Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-10
The Political Mil
Angry South Could Defeat
Trumun in Civil Rights Row
Withholding of 127 Electoral Votes
Would Mean 6. o. P. Victory
By Gould Lincoln

Unhappy Democrats of the South are trying
to decide whether they stand to lose more by
having 'carpetbag" Democrat or Repub-
lican in the White House. They regard the
program laid down by President Truman In
his recent civil rights message to Congress as
bad or worse than the program of the radical
Republicans in Reconstruction days after the
Civil War; The Truman program spells the
doom Of segregation of the white and colored
people-which has been practiced in trans
portation, in schools and colleges in hotels
and theaters and, in many ways, in employ
ment. The issue has become social as well as
governmental and economic.
These Southern Democrats went along with
the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt at
election time, although Mr.. Roosevelt at var
ious times advocated practically all the things
which Mr. Truman has now advanced. Mr..
Roosevelt, however, never Jumped them all in
q special message to Congress, and threatened
an army of FBI agents and determined De-
partment Of Justice to compel the Southerners
to carry them into effect. They went along in
order to keep Democratic President In the
White House-and to keep themselves in Office.
with jobs to parcel out to deserving followers,
They did this although they were opposed to
much of the New Deal program, and particu-
larly to the Roosevelt attitude on the race
question.
1877 Electoral Votes at Stake.
Except Franklin Roosevelt, who carried every
State in 1896 aside from Maine and Vermont,
and woodrow Wilson, who was elected over.
whelmingly in 1912 because Of the Bull Moose
Party led by Theodore Roosevelt, no Demo-
cratic candidate for President has ever had q
ghost of show for election without the vote
Of the solid South" If that vote were taken
from Mr.. Truman in the coming election. he
would. be sunk without trace-and even II
he divided States of the North and West with
his Republican opponent. and the election were
tossed into the House of Representatives. he
would stand no show.
So the most aroused Southern Democrats
are today threatening Mr. Truman with the
loss of the 127 electoral votes Of the II States
Of the South unless he eases of and fails to
press for the enactment of this program.
Senator Eastland Of Mississippi, for example,
gives his own answer to the question, What
can the South do?" It can withhold her elec-
toral votes and defeat any Democratic candi-
date. he points out. He further asserts that
mo candidate would be nominated If it were
known that he would not receive the South's
electoral vote. The machines Of the North
which control the party are not crazy" he
added.
Mr.. EaStland presupposes that Republican
candidate for President could not win next
fall when he suggests that the election would
be thrown into the House if Mr.. Truman does
not receive the electoral votes of the South
Yet Republican Presidents have repeatedly
been elected despite the fact the South voted
Solidly for their Democratic opponents. So 1t Is
obvious that while the South might prevent
the election of Mr.. Truman, 1t is not neces-
sarily true that Republican would fail Of
election without the issue going to the House.
Southern Democrats figure, however, that 1t
may we'll be better to go to the mat now on
this race issue with the Democrats of the North
and West than to postpone the issue. They
hold powerful weapon If they wish to use 1t.
Mississippi Leads Fight.
Mississippi through its Gov. Wright, has
taken lead in this fight with Mr.. Truman
and unless Mr.. Truman retreats on this issue
and the Democrats of the North retreat along
with him, Mr.. Truman will not get the cleo
toral vote of that State, no matter what the
other Southern States do. The Southern gov
ernors, meeting in Florida, put through reso-
luton to study the matter for 40 days-during
which, it is presumed they will seek to get
some kind of compromise with Mr.. Truman.
If Mr.. Truman should yield, he will lose
strength in the North and West and will be
more vulnerable than ever to the raids made by
Henry Wallace as a third party candidate.
The position of the prospective Democratic
nominee for President seems to be rapidly de-
teriorating.
Senator Eastland, who voices the sentiments
of Gov. Wright, says fatty: Common sense
demands that the electoral vote Of the South
be used to protect her people. The stark real.
ity u.s. however, that our electoral vote is the
basis Of the movement to destroy our social
institutions. Our electoral vote is now being
used to promote such purposes. The politi-
clans are expected to keep us in line in the
name Of party harmony while they stay in
office through the dispensation Of govern
mental favors'
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