Evening star., 1954-05-18
The Political Mill
Decision Drops Stock
Of Eisenhower in South
But Segregation Ruling
Muy Help Him in North
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

BY Gould Lincoln
The Supreme Courts decision voiding
segregation IN the public schools of the
Nation has created political situation
that may have far-reaching effect. The
unanimous decision was handed down
by Chief Justice Warren, appointed to
his high Office by President Eisenhower.
The other eight members of the court
were appointees Of the late President
Franklin D. Roosevelt and former Pres
ident Harry S. Truman.
The decision came, however, almost
at the halfway point in the first term
of the Republican President. President
Eisenhower, during his campaign for
Office and since his election, declared
himself against segregation in the Dis
trict of Columbia, which for years has
had white and colored public schools.
But the President would not give his
approval during the campaign to q
compulsory FEPC law. which was the
item in the Truman civil rights pro-
gram which Southern Democrats in
Congress and out most strenuously op-
posed.
How the South Feels.
Gen. Eisenhower carried four States
of the Democratic "Solid South"-Vir-
ginia, Florida. Texas and Tennessee.
He ran strongly in other Southern
States. His strength in the South was
due to two things: He was regarded as
a national hero rather than Republic
can. and he gained from the Southern
hatred of former President Truman,
much of which was inherited by Adlai
Stevenson, the Democratic presidential
candidate in 1852. Mr.. Stevenson &C
cepted the Truman civil rights pro-
gram. The comment today among
Southern Democrats was that Eisen-
hover would never carry q Southern
State again. When Gov. James F..
Byrnes of South Carolina was in Wash
ington for the recent conference of
Governors called by Gen. Eisenhower.
he was asked what the feeling was to-
and whether the President was as
strong in the South as in November.
1852. Gov. Byrnes reply was: How the
President stands in the South will de-
pend upon what kind Of a decision the
Supreme Court hands down in the
school segregation cases."
When the President appointed the
then Governor Of California, Earl War
rem, to be Chief Justice, it was well
understood that the new Chief Justice
was a liberal in his thinking. Not a
leftist. by any means, but a liberal.
One of the first questions asked by
many Southern politicians-and by
some Of Gen. Eisenhower's 1852 sup
porterS-waS what will he do in the
segregation cases before the court? And
a fear was expressed the Chief Justice
would do exactly as he has-decide it
was unconstitutional.
Unexpected Unanimity.
Chief Justice Warren had the sup
port of the entire court in this decision,
including two Associate Justices who
came from the South. Mr.. Justice Black
of Alabama and Mr.. Justice Clark Of
Texas, both congenital Democrats. The
unanimity of the courts decision was
to many both unexpected and startling.
The immediate reaction Of many
Southern Democratic leaders was in
tenSely antagonistic Gov. ByrneS, him
self once member Of the highest court.
declared he was shocked" The court.
he pointed out, has time and time again
held that the doctrine of separate but
equal facilities did not violate the Con-
stitution. Gov. Talmadge of Georgia
was more severe in his comment. He
said that the court "has reduced our
Constitution to mere scrap Of paper"
and added that the court has usurped
the lawmaking authority OF Congress.
The first reaction of Southern politi-
cal leaders is that in the twinkling of
an eye Gen. Eisenhower has lost all his
vote-getting strength in their section
of the country. If that is true. then he
will amass no electoral votes In that
section of the country, should he be
a candidate to succeed himself in 1855.
And the Democratic nominee for PreSi-
dent could be reasonably certain Of
having a solid vote in the electoral
college from the South-unless South
ern Democrats should nominate pres
idential candidate of their own, as
happened in 1948, when former Gov.
Thurmond of South Carolina was the
so-called Dixiecrat candidate and took
four States away from Mr.. Truman.
The important question, from the
Republican point of view, is whether
Gen. Eisenhower and the Republicans
will gain strength from the anti-segre-
CATION ruling of the court in the States
of the North and West. Literally mil
lions of Negroes vote in those States
today, and in the recent past they have
been voting almost solidly for Demo-
cratic presidential candidates. Gen.
Eisenhower, however, has made many
appointments of Negroes to high Of
fee and has taken a stand against
segregation in the Federal service as
well as in other directions.