Evening star., 1950-04-28
Pepper Is Supported
By Carpet Baggers,
Smathers Charges
By Gould Lincoln
Sfor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

MIAMI, Fla, April 28.-Repre-
sentative George A. Smathers is
winding up his campaign for the
Democratic senatorial nomination
against veteran Senator Claude
Pepper-with slashing attacks, de-
signed to prove that the Senator
conspired with the CIO-PAC to
register thousands of Negroes as
Democrats and to vote them for
Mr.. Pepper on Primary Day, next
Tuesday.
Speaking In his, own bailiwick,
Miami, last night, the foot 21a
inch former Marine, declared:
when I first announced for
the Senate last January. I pro-
phesied that every out-of-State
radical and dictatorial element
would be arrayed against us. The
events of the campaign should by
now have removed all doubts as
to the truth of that assertion.
Like the carpet baggers who
followed the War Between the
States. modern-day, 1850 carpet
baggers have now. in amazing
numbers, invaded our State. In
every large city and some of the
smaller ones. we have seen blocs
of voters herded to the registra-
ton booths"
Mr.. Smathers quoted from news
paper articles to show that a
quarter of a million dollars had
been expended here by large labor
organizations to renominate Mr..
Pepper. And then he quoted the
Senator as having declared: THE
labor unions have not put a dime
into my campaign"
who does this man think he's
kidding" he demanded of the
thousands gathered in Bay Front |
Park.
Then he quoted Jack Kroll, Sec
retary-treasurer of the CIO-PAC,
as saying in recent speech at
Birmingham. Ala:
"A few days ago in Florida.
Senator Pepper apeared to be
defeated man. But the CIO-Politi-
cal Action Committee got busy,
and now it begins to look as if he
holds an edge"
Asks Who Is Right.
who's right on this-Kroll
or my opponent" asked Mr..
Smathers.
ct he frenZied activities of
PAC's paid hirelings prove it's
Kroll who's right"
Mr.. Smathers spoke for half
hour "on the air" to some 5000
persons-and then he held them
for another solid hour as he piled
ridicule and denunciation on his
opponent. 1t was a remarkable
performance, considering that g.
600 stood throughout the hour and
o half, and none left.
He described Senator Pepper as
"the greatest broken field runner
between the goal posts of truth"
that ever lived.
"Why doesn't he stand on his
own record. instead of draping
the record of that great Democrat,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, over one
shoulder and the American flag
over the other" demanded
Mr.. Smathers, and then an
swered, "he can't and so he runs
away from it."
Says Roosevelt Isn't Issue.
II could run on the record of |
George Washington. I suppose,
and get away with it. But I
choose to run on my own; the
record of Franklin D. Roosevelt /
Is not an issue in this campaign,
and neither is that of George
Washington. It's my opponents
record and mine that make the
issue. He's given more comfort
to the Communists and to front
organizations than any other man
who has sat in the Senate. That's
his record"
Because of a column appearing
In yesterdays newspapers, Mr..
Smathers called it's author. Drew
Pearson, IAN unmitigated liar"
saying he Joined two Presidents,
seven cabinet officers, 27 Senators
and SO Congressman in so describ-
ing Mr.. Pearson. Mr.. Pearson, he
said, had completely distorted
and misrepresented Mr.. Smathers'
voting record in the House.
It's here in Dade County that
Mr.. Smathers hopes to give Sena-
tor Pepper the Knockout blow. |
; More than 20 per cent of the en-
tire registered vote of the State is
located here. Mr.. SmatherS and
his supporters claim he will carry
the county by $4,000 votes and
If he does, it would seem impossi-
BILE for Mr.. Pepper to win. The
Properties, however, reply that it
will be an even-Steven vote in the
county-with either Mr.. Pepper
or Mr.. Smathers perhaps running
ahead by scant 5000.
Strong feeling runs in some |
quarters against Senator Pepper,
too, for not having given the nod
to a Dade County man for ap-
pointment as Federal judge. He
went instead to Fort Myers for his
candidate.
u,I{ Tnn of Niy& Tauae In