Evening star., 1949-02-15
The Political Mill :.
Truman Victory Fails
To Stop Party Boilers
Wallaceites and States Fighters
Are Not Giving Up Fight
By Gould Lincoln

BY Gould Lincoln
The Truman Democrats won major
victory last November against opposition
which included the Democratic radical
fringe which supported Henry Wallace and
also the Democrats of the South who are
fighting the Presidents civil rights pro-
gram.
Ordinarily such victory might have been
expected to squelch these revolving minori-
ties. Instead however Mr.. Wallace and
his progressives have come forward with
a budget for abundance'-a mere tride OF
$4,000 900 ,o00-s27 0o0, 100000 for "abun-
dance" which means pouring out dollars
for various social" projects and another
$4,000, 100000 for the rest of the govern
mental operation. including national de-
fense. Further they propose to carry on as
q political party wherever they can.
The States Fighters who carried four
Southern States for their presidential can
didate, Gov. Thurmond of South Carolina,
and picked up one electoral vote In Ten
nessee, are not giving up, either. They are
planning to set up a headquarters in Wash
ington, and to publish newspaper-which
they insist will start with a circulation Of
100000 to 100000. That kind of thing
costs money, real money. The States
Fighters say they are intent on building
up precinct. county and State organizations,
spreading throughout the South and per.
haps into other sections Of the country.
Two Schools of Thought.
Two schools of thought on these develop
ments are utterly at variance. The heads
of the Democratic national organization
and I mean the heads-beleve these revolts
passed their high water mark before the
election. They see them fading out. as the
Truman administration swings more and
more into its stride. They leave Mr.. Wal.
lace negligible group of extreme leftists.
They take practical view of the States
Rights Party. and they expect Gov. Thur
mond to oppose Senator Johnston in the
senatorial race next year. Gov. Thurmond.
they say, will run in the Democratic pri-
mary against Senator Johnston, and he
will run as Democrat, not as member OF
the States Rights Party. One flaw in this
argument, however, rests in the fact that
the States Fighters in South Carolina, Mis-
SisSippi, Alabama and Louisiana (the States
they carried) claim to be the Democratic
Party of those States-with the Trumanites
as the rank outsiders. They do, indeed. con-
troll the party organization in those States.
and up to date there seems no way for the
Truman administration to wiring 1t away
from them.
The Wallace people are counting on
failure of the Truman administration to
live up the extravagant pledges it made the
voters in the national campaign. They
figure that the disgruntled will swing away
from Mr.. Truman to the left-winger. Mr..
Wallace. They figure, too. that in the event
Of depression, with millions out of work.
the Wallace party is sure to gain.
May Strengthen Organization.
The Southern States Fighters. on the
other hand, rather expect Mr. Truman to get
~ Of Of, ,ie oi,,i1y re
the statute books during the present ses-
sion. When the first of these civil rights
bills goes through Congress and Is signed
by the President. that will be the signal for
a tremendous uprising of sentiment in the
South. which will play right into the hands
of the States Fighters. The effect viii be
to strengthen vastly the organization in the
South.
The Administration is IN a difficult posi-
ton so far as the revolters in the South are
concerned. It cannot crack the whip ef-
fectively-it cannot expect the voters to
turn the States Rights leader out of Office
for the great majority of the people feel Just
as the leaders do. Here in Washington the
States Rights Senators and Representatives,
even those who did not sympathze with the
effort to turn Mr.. Truman out Of Office,
have little to fear.
Any effort OF the President to purge"
them would be bound to be defeated. If. in
the South Carolina senatorial race next year
the administration should publicly come to
the aid of Senator Johnston there would
be immediate resentment President Frank
lin D. Roosevelt once sought to interfere
in a senatorial contest in that State-to de-
feat the late Cotton Ed" Smith. 1t was
disastrous, but not for Mr.. Smith.
he af fbo AASo q
menace to the Truman program labor, in
creased taxes, civil rights. etc. They can join
the Republicans in Congress and kill any Of
these measures