Evening star., 1948-07-19
States Rights Revolt
Weakened by Failure
Ito Lure Big Names
Bv J. A. O'Leory
Ssor SsoH Correspondent

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, July 10
The success of the newly or
ganized Southern revolt against
President Truman may hinge or
what the special session of Con-
gresS does with the civil rights
program which stirred up the
Dixie Democrats.
Despite all the noise and fer,
talk that accompanied the States
rights conference here Saturday
most of the nationally known
Southern leaders were conspicuous
by their absence.
IT., for example, the gathering
had been able to put up such names
as Senator Russell of Georgia, OF
Senator Byrd of Virginia for Its
national ticket, it would have indi-
Gated much wider Southern support
Tor the movement.
Instead, the impression is hard
to escape that Mississippi, Alabama
and possibly South Carolina-are
more worked up against President
Truman than the other eight
Southern States.
(Senator Mcclellan, Democrat,
OF Arkansas, said in Washing
ton, that entrance of a States
rights ticket in the presidential
field may cost President Truman
six Southern States in the No
vember election. Senator Nc
Clellan, who fought Mr.. Tru-
mans nomination but remained
in the party, listed the States
as Alabama. Mississippi South
Carolina, Florida, Georgia and
Tennessee.
| tBut Senator Hatch, Democrat,
OF New Mexico, disagreed. He
/ predicted the Southern revolt
will be effective in no more than
two States)
Leaders Lack Strength.
Gov. Thurmond of South Caro-.
lima Endorsed by the conference fol
President, and Gov. Fielding
Wright, designated as his running
mate, were both in a fighting MOOD
as they agreed to carry the States
rights banner, but neither of them
is likely to muster the following that
could be rallied by better known
Southern spokesmen in the House
and Senate.
The close ratio OF colored to white
population in Mississippi and Ala
bama is given here as the most log
ical explanation of their readiness
to go further than some of their
neighbors in opposing Mr.. Truman
and his civil rights program.
The convening of Congress next
Monday, however, with the entire
civil rights program, or parts of it,
almost certain to be on the agenda,
may give this new States rights
ticket the boost 1t needs to gain a
firm foothold in all of the Southern
States. This is the judgment of
some veteran political writer's in
this area.
Whenever an anti-poll tax, anti
lynching or fair employment prac-
tice bill is taken up. the Southern
leaders in Congress will be fighting
the legislation, regardless of whether
they agreed with the strategy of
those who launched a separate
Southern Democratic ticket here
Saturday.
Republican Effort Seen.
1t is hard to see how the Repub-
licans who control Congress can
avoid making serious effort tc
pass civil rights program, in view
of their own platform promises and
the challenge hurled at them by
President Truman in Philadelphia
last week.
Although Southern filibustering
has stymied these bills in the Senate
in past years, Mr.. Truman said fatty
in his acceptance speech that the
Republicans had enough votes in
Congress this year to invoke the
cloture rule, which would cut off
endless debate and force a decision.
The fair employment practice bill,
or any other measure that would
tend to do away with segregation in
public places, has the South more