Evening star., 1950-04-15
The Political Mil
Southern Senators Face :
A Lot of Election Woes y.
Hill of AIobomo Campaigning
For Himself, Administration /
The Political Mil
BY Sould Lincoln

The tribulationS of Southern Demo-
cratic Senators and Representatives who
seek TO so hand in glove with the Tru-
man Administration in WASHINGTON and
who must win denomination and re-
election in their home States and dis
tricts are almost heart-rending. a.
Take. for example the case of Senator
Lister Hill of Alabama. Senator Hill IS
up for reelection. He Is not only cam.
paigning for denomination but he is also
campaigning for the election Of q Tru-
man Democrat-or numancrat, II YOU
prefer - Democratic State Executive.
Committee, TO supplant the present States.
Rights or Dixiecrat Committee. This
committee is the governing body OF the
Democratic Party in Alabama, with it's
membership of u. 1t is the committee
which barred from the ballot in l94S
Truman presidential electors. y
In the face of the Truman demand on
Congress for the enactment OF the So
called civil rights program, including
. anti-pou tax, anti-lynching, FEPC and
anti segregation legislation, Mr. Hill IS
urging the election of a Trumancrat
State Committee. and his own renomina.,
tlon, on the ground that he and other
truman Democrats in Conversations
with the States Righters-are respon.r
Sloie Tor preventing the enactment of the
civil rights program.
Move Well Understood.
1t is well understood that the Truman
Administration has been moving heaven
and earth to get back into control of the
Democratic organizations in the four
States of the solid South" which turned
Mr., Truman down in l948 and gave their
electoral votes TO Governor Thurmond,
States Rights Democratic nominee for
president. 1t is hopeful OF doing So
through the efforts of just such men as
Senator Hill. Yet here is Mr.. Hill as
Surlng his constituents that he is doing
ms best and will so continue 20 kill off
the FEPC bill which Mr., Truman has
promised to put through Congress. Gym.
lclSm and hypocriSy--on the part of Mr..
Hill or on the part of Mr.. Truman
fill the eye.
On the theory that the differences be-,
tween the pro-civil Fighters and the anti
civil Fighters must be fought out only,
within what Mr.. Hill and others call the
National Democratic Party Mr.. Hill Is
urging return of the Dixiecrats to the
Truman standard
On what theory Mr. Truman can ten
the friends Of civil rightS-the Northern
and Western Democrats, and the great
mass of Negroes-he is backing Mr.. Hill
and other TrumancratS among the
Southern members of Congress. has not
been explained, but presumably it is
the same old idea that dirty linen should
be washed entirely within the party.
Delay Keeps Issue Quiet.
For months now the Democratic lead-
erShip in the Senate has put off, and
put of again. taking up the FEPC bill
for consideration in the Senate There
is grave suspicion that the delay has
been to keep the issue as quiet as pos
sible in some of the Southern States
like Alabama. where administration
favorites are up for denomination. and
where the State committee is to he
elected. If FEPC was being debated
in the Senate today, feeling would run
higher in Alabama, where the primary
election Is set for May2. Senator Lneas,
of Illinois, Democratic leader OF the up
per house. denies there is any such
reason for delay, but the suspicioii
remains nevertheless. that time has been
given to many inconsequential pieces OF
legislation.
Senator Hill, in a radio speech in
Alabama recently, said: "As a Demo-
crat, I hold place on the Senate COM
mittee on Labor and Public Welfare,
I led the fight in the committee against
the FEPC bill and the committee
dropped it like founding on the Sem
ate's doorstep-without a word In its
favor. If our group of Southern SEN
ators is to continue to defeat these
bills, we must keep the power and in
fiuence we hold as members OF the
Democratic Party" AL.
Because of this speech. Senator
Hendrickson of New Jersey, Republican. :.
demanded that President Truman re-
pudiate Mr.. Hills plea to the Dixiecrats
to join again the Democratic Party TO
insure the defeat of the civil rights
program. The Dixiecrats in Alabama.
Mississippi and elsewhere. however, in
sist they are the true Democratic Party
Either the Negroes and their sup
porters are having their legs pulled. or
the Southern Democrats are going
through that process. 49,.