Evening star., 1950-03-29
Pepper Narrows Gap,
Close Primary Race
Indicated in Florida
Open Alliance With CIO
Is Factor for Senator
Pulling d Truman
By David Layrence

ENROUTE IN NORTHERN
FLORIDA. Mar. 29.-If the pri-
mary election scheduled for May
2 had been held week ago, Sena-
tor Pepper would have been de-
feated by Representative Smath-
ers by a substantial majority in
the race for the Democratic nomi-
nation for Senator-a nomination
that is equivalent to election next
autumn.
But things have changed these
last few days. The race is very
close now, and the turn is due to
the heavy registration of Negroes
through the efforts of the CIO
paid workers. 1t is too early to
determine whether, this will be
Offset by Republican voters who,
in large numbers. are registering
in the Democratic primaries. But
that's the main hope now of the
Smathers supporters. Registra-
'tion ends Saturday. So this is an
exciting week in Florida politics.
, Left to it's own devices, the
State would discard Senator Pep
per largely because of the preju-
dices which have piled up against
him ever since he went to Moscow
and talked with Stain, sat on the
same platform with Paul Robson
and Henry Wallace in New York
political meeting, began espousing
the proposal for a Federal Fair
Employment Practices Commis-
sion and dissassociated himself
from the filibuster by the South
ern Democrats in the Senate.
Many Farmers Alienated.
Senator Pepper has alienated
some AFL voters and large NUM-
Der Of farm voters by his open
alliance with the CIO. which is
down here spending a good deal
of money to register Negroes to
vote for Senator Peppers renomi-
nation.
g Senator Pepper has been waging
q vigorous campaign-promising
q the moon to every county. 1t has
been calculated that if the 27 ma
jor spending projects which he
has initiated or indorsed-eEery-
thing from canals to bridges to
Townsend Plan pensions-were
enacted, it would cost the tax
payers Of the Nation about $2.5
billions.
The Senator has been pulling
rabbits out of the hat for a long
time and won his 1914 election by
persuading the Roosevelt admin
1stration, in the last few days of
the campaign. to get rid OF the
tolls on the Candy Bridge, which
gave him q huge vote in two pop
ulous counties in the western Sec
tion of the State.
Truman Doesn't Forget.
This time, with the exception of
the local off1ceholders, the national
administration is keeping neutral.
President Truman at Key West
has said nothing and doesn't in
tend to interfere to help either
candidate. Mr.. Truman hasn't
forgotten Senator Peppers anti
Truman tactics in the 1913 Demo-
cratic convention.
When Senator Pepper ran in
1874, he polled only 1900 votes
more than his combined opposi-
ton in the Democratic primaries
even though his chief opponent
was a weak candidate and had an
organization in only 40 of the ST
counties.
Despite the heavy registration
of Negroes, there is still consider
able uneasiness in the Pepper
camp, and one supporter of the
Senator, we'll informed on State
affairs, told this correspondent
that he wouldn't be surprised at
a landslide for Representative
Smathers. The tide. undoubtedly
has been running that way. but
there is a whole month ahead be-
fore the voters 60 to the polls.
Senator Pepper could pull a Tru-
man." as one observer phrased it,
but the best posted men in
the State frankly are expecting
George Smathers to be the Sen
ator from Florida, beginning in
January.
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