Evening star., 1948-11-13
Tie. Political Mill
Dixiecrots Show No Sign
Of Crawling to Trumdn
Attitude of Party Boilers Is Shown
in Statements of Alabaman

W." ~
Attitude of Party Boilers Is Shown
in Statements of Alabaman
By Gould Lincoln
Dixiecrats who supported the Thurmond-
Wright ticket show no signs Of creeping back
to President Truman Just because he won the
presidential election.
Typical of the attitude of many Of these
Truman boilers are the statements made by
Gossner T. McCorvey, chairman Of the State
Democratic Executive Committee Of Alabama,
replying D to Gov Folsom Of Alabama, who
had urged the Alabama presidential elec-
tors to vote for Truman and ca to Mrs. Frank
lin D. Roosevelt, who had urged the "purging"
OF the Dixiecrats who left Truman.
Mr.. McCorvey fatty told Gov. Folsom that
he would vote for the Thurmond- Wright ticket
AS an elector-and he added: Frankly can
not understand how you could think of re.
questing any man, in whose honor and integ-
rity you had any confidence whatsoever, to do
such dishonorable act as you have suggested
and violate the solemn pledge given by him to
the people Of Alabama
Replies to Mrs. Roosevelt.
In his comments on Mrs. Roosevelt's attack
on the Dixiecrats, Mr.. McCorvey was no less
firm in his anti Truman position. Mrs. Roose.
velt" he said, "is entirely correct in her I'M
preston that the votes electoral college votes)
which are going to Gov Thurmond from the
South might well have defeated Mr.. Truman"
Mr.. McCorvey went on to say logically, that
the defeat Of Mr.. Truman was what the
Dixiecrats had set out to accomplishment would
still like to accomplish If it were possible He
added that if the Dixiecrats had carried two or
three more States, the presidential election
would have been thrown into the House OF
Representatives and that Truman would have
been defeated there.
With considerable heat, Mr.. McCorvey assert
ed that the only reason the Dixiecrat ticket did
not carry more than four States-Alabama,
Mississippi Louisiana and South Carolina-was
the fact there were too many Southerners who
thought more Of Federal patronage Uobs) and
eating out Of the public trough than they did
about saving our Southern civilization-whic
cannot be saved If Truman is successful in put
ting over his program and abolishing our seq
regation practices"
Judging from these statements, there is no
doubt that Gov. Thurmond will receive the
electoral votes Of the four States he carried.
It is also clear that the members Of Congress
from these States will fight to the limit the
Truman civil rights program when it Is pre-
sented in the Senate and House. p
Some of these members Of Congress actively
campaigned for Mr.. Thurmond-and others
kept their mouths closed. Some Of them
never wanted to leave Mr.. Truman, anyway,
but were compelled to 90 on record against him
in order to be elected delegates to the Demo-
cratic National Convention last spring, or to
keep in the good graces Of their constituents.
The two Alabama Senators, Hill and Spark
md IN fHa mt. Tr1,roo
stand reluctantly. Knowing their position, the
administration would be reluctant, too. to strike
at them. In view of the strong feeling in
their State against Mr.. Truman, these SEN
ators may have to continue to watch their
steps when they return to Washington for the
new session.
In Position to Act.
The Truman administration is in strong posi-
ton to strike back at the Dixiecrat boilers if
1t wishes It can force out Of office the Federal
jobholders who supported Gov Thurmond. It
can decline to appoint to Federal Office any
candidates recommended by Dixiecrat Senators
and Representatives. Already one Dixiecrat
official has been compelled to resign-Mortimer
Jordan, collector OF internal revenue at Bir-
minghan, Ala, who supported the Thurmond-
Wright ticket Action against him was taken
on the ground he refused to obey an order to
comply with fair employment practices, MIR.
Jordan insisting he could not put Negroes to
work alongside of whites.
Mr.. Jordan's is not an isolated case. Many
other officials in the Dixiecrat States supported
Gov. Thurmond and opposed Mr.. Truman. The
selection and appointment of Mr.. Jordan's sue
cessor, however, will be watched with interest
and also what happens to the appointment
after 1t reaches the Senate.
No one believes there will be any real attempt
by the administration to crack down hard on
the Dixiecrat Senators and Representatives
except in few cases. Eight Democratic Sem
ators from these four States, if they went on
a rampage. would make the Democratic major.
ity In the Senate look like 80 cents.