Evening star., 1952-07-16
Hopes Against Walkout.

uOOr II necessary.
Hopes Against Walkout.
It was a similar floor move to
strengthen the plank in 1948 that
caused some SouthernerS to walk
out of the Philadelphia convention
and organize the States Rights
Party at Birmingham. Asked if
he thought this might happen
again, Senator Lehman said:
"I would hope it would not,
but I intend to press the issue"
Senator Lehman also is push
ing hard for the nomination of
Averell Hartman, who won the
District of Columbia Democratic
primary and is the most out
spoken advocate of the Truman
Fair Deal program, especially on
civil rights.
Senator Lehman wants the
1852 plank to go beyond 1948
by calling for a new rule to end
Senate filibusterS, which have
blocked action on the civil rights
program.
Won't Soft-Pedal Issue.
Representative Franklin D.
Roosevelt, jr, of New York, chair
man of the National Committee
for Avereli Hartman, made it
clear the liberals have no intention
of soft-pedalling the civil rights
issue.
Il certainly do expect a strong
civil rights plank" Mr.. Roosevelt
said on his arrival here. 1.-The
Democratic Party goes forward,
not backward"
Can you hold the South with
that kind of a plank?" he was
asked.
"I think We can," he answered.
Can you keep the South from
going to Eisenhower with that
kind of a plank?"
Eyes, I think we can," he said.
Plank May Be More Moderate.
Despite the statements of Sen
ator Lehman and Mr.. Roosevelt,
there are definite indications
the party leaders will try
to work out a more moderate civil
rights plank than the one which
caused some of the Southern
States to bolt to a states rights
ticket in 1948.
They have more reason this
year than in 1948 to seek har-
mony on civil rights. First, they
confront the fact that Gen. Eisen-
hover. the Republican nominee, is
believed to be more popular in
the South than the average Re-
publican candidate.
Second, he has taken a mod
crate stand on civil rights. stress
ing the obligation of the States
to deal with the question.
Third, the general is running
on a platform which also puts
more emphasis on State than Fed
eral action.
Under these circumstances, the
adoption of a strong declaration
for Federal action in the Demo-
cratic plank would add greatly to
Gen. Eisenhower's chances of
carrying Southern States.
Gave Votes to Thurmond.
In 1948 four Southern States
gave their electoral votes to for
mer Gov. Strom Thurmond of
South Carolina, on a third party
ticket. While that reduced Presi-
dent Truman's electoral vote, it
did not hurt the party as much
as if these States had gone into
the Republican column.
Assuming that President Tru-
man is definitely out of the pic
ture, this will be the first election
in Is years in which the Demo-
Gratis have not had an incumbent
seeking reelection, and they will
need united party.
Last night Senator Lehman
wrote a letter to Representative
Mccormack of Massachusetts,
platform chairman, declaring that
in the Democratic convention the
spotlight will be focused ION
issues as well as on candidates"
The first witnesses today will
discuss farm problems, but by to-
morrow morning the platform
group will be hearing testimony on
the controversial civil rights