The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-07-06

HAZEL
EYES
BY HAZEL BRANNON

\ Deal Democrats are making quite
a $ about the revolt of states-rights
Der oerats in Texas, Mississippi and
South Carolina. They are crying to
heaven that it Is the vested" interests
responsible for this audacious uprising
of the people and hat it isn't right for
the electors not to support the party
nominee; that they are bound by honor
and precedent to support the party
nominee.
These New Dealers haze conveniently
forgotten that their own enieftain, the
honorable Franklin d. Roosevelt, on
January 8, 1898, at a party affair made
the public statement that he once voted
for a Republican because he (Roosevelt)
thought him better qualified to be presi-
dent than the Democratic nominee. He
further stated "today party lines mean
less than at any time since Washing
ton"
While we are on the subject Of tradi-
ton we might suggest that not only
tradition, hut the constitution itself
provides that qualifications of electors
be left to the s~tates; that the states are
all powerful when it comes to the
question Of determining how elections
are to be held and who shall vote In
them. additionally every state runs It's
" election machinery without inter-
ference from the Federal government.
When the New Deal influence In .
Supreme Court decision IL felt to such
IN extent that the court reverses all
previous stands and says that a party
has to permit certain groups to vote in
its primary . then IL Is time for New
Dealers to stop talking about tradition.
Sacred tradition means nothing to the
New Deal. II makes its traditions ms 1t
goes along in everything from the third
term to changing the Thanksgiving holt
day.
There's another feature to the revolt
in the south. The New Deal ~stalwarts,
being politicians, nno get away from
the idea that IT isn't strictly political.
The staunch New Dealers have every
right to be mad. They had been led to
believe by all of their henchmen they
had sent out over the country that the
south, as usual, was "in the bag" Tex
as congressman, after the Supreme
Court decision, in Washington stated
that Texas would remain loyal to the
Democratic party and Mr.. Roosevelt.
That those Congressman did not know
just how real and widespread the re-
volt in Texas was and it can be seen in
subsequent happenings In the state
Democratic convention there.
Political influences. in the presence
or absence Of osficeholders, did not fig
ure in the Mississippi convention either.
Ordinarily at Democratic conventions in
Mississippi from precinct to state, a
handful Of people get together and pick
delegates to represent the people in
party affairs. This convention has al
ways been more or less hand-picked by
office-holders and those seeking poll
teal patronage. This time not a single
major state office-holder was active in
tht convention. Not "a single congress
man was picked to represent the state
of Mississippi at the national Democra-
tic convention. The Senators and Gov
ernor were put on the slate of delegates
through courtesy with only a half-vote
each.
The people who will represent Mis-
sissippi in the coming national Demo-
cratic convention were not picked by a
political machine or the "moneyed in
terests. They are composed Of people
from all occupations, business and pro-
fessions. There is not a professional
politician among the group unless you
label your Governor or Senator that.
Anything they might do will not be
done for personal gain or favor, but in
the interest of Mississippi and the
south and in the interest of the preser-
walton Of our republic.