Evening star., 1948-07-18
By }. A. o'Leory
Ster S,ofs corrsspondent

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, July II.
Gov. J. Strom Thurmond of
South Carolina became the
standard bearer today Of a
Southern revolt against Presi-
dent Truman over the issue OF
States rights versus civil rights.
The insurgents picked Gov. Field
ing Wright Of Mississippi for Vice
President, and then set the wheels
in motion for a drive to get the
Democrats in as many Southern and
border States as possible to cast
electoral votes for their ticket in
stead of the Truman-Barkley regu-
lar Democratic choices.
For seven hours crowd of more
than 5000 men and women who
filled the Municipal Auditorium here
shouted themselves hoarse, to the
strains Of Dixie, while speaker after
speaker served notice on Northern
Democratic leaders that the Solid
South Is mo longer in the bag.
In Dead Earnest.
Only time will tell whether the
influential Democratic leaders
throughout the South will get behind
this new political movement. But
one thing is certain-those who took
part in launching 1t today were IN
dead earnest.
1t may have been largely Bir-
mineham audience, but If other
Southern cities are as worked up as
this one against the FEPC and anti
segregation proposals in the civil
rights program, the organizers OF
today,s meeting may well succeed in
their objective. Their whole purpose
was to enable Southerners to vote
for Democrats other than President
Truman and Senator Barkley, and
not to encourage them to switch to
the Republican ticket, as they did In
1928 for other reasons.
They called today's gathering q
conference" not convention"
They insisted they were not starting
a new party, but merely working for
the election of a Democratic ticket
that believes in States rights.
South Well Represented.
The nucleus around which today's
revolt began was the handful OF
Mississippi and Alabama delegates
who walked out of the regular Demo-
cratic convention in Philadelphia.
But they had with them Sprink-
ling of individuals from nearly all OF
the other Southern States.
These Southerners crowded into
one day all the noise and fanfare
and convention ritual 1t took the
regular Democrats and Republicans
days to 60 through in Philadelphia.
In. . fighting, States Rights ac-
ceptance speech, Gov. Thurmond
denounced both President Truman
and his civil rights program. The
South Carolinian said the poll tax
has been abolished in all but seven
States, and that violent killings In
big Northern cities present a great
er problem than the need for anti
lynching legislation.
Gov. Thurmond. like most Of the
speakers, left no doubt that their
anger against the Truman program
was aroused chiefly by the sugges-
ton for the elimination OF segre-
CATION in everyday life.
Sums Up Feeling.
Gov. Thurmond himself summed
up this feeling when he said:
I'VE are going to be fair to the
colored race, but enough laws can't
be put on the books Of this Nation
to break down segregation in the
Southland. There are not enough
troops in the Army to force us to
take Negroes into our homes and
our swimming pools
Earlier in the day the political
strategy of the organizers of this
States Right movement was OUT
lined by former Gov. Frank M.
Dixon of Alabama, who delivered the
keynote speech.
Should this be q Republican
year." he said, then Of course we
will have accomplished nothing.
save to enforce our demand for
recognition in the Democratic
Party.
Should the. party OF Truman
succeed between now and the gen.
eral election In gaining enough
strength to be real contender.
(see REVOLT. Page A-6J
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