Evening star., 1949-08-04
The Political Mill
Byrd Victory to Heorten
Conservatives of South
His Constant Demands for Economy
May Form Campaign Issue
By Gould Lincoln

The fact that President Truman was able
to carry Virginia in the race against Gov
ernors Dewey Of New York and Thurmond
Of South Carolina last year did not mean
that the Truman Fair Dealers could de-
feat the Byrd organization In the guberna-
torial primary on Tuesday. even though the
Truman Fair Deal candidate, Francis
Pickens Miller. faced a divided opposition.
The Byrd candidate, John Stewart Battle,
won handily. with lead Of approximately
Is 900 over Mr.. Miller.
Mr.. Truman not long ago declared there
are "too many Byrds' in Congress -voicing
his dislike Of the conservative Senator Harry
side Of the Fair Dealers just as he was in
that Of the Roosevelt New Dealers. The
Senator. who himself was an outstanding
Governor Of Virginia score Of years ago,
has been q constant foe Of big and extrav-
agant spending by the Federal Government
spending that has been dear to the heart
Of both the Roosevelt and Truman admins
trations. He has strongly opposed, too, some
Of the New Deal and Fair Deal legislative
proposals which would take the Federal
Government more and more into control of
the every day lives Of the American people.
Senator Byrd does not believe in the So
called welfare state-which he calls statism
into which Mr.. Truman and his advisers
would lead the country.
Never Deserted Party.
Never, however, has Senator Byrd deserted
the Democratic Party in which he believes
the party OF Jefferson, Jackson and Wilson.
Although he disapproved Of many things
sponsored by the late Franklin Delano
Roosevelt and by President Truman, Senator
Byrd never stepped off the Democratic reser-
vation to throw his support to the Repub-
lican Presidential candidates against them.
The new Byrd organization victory,
therefore, is patent evidence that Virginia is
still sticking to the Byrd brand of democ-
racy, Notwithstanding the efforts of Presi-
dent Truman and those who are preaching
the doctrine of the New South radical
South. And, Notwithstanding the efforts
Of the CIO and labor organizations gen.
orally.
The Byrd victory will give heart to other
Southern Democrats who will seek election
either to Congress or as governors in other
Dixieland States next year. The congress
sional elections are of extreme importance.
On their outcome will depend perhaps, the
trend Of the Nation toward or away from
state socialism for years to come. Since the
present 81st Congress still maintains a ma
jority in opposition to the Truman heavy
spending and more or less socialistic pro-
gram largely due to the fact that Southern
Democrats have been unwilling to support
the program, it Is clear that the Fair
Dealers, the CIO and others intend to make
desperate effort to break into the ranks
Of these conservative Democratic members
Of Congress. Mr.. Truman's complaint about
'too many Byrds" in Congress was inter-
preted as forewarning Of an attempted
purge" The Truman organization will have
to determine whether it is going ahead with
such plan next year-or whether 1t will
draw in its horns.
3A Years Yet to Serve.
Senator Byrd himself has three and
half years to serve before he comes up for
reelection. He has not indicated finally
whether he will be candidate to succeed
himself, although there have been rumors
he may desire to retire then from public
Office. He Is not man, however, to be
driven out Of politics-and Mr.. Trumans
casual remark may have changed his whole
frame of mind.
BY his ever constant watch over Govern
ment expenditures and his constant de-
mands for economy, the Virginia Senator
gradually awakened feeling of alarm, not
only on the part of many Of his colleagues
in Congress, but among the general public.
This demand for governmental economy may
yet become one of the major issues in the
campaign next year.
The Truman Democrats are at present
striving to build up new pro- Truman Demo-
cratic organizations in the Southern States
which gave their electoral votes last year
to the States Rights Democratic presidential
candidate, Gov Thurmond Of South Caro-
lina-Mississippi Alabama Louisiana and
South Carolina. They are welding the Fed
eral patronage club with perfect abandon.
But they still have tough road ahead Of
them. What happened In Virginia is going
to encourage the States Fighters
Mr.. Miller. the defeated Fair Deal can
didate, made it entirely clear, however. that
he and his friends, encouraged by the show
ing they made in Tuesdays primary, will
fight on to take command in Virginia. His
was, indeed, the first real challenge to the
Byrd organization in years-although one
Democratic candidate for governor, opposed
by Senator Byrd, was elected many years
ago.
Questions and Answers