The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1948-02-05
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
BY Haxel Brannon

BY Haxel Brannon
Senator James o. Eastland, speak
ing to the Mississippi State Legs
lature in joint session Thursday
afternoon told the legislators sub
stantially the same thing this writer
proposed in this column that day. . :.
that the salvation of the south lies
in the use of our electoral votes. . /.
that unless we enact legislation
{already proposed in State Legisla-
ture) to free our electors from voting
for the national Democratic party
nominee for president and vice.
president we haven't a chance to
stem any anti-southern legislation
as proposed by President Truman,
titular head of the Democratic
party.
Senator Eastland said: IF we
would threaten, and mean it, to
withhold those electoral votes you
would stop the Democratic party
and the efforts Of its leaders to
wreck the south in their tracks. The
Democratic party cannot 60 without
us, and if our people have the will
to avert destruction, that will turn
the trick"
This does not mean boiling the
Democratic party -. it merely
means withholding vi electoral
votes to the end that we derive the
best possible results with what lit
tie influence we have. If Mississippi,
and other southern states would
enact legislation permitting DISPOSE
ton of their electoral votes as men,
toned, we would have a powerful
weapon with the 127 electoral votes
which the south controls. 1t would
not take all of the southern states to
accomplish this a few Of them
could achieve desired results.
The threat Of withholding our
electoral votes and making it pos
sible legally to do so throughout the
south would give the south the posi-
ton of being able to dictate candida
ties for the presidency and for the
post Of vice-president. It would give
us a strong voice in writing the party
platform and in other party matters.
We are not boiling the Democratic
party in Mississippi.
It has long since bolted us.
The full extent to which the Demo-
cratic party will 60 under the leader
ship of President Truman in order
TO stay m power a be seen in the
Presidents 10-point Civil Rights
program just submitted to Congress
which calls for Federal anti-lynch-
ing and anti-poll tax laws, and a ban
IN segregation in interstate transpor-
tation.
The President proposed:
/. A permanent commission on
civil rights, a joint congressional
committee on civil rights, and a
civil rights division of the Depart
ment Of Justice.
2. Strengthening existing civil
rights statutes.
3. Federal protection against
lynching.
A. More adequate protection of
the right to vote.
5. A fair employment practice
commission to prevent unfair dis
elimination in employment.
6. A ban against discrimination
on interstate transportation facili-
ties.
Z. Suffrage in presidential cleo
tons for residents of the District of
Columbia.
8. Statehood for Hawaii and
Alaska. and a greater measure of
self-government for our island pos
sessions.
8. Equalizing opportunities to be-
come naturalized citizens.
10. Settling the evacuation claims
of Representations.
Hon. Walter Sillers, speaker of the
Mississippi House of Representa-
tives and a highly respected leader
in public life has this to say con-
corning the Presidents Civil Rights
proposals;
''This is not a program to abolish
determinations. 1t is a program of
discrimination against the majority
of people in the United States in
favor of certain minority groups.
IF / were to try to formulate a
program destructive of the south and
more Objectionable to the south, !
do not believe l could possibly for
mulate one as bad as this. / don't
think the people of the south should
stand for it, and certainly we don't
have an obligation to any party.
candidate or President who would
endorse any such program. 1t is de-
structive of the south and the entire
nation"
Mr.. Sillers said the proposals of
the President are unconstitutional