Evening star., 1954-10-30

MS IS onotner N series OF sumWhh9'
up stories by Associated Press reporters
who ore onoIYzing the eompoisn in
yorious sections Of the country.
ginia. Florida, Texas and Ten
nessee into the G. o. P. presi-
dental column didn't extend
very far below the presidential
level-but, nevertheless, it was
a cause for speculation at the
time that a shift in the South's
voting pattern was in the making.
But the tumult is over. The
Democratic leadership has the
old-shoe comfort of knowing in
advance almost precisely what to
expect from the South.
G. O. p. May Lose Two.
The only Democratic concern
of any degree lies in Virginia,
Tennessee and North Carolina.
where the Republicans hold
their six Dixie House seats. and
in Florida, where two G. o. P.
candidates are making strong
bids to unseat Democratic in
cumbents. Reports from Asso-
ciated Press correspondents in
the South indicate the Repub-
licans are in danger of losing
perhaps two of the six House
seats they now hold.
Outside these isolated areas,
Republican candidates are re-
ported to be making merely token
resistance or else their challenges
are not considered to be serious.
Republicans always argue, how
ever, that many sure Southern
Democratic House victories are
offset by G. O. P. triumphs in
Northern districts long consid-
cred safe" for them.
In Georgia and Louisiana, the
segregation issue is dominating
the election interest rather than
the fights between Republicans
and Democrats. In both States,
the people will vote on State con-
stitutional amendments designed
to continue segregation of white
and Negro students in grade and
high schools, a practice declared
unconstitutional by the United
States Supreme Court.
South Carolina Dispute.
In South Carolina, attention
is focused on the Democrats in
ternal uproar over the election of
a United States Senator.
This fight was touched off
when 2 the State Democratic
Executive Committee named
State Senator Edgar A. Brown
as the party's nominee to succeed
the late Senator Burnet r. May
bank instead Of calling for the
election of q nominee by primary
vote. Z
The committee leaders de-
Tended the. action as the only
legal way. They said there was
no time for a primary before
the deadline for certifying a cam
didate The opposition argued
the committee could easily have
found legal means to hold a
primary if 1t had wished.
Senator Brown is being opposed
by two .write-in candidates,
former Gov. j. Strom Thurmond,
who ran for the presidency in
1948 on the States Rights ticket,
and Marcus A. Stone.
Gov. James F. Byrnes has
thrown his support to Mr.. Thur
mond and reports from South
Carolina are that Mr.. Thurmond
has good chance to score
against Senator Brown. But
Senator Brown has the valuable
asset of having his name on the
ballot and that automatically
gives him big advantage.
A sidelight is that Senator
Brown backed Democrat Adlai
Stevenson two years ago while
Gov. Byrnes and Mr.. Thurmond
gave their support to Gen. Eisen-
hover.
| But regardless of the outcome
of this contest, the States new
Senator will be Democrat.
Important to South.
In sectional power and pres
tige a Democratic Congress would
mean much to the Southern
group represented by Alabama
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Lou
isiana, Mississippi, North Caro-
lima. South Carolina, Tennessee
Texas and Virginia-more than
to any other region.
1t would mean that Texas
Representative Sam Rayburr
would return to the speakershir
| of the House and Texas Senator
Lyndon johnson to the majority
leadership in the Senate. 1t also
would mean that Southerners
would take over because of theil
seniority the chairmanships o1
about half the important com.
mittees of Congress which shape
the Nations legislative program
Just about the brightest ray
for the Republicans in the Soutl
is the report they have a fight.
ing chance to capture two HOUSE
seats in Florida. which hasn'