Evening star., 1948-08-29
McGrath Cites South S
Economic Gains toPuII
Dixiecrats into Line
BY Gould Lincoln

s'hSSfu
Continuing his drive to brins
Southern Democrats back into line
for President Truman, Senator Nc.
Crath Of Rhode Island, chairman
OF the Democratic National Com.
mittee, declared last night that
Southern States have made tremen.
dous economic gains during the las,
sixteen years of democratic rule ir
Washington.
Personal incomes of the people OF
these Southern States, Mr.. Tru-
mans campaign director said, in
creased from s6,460,000,000 in 1887
the last year the Republicans con-
trolled the Federal Government-to
500 500 100000 in 1946.
The farmers of the South last
year had incomes amounting to
$1,000, 100000, compared to $780,
000,o0o in 1882. Further, according
to the Democratic chairman, halt
the farmers of the South today have
electric lights and power in their
homes. Until the Roosevelt admin
istration in 1885 set up the Rural
Electrification Administration, only
3 per cent of those farmers had
electricity.
Senator McGrath based these
statements on nation wide survey
OF the expansion of national econ
omy achieved during the Roosevelt
and Truman administrations. The
Southern States covered in this sur
vey were Alabama, Arkansas. Flor
ida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, Oklahoma and
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
and Virginia.
Gains Held Dramatic.
Nowhere" Senator McGrath said,
"are the tremendous economic gains
made by the Democratic Party in
rebuilding America from the wreck
age OF the Hoover depression more
dramatically evident than in the
South
Picturing happier condition in
the south since the Democrats took
charge in 1888, the chairman con-
tinued:
Under Republican administra-
tions, the South was run as a sort
OF colony of Eastern capital. South
ern business and industry were
handicapped by the action of an
administration that was not inter-
ested in developing the vast DO
tentlal of southern industry.
The democratic administration
which came into Office in 1888
changed this pattern. The Tennes-
see Valley Authority brought cheap
power to the South. 1t and other
Federal programs brought rich
crop lands which were once eroded
gullies. Identification came to the
southern farm"
Farm Mortgage Drop.
Other facts and figures given bv
the Democratic chairman showed
More than 100000 Southern
children in $4,000 schools partici-
pated in the school lunch program
last year, The program was start
ed in 1885.
Farm mortgages in the South de-
creased from 100000 in 1888
to $1,100,000,000 in 1947.
The REA has strung 256,949 miles
OF wires, serving 977,602 Southern
farms.
The Federal Security Administra.
ton granted $256,OOO 900 to the
South in the current 1949 fiscal
year-and this money has benefited
every Southern resident.
More than 3,400 banks in the
South are members of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corp, which
protects deposits up to 5000.
Taxing a crack at reports that
some of the Southern States may
actually vote for the Republican
national ticket this year, Senator
McGrath said: THE South will re-
member the unhappy days of 1882
and contrast them with present
prosperity when it goes to the polls
in November"
Hopes to Stem Revolt.
Senator McGraths appeal to the
Southern Democrats is on the
ground that their pocket books are
comparatively full This. he hopes,
will offset the dislike of Mr.. Tru-
man in the South because of his
sponsorship of the civil rights pro-
gram.
The antagonism of the South was
demonstrated in the Democratic
National Convention in Philadelphia
when 1853 Southern delegates
nearly all of them-voted against
the nomination of Mr.. Truman and
for the nomination of Senator Rus
sell of Georgia.
Since the convention, the So
called Dixiecrats have put a ticket
of their own in the field in some
of the Southern States. headed by
Gov. Thurmond of South Carolina
as candidate for President. Chair
man McGrath and the Truman
leaders are doing all in their power
to undermine the Dixiecrats, realiz-
ing that this Southern revolt is
likely to withhold from Mr.. Tru-
man the electoral college votes OF
several of the Southern States.
Mr.. McGrath, in his statement
yesterday. however. is seeking to
head off the possibility of Republi-
can victory in an any Southern
State-for example, Virginia, Ten.
nessee or North Carolina.