Evening star., 1952-01-15
The Political Mill
1rumun Foes in South ]
Pin Hopes on Eisenhower
Believe General Could Capture
Electoral Votes Of Areu
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

Uy 0U0tU 6inCOBN
The Southern Democrats who do not
want President Truman renominated or
reelected look upon the Eisenhower
entry into the presidential picture with
satisfaction. Believing. as they do, that
II Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower Is the
Republican nominee for President he
could defeat Mr.. Truman-if the latter
ran-or any other Democrat who has the
Truman seal OF approval, the anti
Truman SouthernerS can sit back and
wait for developments. Particularly can
they do this II the Eisenhower boom
meets early success and he looks to be
o sure winner in the Republican Ma
tional Convention in July.
The particular desire of these South
ern Democrats Is to bring about the
elimination Of Mr.. Truman. They are
more determined this year than they
were IN 1948. when they put Demo-
cratic ticket Of their own In the field,
headed by the then Gov. Thurmond
Of South Carolina, and took the electoral :.
vote Of four of the Southern States
away from Mr.. Truman. This year, too,
they have strong leadership in Senator
Harry Byrd Of Virginia and Gov James
F. Byrnes Of South Carolina.
Independent Ticket Unlikely.
They make no bones about their be-
lief that If Gen. Eisenhower is the
Republican presidential candidate run
ming against President Truman, the for.
mer will capture number of the South :
ern States. Under such circumstances, Y
it is unlikely an anti Truman Democratic
ticket will be put In the field. Senator
Ellender OF Louisiana firmly believes that /.
II Gen. Eisenhower is the Republican
nominee and Mr.. Truman is the DEM
ocratic candidate, Southern Democrats.
would do just what they did in 1928,
when they gave the electoral votes Of
i've Southern States to the Republican,
Herbert Hoover, over Alfred e. Smith.
the Democratic standard bearer. In
that year it was the religious and wet +.
and-dry issues that swung the yote
against Mr.. Smith.
Senator Ellender makes no bonas
about the issue which he believes VAN
swing the Southern States against Mr..
Truman II Gen. Eisenhower is his oppo-
llent-the civil rights issue; with its
breakdown Of all segregation Of the
races. He Is also convinced, he says,
that II MIR. Truman should step aside
and obtain the Democratic nomination
for Chief Justice Vinson of the Supreme
Court. Justice Vinson would be as badly
defeated in the South as would Mr.. Tru-
man. The Chief Justice halls from Ken
lucky and In some quarters has been
looked upon as q potential candidate
who would placate the South. Senator
Ellender has the opposite view. He said
that while the Senators from the South
have been able to prevent the passage
OF anti-segregation laws, the Supreme.
Court by its decisions in recent years
has continued to break down segrega-
ton In the South, particularly as it re.
lates to colleges and education
ing earlier decisions to do so. The
Southern Democrats hold the Chief
Justice largely responsible, he says, and
VIII be as strongly opposed to placing
the Chief Justice in the White House
as they would be to the reelection Of
Mr.. Truman.
Waiting for Conventions to Act.
The Southern Democrats are expect.s
ed, IN most States. to wait and see what
is done in the Republican and Demo-
cratic National Conventions and decide
their course. However, in Alabama therel
Is a brisk row on over an attempt by
Senator Lister Hill and other Democrats
inclined to 60 along with the decision
OF the Democratic National Convention.
to tie the Alabama Democratic electors
to the candidate picked by the national,
convention. whether it be Mr.. Truman;
or another. Senator Hill wishes the
State executive committee to adopt a
resolution requiring presidential ,electorsi
to support the nominee of the nationalS
convention. Gessner T. McCorvey.
leader of the anti Truman forces. is !
violently opposed to such procedure.
saying that no such resolution has. been
adopted by the executive Committee :
during the last 20 years.
He charge. that the Democratic Ma
tional Convention. as now constituted.
Is strictly an anti-Southern assem-
blage. largely controlled by the Harry
Trumans, the Bill Boyles, the Hilbert
Humphreys, the Bill Dawsons, the How
ard McGraths and the Walter WhiteS.n
The executive committee is to meet later
this month. / =,