Evening star., 1950-05-04
Pepper Defeat Blamed
On Clio Interference
In Florida Affairs
Union Organizers Stirred
Up Friction Between
Whites and Negroes
By David Laurence

Lie S4X 10 uL4AIGCIlIAOAAo1lJ 4C~
sponsible Tor the worst defeat the
Truman administration has ever
suffered in a senatorial election.
The defeat of Senator Claude
Pepper by Representative Smath-
ers was a clear case of labor
union interference in the affairs
Of the State of Florida and an
unwise stirring up of friction be-
tween whites and Negroes.
For, whatever else the outcome
of the Florida contest may be
interpreted to mean, there Is no
doubt among Florida editors that
the FEPC was the fundamental
issue-the right Of employers to
hire whom they please without a
law that might be abused, as was
the Wagner Act. so as to mean
enforced hiring of certain citizens
solely because of fears of statute
instead of considerations OF ef-
ficiency
The CIO sent scores of organiz-
ers into Florida, which they had
every right to do. They increased
the Negro registration from
about $4,000 to about 100000,
which they also had right to do.
But when a labor organization
does all this in order to obtain
the passage of legislation which
will self1shly benefit such a labor
union and enable it eventually,
through the "closed shop" de-
vice, to control who shall be en-
ployed, it is bound to backfire.
Setback to Worthy Cause.
The contest in Florida, as
editors in various parts Of the
State have just told this corre-
Bpondent by telephone, was mainly
"between whites and Negroes. !"
This is an unfortunate develop
ment and will not assist in solving
the problems of the South. The
champions of a better life for the
Negro race, however, have only
the CIO to thank for this setback
to worthy cause.
Representative Smathers won
by a bigger vote than anybody
else has gotten in Florida in many
years. He managed to hold the
Pepper vote down IN various city
areas where Negro votes are con-
centrated. He then defeated Sen
ator Pepper by two-to-one mar
gin in the rural areas.
Here is a State which is pros
porous this year because Of its
big citrus crop. But favorable eco
nomic conditions do not help the
man in Office if there is an emo
tional issue present, too.
The campaign was hard fought
In every sense. Each candidate
spoke nearly every day and many
times day. The newspapers
we're almost unanimously for Mr.
6mathers. but in most instances
they printed fully the Pepper side
of the debate. Certainly 1t can
not now be said the press is with
out influence in a political cam
paign.
The welfare state" was de-
nounced by Representative
Smathers, who attacked creeping
socialism" and accused his oppo-
nent, Of favoring socialized
medicine.
Emphasis on "Red' Issue.
The Taft Hartley Act, for which
Representative Smathers voted in
the House of Representatives and
which Senator Pepper opposed,
was discussed intermittently. En-
phasis was placed to no small
extent also on the Red" issue.
Representative Smathers, vet
eran of the United States Marines,
denounced Senator Pepper for
leaning toward the Communist
side. Photos we're displayed in
the newspapers showing Senator
Pepper on the same speakers plat
form with Henry Wallace and
Paul Robson. the Negro singer
who has been accused Of Com
munist sympathies. Again and
again Representative Smathers
lashed out at Senator Pepper on
the Communist issue.
Senator Pepper made a very
powerful campaign in reply. His
meetings were we'll attended. His
oratorical ability made deep i'm
preston on audiences everywhere.
But when a political tide sets in.
nothing can stop it. The tide
that swept Senator Pepper into
defeat really started when he
aligned himself with Henry Wal
lace. The Senator at the July
1948, Democratic National Con-
vention alienated the TrumaniteS
He got the cold shoulder from
President Truman himself. Only
in the last few days of the cam
paign did the Federal officeholders
get busy in behalf of Senator
Pepper.
The best way perhaps to inter-
pret the result of the Florida con-
test is to imagine what would
have been said by the Trumanites
If Senator Pepper had won. There
would have been a chorus OF
cheers from the administration
about the Endorsement given the
Fair Deal" by the people. II
would have been accompanied by
the boasts of labor-union chiefs
that the Taft Hartley Act hac
been "repudiated by the people,
The advocates of socialized medi.
cine would have pointed with
pride"
None Of this happened. So il
can be said that "left wingism'
suffered a setback in Florida a.
1t did in Britain and Australia
and New Zealand, which indicateI
that the voters are tiring of biz
promises and big expenses.
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