Evening star., 1948-10-20
States Rights Party Sews Up
South Carolina for Thurmond

which ended with placing Tru
man slate of electors on the ballot
There is no secret ballot in gen
eral elections in South Carolina
separate ballots carrying the electol
candidates names are spread ou
on a table. The registered voter
step up and take the ballot the.
wish to vote, in plain view of an.
who cares to watch.
If the voting was by secret bal
lot, the vote cast for the Republican
electors might be far greater thar
it is expected to be, although it goe!
hard with a South Carolinian tt
vote Republican. Even SO, observ'
ers here say that the Republican
ticket may receive as many as TO-.
900 votes this year. Gov. Dewey. ir
1914, received 4,547 votes. Wendell
Willkie in 1910 had less than 1000
and even in 1929 when the South
was protesting violently against "a
Smith, the Democratic presidential
candidate, Herbert Hoover had only
3,188.
A strong feeling exists in some
quarters here that the State would
be better off with a two-party sys-
tenn functioning. Some of the
Democrats say frankly that the Re-
publicans of the North and West
are their kind of people" but SC
far the urge for a tWo-party system
has been unable to bring them to
vote Republican. This is one rea-
son for the serious consideration OF
continuing the States Rights ticket
The interest in the election this
year is expected to bring out a
larger vote than usual. Four years
ago only 95, 900 voters took the trou-
BILE to go to the polls. Now it is
estimated that the vote may reach
100000 or even higher. 1t is on this
larger vote that the Truman Demo-
Gratis are placing their hopes. But
with the feeling against President
Truman intense on the race issue
it may work the other way.
Negroes will vote in the State
But in what numbers no one seems
to know. Those that vote are ex-
pected to cast theff ballots for Mr.
Truman. Or in lesser number, fol
Gov. Dewey or Henry Wallace.
Wallace ON Ballot.
Mr.. Wallace, by the way, has a
place, on the ballot for his electors
But so far only five elector candi-
dates have been listed for him. The
WallaceiteS held a so-called State.
wide rally In Columbia some time
ago and only SO persons turned up
What strength Mr.. Wallace has ex-
lists in the CIO labor unions ir
Charleston. The Republicans did 9
better job with their rally here, with
165 persons attending.
The States Fighters claim tina
five out of the SIX South Carolini
House members have Endorsed tn,
Thurmond-W Wright ticket. The solt
failure to make such endorsement
was in the fourth congressional dis.
trict, represented by Representative
Bryson.
The two Democratic Senators
Maybank, who is up for election
and Johnston, who comes up two
years hence, have kept silent on the
presidential race. So far the closest
Senator Maybank has come to dis
cussing the question was iH {
speech in which he said he was fol
the rights of States Having re-
ceived the Democratic senatoria
nomination, he Is certain of re.
election.
Johnston Has Problem.
Senator Johnston has a different
problem on his hands. There Is 6
strong probability that Gov. Thur.
mond may challence Senator John.
ston for his seat in 1850. 1t woule
be dangerous, therefore, for Sen.
ator Johnston to come out for ths