The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1950-05-27
THE SOUTH COUNTER.
ATTACKS FTERCELY


The recent defeat of Sen. Claude
Pepper of Florida is an ominous po'
liticai augury. It does not mean
that the cause of Liberalism in the
South is lost, but it does mean that
this cause has suffered a severe
setback in the removal from Con-
gress of one of the New Deal ana
Fair Deal stalwarts. What is even
more important is the question OF
whether the defeat of Sen. Pepper
is a political incident or a polltlcal
movement.
The sleek and hungry Republi'
cans and Dixiecrats are alleging
that it is the latter. Time will tell.
But there can be little doubt that
the South, beseiged in its tradition
al politics and policies by the stub
horn stand taken by the civil rights
advocates of recent months, IS
counter-attacking fiercly and IN
some cases savagely. 1t was to be
expected and on more than one &C.
casion this column exhorted lts
readers not to be too greatly defect
ed when these forces of reactionism
set in.
The old South is not going to
relinuuish it's traditional anti-Negro
prerogatives without a bitter fight.
It is Just as we'll for us to know
and understand that what happened
to Claude PEPPER was the South
revenge for his support of the New
Deal and it's implications for Ne
groes in their contention and drive
for their civil rights. The New Deal
has always held dangers for that
South that is iinequivocal COM
mitted to eternalizing the subJuga'
ton of it's Negro citizens.
The civil rights commitments OF
Truman did not help matters ana
the unexpected but bitter defeat
dealt them in the election of Tru'
man in spite Of the dixiecrats has
been a thorn in the flesh of the old
South which today is gloating over
Peppers defeat. The forces of lib
eralism therefore need not surren-
der. They need to understand what
Britain has taught the world thta
the last battle is the one to win!
Britain loses many battles but never
the last one; and so the liberal
forces of the South will regroup
their forces and lay on for the
battle Of tomorrow.
The eyes of the race and nation
must not be closed to the fact tnat
the only thing wrong with Sen.
Pepper was his determined support
of the New Deal and this gave ul'
innate promise of civil rights for
Negroes. This is the real trouble.
he South is fighting the Negro
when it fights men who want to see
them enfranchised and who work
for the full indignation of Negroes
into the political and econmoic life
of the nation.
All kinds of things will be offered
in support of the stunning defeat
of Pepper; but the real causes belll
is his logged advocacy of Truman
ism and his support of the same
The cause of Trumanism is tremen'
dously weakened by the defeat OF
one Of his staunchest supporters
This kind of defeat too often would
wreck Trumanism and those causes
it so boldly supports, among them
the civil rights of Negroes. Tn?
South is counter-attacking fiercely
With Mccarthy muddling the po'
litical scene with his rash charges
that Communism is taking over our
government, which charges to date
have not been substantiated. and
with Communism on the offensive
in he Near and Far East, our at
fairs of state are in state of
muddle that causes grave concern
to those true American citizens who
wish their country well. Mccarthy.
ism is just downright politics de-