The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1944-11-02

HAZEL
EYES
BY HAZEL 6RANNON

the electoral vote in Mississippi?
Mississippi has nine votes in the cleo
toral college which elects the president
and vice-president of the United States.
The Democratic party, which controls
Mississippi politics, held it's state con-
yention in Jackson in June. At that
time it elected delegates to the Demo-
cratic national convention and instructed
those delegates to try to get the two
thirds rule restored in Democratic party
matters; to see that no plan inimical
70 the South was enacted into the party
platform; to stand for the principles OF
states rights and Southern civilization.
The delegates were unsr 'cessful on
all counts.
This Democratic convention also nom
mated nine men as electors in the
electoral college to cast Mississippi's
vote in the electoral college; 1t nom
mated those men and at the tim OF
nomination instructed them that unless
delegates to the Chicago convention
were able to get certain measures enact
ed and prevent enactment OF other
measures at said convention they (the
electors) were free to cast their electoral
vote for any Democrat who does STAND
for the principles advocated by Miss's-
sippi and the South.
The three Democratic electors, Hon
Clarence Morgan, Kosciusko; Judge
Frank Everett, Of Indianola, and w. u
McLain, of McComb, who have announc-
ed publicly that they will support Sen
Harry Byrd, Of Virginia. as q Democrat
Who does stand for Southern traditions
and principles, are only doing what ALL
NINE electors are BOUND to do. They
were instructed thus by the Democratic
party convention which duly and IN nc
cordsnce with law nominated them.
These three men are not "bolters.'
They are doing what they were instruct
cd to do by the Democratic party con
vention in Mississippi.
II the remaining electors cast their
vote for Roosevelt and Truman THEY
will be the BOILERS because they are
bound to vote for a Democrat VINO re-
spects the traditions Of the South
and even the closest supporter OF Mr.
Roosevelt will concede that he mas
little if any regard for our traoitiohs'
The three elector candidates who have
said they will stand by the mandate Oh
the party convention may be voices
crying in the wilderness but some gay
az Roosevelt goes in AGAIN. their staho
will be vindicated. ,
These three men have character ana
rerve to make the stand they hav
taken In tho face of bitter opposition
from all Of the professional poiiticians
all over the state and the national ad-
ministration itself. Each Of the three
men are high class citizens, gooo ana
successful business men who enjoy a
fine reputation in their personal ana
business life. They are not eating out
of the public trough and they are not
seeking any personal or financial gains
for themselves. They have no lust ior
office-holding or W over the people
They are good citizens of Mississippi
and the South and are trying to point
to the people of Mississippi and the
South the danger of the road we are
travelling under the New Deal and Its
Communist supporters.
Now, who do we have the
stand Messrs. Morgan, Everett and Nc
Lain have taken?
We have Sen, Bilbo, Sen. Eastland
Rep. w. M. huntington, Gov. Bailey
n host of state officials and a grou1
1--WE don't know yet how large) of state
legislators. This group, according tc
present plans, are seeking to FoRCf
these three men to say they Will vote
for Roosevelt and Truman all ir
spite of the fact that the Mississippi
Democratic party clearly released these
electors Of any obligation to vote fol
the Democratic nominees.
Not only are they trying to FoRCt
these men to vote the way THEY wan
them but they are threatening to pass
laws to DISQUALIFY Messrs. Morgan
Everett and Mclean and other electors
who do not make a public statement
that they will support Roosevelt ane
Truman.
In other words this group of poll
ticians headed in the state by Gov
Bailey say I'VE are going to change th'
rules in the middle of the game and
make you vote the way we want you tt
or throw you out on your ear. We
are bigger than the Democratic party II
Mississippi which nominated you and
you will support Roosevelt and Truman
or ELSE"
The truth of the matter is that oui
Senators and our representatives II
Washington are on the spot. They have
been told by the national Democratic or
ganization that they must deliver Mis-
sissippi's nine electoral votes because
every electoral vote is going to be i'm
portant in this years election. TIT
Democrats cannot afford to risk losing
a single electoral vote in the solo
South" the backbone of Roosevelt's sup
port.
But because these office-holders ARR
on the spot personally is no reason why
they can resort to Hitler methods t
deliver Mississippi's electoral votes t.
Roosevelt and Truman. And if they do
they might as we'll get out of offic'
1~... kaao,~o thox,ul pauar ha rp-alpptp(