Evening star., 1950-07-07

great many of them may be ex-
pected to turn out and vote, and
while they're voting for Mr.. Glenn
ment they may be expected to vote
for candidates for the senatorial
and gubernatorial nominations.
This may help Senator Johnston
in the Senate race and Lester l..
Bates of Columbia In the guber-
material contest.
Three others are in the Cover
nor's race. including former Sec
retary of State James F. Byrnes,
Thomas H. Pope speaker of the
State House of Representatives,
and Marcus Stone of Florence. a
lumberman.
Laws Were Rewritten.
The decisions by Judge Waring
brought about the rewriting of
the States election laws. particu-
larly as they related to party
primaries. The Democratic pri-
maries in the past has been closed
to Negro voters-under party
rules. They were for whites alone.
Challenged in the courts, it was
finally determined this denial of
the right of Negroes to vote in
Democratic primaries, which in
South Carolina are viytually elec-
tions. since there is only skele-
ton Republican Party in the State,
was virtual disfranchisement of
the Negro voters.
Under the new law Negro voters
who are properly registered and
qualified can go into the polling
places in their precincts, obtain
ballots and vote Besides age and
residence qualifications, the voter
must be able to read or write any
section of the Constitution sub
mitted to him or must show that
he owns property valued at $500
or more and has paid taxes theron
in order to obtain a registration
card.
532,821 Are Registered.
The Associated Press has esti-
mated that 532,821 South Caroli-
mans have registered under the
new law. This may be trimmed
down because of changes in ad-
dress and Implications and deaths.
In 1948 there were 506.818 Demo-
cratic Party members qualified to
vote. The estimate of $4,000
Negro registrants was made by
the Associated Press, and they
are included in the total.
In the Florida Democratic pri-
mary earlier this year, it was
figured that some LOG, 900 Negroes
were registered and that they
might swing the primary for
Senator Pepper, against whom
the race issue had been raised by
Representative Smathers, his op-
ponent for the senatorial nomina-
ton. It didn't work out
More recently in North Caro-
lima. where Negroes have been
voting for a long time, they
failed to save Senator Graham,
who was regarded as more friend
ly to civil rights legislation than
his opponent, Willis Smith.
Charges Renewed.
Gov. Thurmond and Senator
Johnston went at it, in hammer
and tongs fashion, in Charleston
last night. The governor again
charged that Senator Johnston
had done nothing in Washington
to try to halt President Truman's
order doing away with segrega-
ton in the armed forces.
It was this charge, in Newberry
that caused Senator Johnston to
call Gov. Thurmond a liar and
say he would meet him outside,
and Gov. Thurmond to reply he
would be waiting for Senator
Johnston. No meeting ever took
place, however.
Senator Johnston at that time
declared conference of Demo-
cratic Senators from the South
: had picked group to handle the
, question of the Presidents order
) Gov. Thurmond produced tele-
. gram last night from Senator
Russell OF Georgia, leader OF the
group of Southern Senators, say
) ing he remembered no such o
meeting.
) Recalls States Rights Vote.
In his address Gov. Thurmonc
recalled that Charleston County
q had voted to / for the States