Evening star., 1948-10-20
By. Gould Lincoln
Stor Stoff Correspondent

South Carolina, banner Democratic
State of the Union for years, has
turned its back on President Tru-
man and will give its electoral
votes to it's own Governor. Strom
Thurmond, the presidential nomi-
nee OF the States Rights Party.
No one here seems to have the
slightest doubt about the result
the only question is how large will
be the Thurmond-Wright victory.
The bitterness against President
Truman is extreme because of his
civil rights program. Gov. Thur
mond and his fellow .campaigners
may argue continually that the
issue is one of States Rights-but
to the rank and file of the voters
it is racial.
The Democratic organization OF
the State and its leaders, with few
exceptions, have moved over TO the
States Rights camp. They are the
people who count. The States
Rights slate of presidential cleo
tors contain the name of outstand-
ing Democrats.
Future of Party Uncertain.
The States Fighters, however, are
in the position of claiming to be
both the Democratic Party of South
Carolina and the States Rights
Party The minority Truman fac
ton insists that it is the regular
Democratic Party.
This raises another question
what is to be the future of the
States Fighters? Will they go back
into the Democratic Party after this
election, or will they choose to con-
tinue as an independent party?
That question may be settled at a
conference in Memphis, Tenn, of
States Rights leaders from the
States in which the movement has
grown.
The date for the conference. has
been tentatively set for next Sun
day, but it may be postponed.
Man, of the Southerners wish to
continue the States Rights Party,
believing that there is room for such
conservative party, not only in the
South, but also in the Nation. The
final decision may be delayed until
after the election and the leaders
are better able to assess the new
party's strength, particularly in the
South.
The States Right ticket has been
entered in 13 States andsis officially
on the ballots in those States In a
18th State, Maryland, the Thur
mond- Wright ticket could not get
on the ballot, and its supporters yes
terday announced plans for writing
in the name of Gov. Thurmond and
Gov. Fielding Wright of Mississippi
his running mate, as electors. The
Maryland attorney general has
ruled that electors do not have to
be residents of the State.
In four of the Southern States,
South Carolina, Mississippi, Ala
bama and Louisiana, the States
Fighters are confident of victory
In them the revolters have taken
over the Democratic organizations
almost completely-except for Fed
eral ofhceholdefs, and even some of
them are going along with the
Thurmond- Wright ticket.
Further, the States Fighters are
hopeful of Georgia, and of rolling up
large votes in Texas, Tennessee, Vir-
ginia, Arkansas and Florida. Their
ticket has been entered, too, in
North Carolina, Kentucky and North
Dakota, the latter is the sole State
above the Mason-Dixon line in
which it is officially on the ballot.
Four States Certain.
In the four States which the
Thurmond- Wright ticket appears
certain of victory there is total
of SO Electoral College presidential
votes. They are. Alabama, II;
Louisiana. 10; Mississippi, 9. and
South Carolina. 8. In addition, the
party expects to pick up 2 electoral
votes in Tennessee and.4 in Florida
If they we're able to win in Georgia
Virginia and Texas, they would swell
their Electoral College vote mate
rally. AS of today, however, VIC
tories in those three States do not
appear probable.
The process by which the States
Fighters took over in South Caro-
lima was simple. They won by
electing anti-Truman delegates in
county conventions, by carrying the
State Convention and finally by
having the Democratic State Execu-
tive Committee designate the Thur
mond-Wright ticket as the party
ticket. The vote in committee was
40 to 6. The six members who broke
away are responsible for the drive
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