Evening star., 1949-02-20

One immediate effect would b
rights movement.
This summarizes the opinions
expressed by Democratic members
of Congress representing the II
States which make up the "solic
South"-Alabama, Arkansas. Flor.
ida, Georgia. Louisiana. Mis-
sissippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and
Virginia.
Factor in Party's Future
Four of these States, Alabama
Louisiana. Mississippi and South
Carolina, gave their electoral votes
last November to Gov. Thur
mond of South Carolina. the
States rights candidate for Presl-
dent. Tennessee also contributed
one of its electoral votes to Gov
Thurmond. 1t is well within the
probabilities that efforts by the
Federal Government to enforce
an FEPC law-fair employment
practices-would bring the Demo-
Gratis in others of these Southern
States into line with the States
rights movement and so solld1fy
1t thata Democratic candidate for
President who supported the civil
rights program would be deprived
of the electoral votes of those
States-just as President Truman
was denied the electoral votes OF
four of them In 1948.
To understand the situation it
should be remembered that the
States Fighters are Democrats. In
the States they carried the States
Fighters controlled-and do con-
trol-the Democratic organization.
In other words, they are the DEM
ocratic Party-and if they con-
tinue to be active-they will re-
main the dominant force in the
Democratic Party of those States.
For all these reasons, the prog
ress or nonprogress of the civil
rights program in Congress be-
comes an important factor in the
future of the Democratic Party
not only In the South but ma
tionally.
Within a few weeks, the States
rights plan to set up a States
rights institute" In Washington.
D. c. It is to be educational" "
its sponsors say. And 1t will be
well financed and well stated,
with an organ of its own-a news
paper. The reports are that they
plan a circulation Of from 1,000,-
600 to 100000 copies Of this
newspaper, at the start. The pur-
pose of the institute, its hackers
say, is to return the country to
constitutional government and the
Democratic Party to the principles
of jefferson. -
Not Limited to South
The race issue, involved in the
civil rights program, and the is
sue of State or Federal ownership
of oil-rich tidelands are incident
to the whole campaign OF the
States Fighters, who are opposed
to the wide extension Of Federal
control over the activities OF the
people within the States.
The campaign which the States
Fighters plan to wage will go tar
beyond the confines OF the solid
South-it will go to every State OF
the Union, if they have their way.
AS one of the States rights sup
porters put it, too. the campaign
will be to restore the Democratic
Party as a States Rights Party
and to shuck off the present con-
troll of radical" Democrats. He
insisted that the Democrats OF the
conservative South had always
been the backbone of the Demo-
cratic Party; that had it not been
for the persistence OF the South
ern Democrats. the party would
have vanished long since. If and
when. ne said, the Republicans re-
gain control of the House OF Rep
resentatives and of the Senate
the Democrats of the South would
continue to be the strong backlog
Of the party.
Report has it that former Gov.
Ben T. Laney Of Arkansas WILL
head the States Rights Institute
In Washington. Mr.. Laney was ac-
tive in the organization OF the
States Rights group. although his
state remained faithful to the
Truman ticket in the national
election.
Nothing arouses the States
Fighters more than to be called
o splinter party"-they insist
they are Democrats. They con-
slider it unfortunate. too, that dur
ing the campaign they became
known as "DixiecratS. They are
they say, just as strongly opposed
to socialistic proposals advanced
bv the Truman administration as
they are to the civil rights meas
ures-antipoll tax. antilynching
antisegregation and FEPC meas
ures. All of these civil rights pro-
posed laws. they contend. are in
fringements on States rights BY
the Federal Government.
Possible Vote Effect
These Southern Democrats
agree that enactment Of the civi
rights program by a Democratic.
controlled Congress and approved
by a Democratic Congress will
arouse tremendous resentment II
their States against the presen'
national Democratic leadership
They do not expect that resent
ment to take many Southerner'