde Park. The only
 man who indicated that he knew was Jesse Jones. who had
 captured Coke Stevenson when
 he emerged from the White
 EEeuse and had kept him Che rest Of the eay. Jesse s.id she