Evening star., 1952-05-03
The Political Mill
The Political Mill :.
Kefuuver-RusseII Bottle
Healthy Sign for Nation
Primary Race Is Contest
Between Old South and New
By Gould Lincoln


MIAMI, Fla, May 3.-For the first
time since the Civil War two Southern
Democrats are serious contenders for
the Democratic presidential nomination.
Favorite-son candidates. to keep dele
gates in line at the party's national
conventions, there have been by the
dozen. Four years ago. Southern Demo-
Gratis reacting violently against Presi-
dent Truman and his civil rights
program, put "Dixiecrat." then Gov.
Thurmond of South Carolina. as their
own independent candidate for Presi-
dent in the field. He carried four States
of the "solid South" Today, Senator
Russell of Georgia and Senator Kefau-
yer of Tennessee have aroused wide
interest with their campaigns for the
presidency.
It's healthy sign of united country.
1t would be even more significant II
Republican candidates from this great
area of the country were in the same
race. The South has had many men Of
great ability and character, qualified
for the Office of Chief Executive. But
for the last 80 years none Of them has
been choice of either Of the two major
parties.
More Than Personality Clash.
The contest between Senator Russell
and Senator Kefauver is more than q
clash of personalities. 1t is a contest
between the Old South and the New.
Two years ago, Democrats Of Florida
and of North Carolina eliminated two
Senators who had gained liberal
reputations-Pepper of Florida and
Graham of North Carolina. Both had
followed the New Deal and Fair Deal
paths. Today, the same kind Of fight
is being waged by the old-line Southern
Democrats against Senator Kefauver.
1t would be little short of a political
miracle if the Tennessean prevails It
would show a tremendous reversal Of
political opinion in brief period.
AS has been the case for years, the
race issue has raised its head in this
Russell struggle in the South.
Senator Russell is committed to total
opposition to the compulsory FEPC plan
of the Truman civil rights program. He
has been the leader for years Of the
Southern Democratic Senators against
that type of legislation. Senator Kefau-
yer has been under suspicion of mis-
Southern colleagues. His present an
nounced position is that he does not
favor a compulsory FEPC, but-and it's
a large but-he will 60 along with an
FEPC plank in the Democratic platform
if the party'S national convention writes
one.
Senator Russells attitude will make
it extremely difficult, If not impossible,
for him to win the Democratic preSi-
dental omination-although there are
millions of Democrats in the North and
West who believe with him that COM
pulsory national FEPC is unwise. They
are afraid, however, of losing the large
Negro vote in the Northern States. which
they have had since the early days of
the Franklin D. Roosevelt administra-
tion. if they should nominate Senator
Russell.
Gamble for Kefauver.
Senator Kefauver, on the other hand,
is gambling that the Southern Demo-
Gratis will support him, Southerner,
believing that compulsory FEPC would
be less likely with him as President than
with a Republican President. He be.
lieves, furthermore, that with his repu-
tation as racket buster and champion
Of clean government, he can not only
win the nomination but can be elected
against any Republican nominee.
This test in Florida. the only Southern
State which holds presidential pref
erence primary is of vast Importance to
Senator Kefauver. If he can win 1t, he
will have leaped tremendous hurdle.
He will have convinced the Democrats
of the North and West that, If nomi-
mated, he can hold the solid South come
next November. In Senator Russell,
however, he has tough antagonist, a
man who has won and holds the respect
of millions of Democrats in the South,
and of voters in other parts Of the coun-
try. For Senator Russell, too, victory
in Florida is essential if he is not to
lose the delegates Of other Southern
States to Mr.. Kefauver.