The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-02-20
County Democratic Chairman Asks That
"Break" Issue Be Submitted To People

III q A<kh[A ~ q A
and legislative leaders Harold W
Gautier, chairman of the jackson
County Democratic Executive
Committee, has asked that the
people of Mississippi be allow.
ed to decide their course on the
proposed Southern break" with
the national Democratic party.
Mechanics for carrying the is
sue to the people should be sci
up now, while the state legisla-
ture is in session, Mr.. Gautier
said, and the decision made by
the vote of the people at the
election next November.
MI. Gautier's letter follows:
Senator Deaton NJ. McAuley,
Chairman
Senate Committee on Registra-
tons and Elections
Jackson, Mississippi
Mr.. Littleton Upshaw, Chairman
House Committee on Registra-
tons and Elections
Jackson, Mississippi
Gentlemen:
1t was my pleasure to have at
tended the meeting. at the audi
forum in Jackson on yesterday,
of the people of Mississippi, called
by Governor Wright to initiate
definite action, as desired by the
people against the pernicious ac-
ton and activity of the present
leaders of the National Demo-
cratic Party, SO detrimental to
the South, particularly, and to
the nation as a whole.
| attended the meeting as chair
man of the Jackson County Dem
ocratic Executive Committee, as
a Mississippian, a southerner but
particularly as a citizen of the
United States who believes in the
doctrine of states rights and in
local self-government and in the
a democratic form of government
guaranteeing to the people the
free expression of their choice
of men and principles by their
sovereign vote.
| was fully and wholly in ac-
cord with the expressions of the
governor and other speakers at
that meeting and am one hundred
percent in accord with the reso-
luton adopted unanimously by
some five thousand Mississippians
in attendance at the meeting.
Being a sincere believer in
the theory of democracy and in
its functions and processes, l
naturally have some concern, as
do all who believe like | do, as to
the mechanics of carrying out
that portion of the resolution pro-
viding for free presidential cleo
tors.
l understand that a bill has
been offered in the House to re-
lieve the presidential electors
from voting for the party NOM
inee,
The enactment of such legisla-
ton would, in my opinion, be a
crime against democracy because
it would be tantamount to disre-
garding the vote of the people.
You gentlemen recall that four
years ago some of our democratic
electors announced that they
would not vote for the then can
didate of the democratic party
if they were elected as presi-
dental electors. Several ugly
words we're applied to this an
nouncement and attitude, includ-
ing the word treason. That the
legislature was called into spe-
eial session the week before the
election and another list of cleo
tors who would support the party
nominee was presented to the
voters on a pink ballot and this
list was elected, by free vote of
the people. over those who sought
to flaunt the will of the people by
a majority of some two hundred
thousand to three to four thous-
and.
The five thousand Mississippi
ans at the meeting Yesterday
want the states presidential cleo
tors to be free agents. If these
five thousand were representative
of the people of Mississippi then
it can be assumed, without ques-
ton, that the people of Missis-
sippi want the presidential cleo
tors to be free agents and will
so express that desire by their
vote. The people must vote on
the proposition and will vote
correctly on the proposition, and
any failure to allow the people
to vote or any effort to prevent
the people from voting will be
destroying the processes of a
democratic government and will
be an evil greater than the evil
we now seek to combat