Evening star., 1948-09-26
Alabama May Stand
Alone in South on
Truman Ballot Ban
By the Assoeiotsd Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala, Sept. 25.-
Alabama, which has supported every
Democratic candidate since 1872,
may be the only State this year
where the voters can't mark their
ballots for President Truman.
The question hasn't been settled
yet in Louisiana and Georgia, but
every other Southern State has a
place on the November ticket for Mr..
Truman or electors pledged to him.
Even in Mississippi, where the
States Rights Democratic Party was
born out of resentment toward the
racial policies, the voters
can vote for him If they like. The
regular Democratic Party candidates
are committed to the Thurmond-
Wright slate, but q separate slate
of Truman electors will be on the
election list too.
The Presidents name was dropped
from the ballot in Louisiana, also,
and Governors J. Strom Thurmond
of South Carolina and Fielding
Wright of Mississippi were desig-
mated the official candidates for
President and Vice President.
Gov. Earl K. Long called the
Legislature into special session,
however, to get Mr.. Truman back in
the running. A bill passed by the
Louisiana House and now pending in
the Senate would let the Presidents
supporters put him on the ballot as
long as they do not call him
Democrat.
Georgia's Gov. M. E. Thompson
also today called a special session
to straighten out the election tangle
in that State. The legislators will
meet Monday. The State Democratic
Committee is scheduled to convene
later to name the Democratic elec-
tors. Whether they will be COM
mitted to any candidate remains
to be seen.
Both Truman Democrats and the
States Fighters are expected to be
on the ballot in Tennessee, but
neither has been certified officially.
Three of the II regular party cleo
tors have promised to support the
Thurmond- Wright ticket and the
State Democratic Committee has
taken steps to replace them but
nothing final has developed.
Elsewhere in the South, the issue
is more ciear-cut.
The States Rights Democrats
have been ruled out IN Oklahoma
in favor of Truman hackers. The
Attorney Generals Office, which de-
cided the question, has suggested
the Thurmond- Wright followers
take the matter into court. but
nothing like that has happened yet.
Pro-Truman and anti-Truman
Democrats will share the ballot in
seven States-Mississippi, Arkansas,
North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky,
Virginia and Texas.
South Carolina has no State bal
lot, each political party distributing
its own. The regular Democratic
ticket is supporting Gov. Thurmond
and Wright, but pro-Truman fac
ton says it will pass out ballots, too.
Name Banned on Ballot.
Alabama's Democratic electors
said even before Mr.. Truman was
nominated that they wouldn't vote
for him or any candidate who ran
on the explosive civil rights plat
form. The Presidents name wont
be on the ballot-only those OF the
II electors.
Truman followers, led by State
Senator Joseph N. Langan OF Mo-
bile, first tried to get a separate
slate of electors on the ballot. but
changed their mind. .>--.5 ..-
Instead, Senator Langan has said
he will seek a Federal court order
to make the regular II Democratic
electors support the national party
nominee. That won't come, however,
until after the November 2 election.
The legislature of 1945 passed a
bill to require electors to vote for
the national party candidate, but
the State Supreme Court said IN
an advisory opinion that the law Is
unconstitutional. Electors. the court
said, are free agents.
Miami is playing nine OF Its 10
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