Evening star., 1955-01-02
Sees Thurlnond Victory
As Encouraging Sign
Writer Says Election Shows
Power Of the Press
By Fronk Z. Kent

: u ) -
A good deal has been written about
the election Of South Cardinals new
Senator, Strom Thurmond. But not
too much. He takes his seat for six-
year term on Tuesday. He Is far from
being the greatest Senator his State
has ever chosen and Q long way from
being the ablest member Of the present
Senate. Yet no other man has come
to the CONGRESS under quite such cir
cun1stances.
No one wants TO disparage Senator
Thurmond personally. because he i
capable. upright and conscientious
man. That IS enough to place him
fairly high ID the body To which he
now belongs Nevertheless. II Is not
Senator Thurmond,s personality that
makes him the outstanding Senator Of
this session. The things that do that
are the character Of the flght which
he made and the extraordinary man-
ner Of his election Regardless Of his
personal qualifications. these give him
q place In American history teyen
before be takes his seatl and estah-
lish him as an unprecedented sym.
boil IN American politics
TO be as brief as possible. he IS the
first member Of Congresseto have been
chosen BY . s.write-in. ballot. IN adj
dition, he had the powerful opposition
Of Q party machine and other terrify-
ing elements against him. He was not.
as has been stated repeatedly, the
hand-picked candidate OF Gov. James
Byrncs, undoubtedly the most popu-
lar man In South Carolina. Senator
Thurmond became candidate on his
own against Edgar Brown. whom, after
the death Of Senator MaybAllk, the
State Central Committee. without callss
ing q primary had designated as the
Democratic party's candidate. In effect.
this denied the Democrats Of South
Carolina any opportunity 70 voice
their choice IS to o senatorial candle
date, whose nomination In this stats
always has been equivalent to election.
Mr.. Brown dominated the Central
Committee, controlled the county coilrt-
house organizations throughout tho
State and himself had . strong per-
sonal following,
But the rawness of the COMMITTEES
action was such that the press Of the
State. led by the Charleston News and
Courier (which many win recall as
one of the two papers In the country
the other being Senator Carter Glass.
Lynchburg News that cOurageously
refused to dy the Blue Eagle Of the ill-
fated and unsavory National Recovery
Administration. at once denounced
the committee action and lined up be-
hind Mr.. Thurmond. The press Of the
whole State almost unanimously fol-
lowed the News and Courier's lead.
The astounding result was victory.
for Thurmond over Brown by l43,l4x
votes compared to $685..
The result amazed politicians IN
both parties al over the country. No
one anywhere would have taken
i0-to-l bet on Thurmond. His name
was not on the ballot. To vote for him
one had to write in; hts fun name
spelled correctly. In the two districts
Charleston and Columbia ~ where
there were voting machines, the piace
to write I'M was 90 high up and 20
narrow that b short man had to stand
on his tip toes to write at all. But the
short men and women did stand on
their toes and an extraordinary mum.
Der OF others wrote IN. too. making UP
q majority for Mr.. Thurrpond Of 6e.8lo
votes. All Of this not only makes
Senator Thurmond's election unique
in our history but It establishes two
other things Of considerable irnpor-
lance. One Is that the theory Of 20
many hard-boiied political observers
that the American people are too dumb
to understand Q real issue and too
inert to be aroused when they do
understand Is false and unfounded
The other false theory Is that the
American press Is unable to stir it,
public TO action. In this case the voters
of South Carolina signally proved
their Intelligence and the South Caros
lima press, led BY the News and Cour1er,
gave q fne demonstration of it, In
huence for the right. None of this
should minimize the very powerful part
Gov. James Byrnes played ii the Thurs
mond victory. Taking II altogether,
however. It should be encouraging to
those who properly have lamented the
low ievel to which politics has sunk in
so many Of our States.