Evening star., 1953-05-05
Democrats Seek to Heal
Dixie Breach Before "a
Mitchell Attempts to Entiee
His Stroys Back Into Fold
TIE Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
With honeyed words and promises Of
congressional chairmanships and i'm
portant places in party councils. leaders
of the Democratic Party, especially Ma
tional Chairman Stephen A. Mitchell,
are calling on Southern Democrats to
forget their grievances and line up with
the national organization for the 1854
political campaign.
Mr.. Mitchell has just returned from
a regional Democratic conference in
Alabama. encouraged by what he found.
The meeting brings to mind similar
conference held in Raleigh, N. c.. in
early 1850. At that time, efforts were
made to bring greater unity in the
party. The results were not too good.
Two Democratic Senators who had sup
ported the New Deal-Fair Deal. Gra-
ham of North Carolina and Pepper of
Florida, subsequently were defeated for
nomination and more conservative
Democrats elected in their places.
Split Over Truman.
1t was the Truman civil rights pro-
gram, together with the more radical
proposals for domestic legislation such
as health insurance, which tore the
Democrats wide open and made pos
sible the Republicans Southern Demo-
crat coalition in Congress. The same
factors brought an even more disas-
trous breach in the Democratic ranks
last year-with four States of the
South casting their electoral votes for
the G. o. P. presidential candidate.
The concern of the Democratic ma
tional chairman over the situation in
the South today is understandable.
Also his efforts to patch up party diff
ferenceS. If the Democrats are to win
control of either house in the con-
gressional elections next year, they
must rely on the solid South as in
days gone by. Four Republican men,
bers of the House were elected in 1852
In the South-one of them in North
Carolina and three in Virginia.
Whether the Republicans can hold on
to these districts next year Is doubtful
and much will depend on the appeal
the Eisenhower administration makes.
Much at Stake.
Chairman Mitchell. delivering an
address in Asheville, N. c.. last Satur-
day, pointed out to the Southern
trolled the House and Senate-instead
of the Republicans-many important
committee chairmanships would now
be held-as they were in the past-by
Southerners. They lost them because
of Republican victory last year. The
job now, Mr.. Mitchell said, is to get
them back by the elections Of next
year. He also told his Southern listen
erS that it was the leadership of Roose-
welt and Truman over the last 20 years
which had been responsible for the
upsurge of Southern industry and
agriculture.
And then he said, 1.-THE influence
and responsibility of the South in
national affairs are tied to the fortunes
of the Democratic Party. The welfare
of the people of the whole country
every section-is likewise tied to the
success of the Democratic Party. We
want you to resume your leadership.
for the good Of us ALL"
What followed, however, raises con-
siderable doubt as to what Mr.. Mitchell
meant by ''your leadership" in the
Democratic Party. He said the party
was ready to welcome back those
Southerners who had strayed away
but those who do not return can hardly
expect to continue to be Republicans
in national affairs and still claim to
be Democrats in State affairs. This
almost sounded like purge threat, a
threat to run candidates against those
Senators and Representatives who fail
to support New Deal-Fair Deal policies.
and join up with the so-called National
Democratic Party. Purges attempted
in the South by the late President
Franklin D. Roosevelt were dismal
failures. incidentally, one of the first
Democrats to be elected to the House
since the 1852 elections was Repre-
sentative William Tuck. former Cow
ernor of Virginia-who refused to sup
port the Democratic national ticket and
platform last year.
Southern Leaders.
Democrats In Congress-this year In
the minority-have Southern leaders.
Senator johnson Of Texas in the Sen
ate, and Representative Rayburn, also
of Texas, in the House. In the first
major issue to come before the two
houses, the oil tidelands bill. the Dem
ocrats split and many Of them went
along with President Eisenhower in
support Of the measure-against the
wishes Of the New Deal-Fair Deal
leaders. A boast of the Democrats
has been that they. rather than the
Republicans. have upheld the hands Of
President Eisenhower, giving him the
powers he wished to reorganize the
executive departments and agencies.
Perhaps Mr.. Mitchell is right-and
adversely will draw the Democrats
more closely together There still re- .
main. however, serious differences be-
tween the two wings of the party,