Evening star., 1948-07-04

RaClOu OF WIl1t6S anu CSSIOcS Ia
schools. transportation and employ.
ment.
Notwithstanding the opposition Of
the South, President Truman ap-
pears to be on the way to the nomi-
nation, probably on the first ball
lot. The one chance Of halting
Truman lies in the proposal to
nominate Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhow-
er Unless the general takes him.
self out of the race with . definite
statement, the delegates from the
Southern States will flock to his
standard, and in all probability so
will the delegates from q number
of the Northern and Western States.
This could bring a stampede to
Eisenhower. If Gen. Eisenhower
turned the nomination down-then
the convention might 60 to Asso-
ciate Justice William o. Douglas Of
the Supreme Court. 1t would DO
difficult to get it to 60 back to Tru-
man. A Truman nomination can be
made far more easily against South
ern opposition than a Smith nomi-
nation in 1924 or 1928 because a
majority vote is enough to nominate
now. instead of the two-thirds vote
necessary In Mr.. Smiths case.
Southerners opposed to Mr.. Tru-
man. however, are planning full
scale battle. They hope to have
with them Democrats Of the North
and West who are convinced that
Mr.. Truman at the head Of the ma
tional ticket will spell defeat for
their candidates for Congress and
for State and county Offices.
Mr.. Truman has no delegates
from the States of the solid South
pledged to vote for him in conven-
ton. This does not necessarily
mean that none will vote for him.
Many are uninstructed and others
are instructed to vote against him.
The solid South comprises vir-
ginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Florida, Georgia, Alabama.
Louisiana, Mississippi. Tennessee.
Arkansas and Texas-11 States with
298 delegate votes in the National
convention. Frequently voting. with
the solid South are the States Of
Maryland, Kentucky, West vir-
ginia and Oklahoma, with 80 more
votes. The Democratic convention
will have total of 1924 delegate
votes. Obviously the solid South
will have to find many allies in the
North and West If 1t is to stop"
Mr.. Truman.
May Depend on Plank
OF all the delegates chosen below
the Mason and Dixon line, only 26
have been pledged to Mr.. Truman
Maryland's 20 and 6 from the Dis
trict of Columbia.
On the other hand, only S1h
Southern delegates have been in
structed against Truman-Missis-
sippi, %; South Carolina, 90; Ala
bama, 26, and Florida, 1914 out Of
20. The rest are going to the con-
venticn uninstructed-though many
are hostile to Truman nomina-
tion-except Virginia with 26 dele
gates and Georgia with 28-in-
structed to vote for Gen. Eisenhower.
The very fact a large number Of
the Southern delegates are un-
instructed gives hopes to Truman
supporters that eventually they will
be found voting for the Presidents
nomination. Much may depend on
the kind OF civil-rights plank which
is written into the party's national
platform. The platform will be
drafted and adopted before the con-
vention starts voting on presiden-
tial nominee. The thought has been
expressed that should the platform
carry a civil-rights plank similar to
that adopted in 1914 many Of these
Southern delegates will 60 along
with Truman nomination. On the
other hand, If the plank embraces
the Truman civil-rights program in
it's entirety, as the President sent 1t
to Congress, some of these Southern
delegates-in addition to the anti
Truman instructed delegates-will
never 60 along with the plan to
nominate Mr.. Truman.
The so Texas delegates-the larg-
est delegation from the South-ars
uninstructed and so are the 80 dele
gates from North Carolina. Other
Southern and border delegations in
the uninstructed list are: Louisiana,
"a; Arkansas, %; Tennessee, %;
Kentucky, 26: West Virginia, 20; and
Oklahoma, "a.
One of the main questions which
will arise is-how many Of the
Southern delegates will 60 so far a.
to walk out-bolt-the national
convention If they do not like the
platform and Mr.. Truman is NOM
mated. Fourteen Of Alabama's 20
delegates are pledged to walk out OF
the convention II Truman Is the
nominee. -Four others will vote for
the President If there is no other
candidate placed In nomination.
This Is like saying they win vote for
candidate other than Mr.. Truman,
for certainly some other candidate
will be balloted for.
Eisenhower Discounted
| The other delegates-from Mis-
sissippi and other states-who are
instructed against Mr.. Truman may
walk out and probably win II that
appears the better course to keep
alive the revolt. OF Florida's 1871
votes instructed against Truman.
liz are instructed to vote for Gov.
Fielding Wright Of Mississippi-vho
has been foremost In the anti -Tru.
man drive-and the other 81 votes
\ TlSnx.t4nto ~