St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-08-24


Bellman and Cecil Newman
went 10 the Michigan delegation
and In the presence Of delega-
ton members and members Of
the press and radio vigorously
questioned Gov. Williams who
was evasive and said he was
merely passing Information ON
when he phoned the Minnesota
delegation.
Failure OF at least eight states
20 demand a rollacall spelled the
death knell OF the 1859 attempt 10
have the Democrats take really
positive stand on he civil rights
issue.
A roll-call would have forced
those states who talk lot about
civil rights 10 30 ON record with
their votes what some OF them
mouth insincerely to catch minor
ity votes. Failure to press for a
roll call killed the minority report
because Il gave insincere northern
party leaders a chance TO get off
the hook.
Gov. orville Freeman OF Min
nesota worked all night Tuesday
and most OF early Wednesday in
an effort TO rally northern COVER
nors and delegations to the civil
rights cause. His conduct was in
direct contrast 10 that OF one
elected state official and one high
party functionary both OF whom
actually tried to sabotage the civil
rights minority report even as Il
was~being placed before the con-
vention.
Every morning at 7:3o a. m. the
star and Tribune circulation de-
partment deposited copies of the
days TRIBUNE before the hotel
door OF each Mlnnesotan no mat
ter in what hotel he was register
cd. Copies OF the 81. Paul PIo-
NEER- PRESS and the DIS
PATCH were also on hand at the
bell captains desk at the Congress
free for Minnesota delegates.
The wCCo staff covered
every phase Of the activity OF
the Gopher state delegation
from the cocktail parties 10 the
receptions and the various eau
cases.
The s. 4 r. men did the same
thing and Fred Neumier Of the 81
Paul dailies did a real bangup
factual job.
II was Carl Rowan's special
task 10 cover the much exploited
civil rights program. His stories
gave Minnesota s. a T. readers In
sights into the maneuvering on
this question that few cities or
states were able TO obtain from
their daily journals.
Met \. A. r.. publisher John
CowIes rushing into the Shera-
Blackstone lobby. He want
ed 20 know what this writer
thought was going TO happen In
the Presidential nomination
race. We said Stevenson ON the
first ballot. the first political
representation we ever made
that came true.
Congresswoman Coya Knutson
was easily the pride and joy Of the
delegation.
Representative Peter Popovch.
as secretary of the delegation
worked hard and maintained a
calm and helpful influence on the
group. He remained firm for Ke-
fauver.
Rep. Don wozniak joined the
forces after a battle
with his conscience. as did Rail-
road and Warehouse Commits
sioner and former Minnesota Gov.
Hjalmer Petersen. The principal
Kefauyer leaders In the April pri-
maries split two to two on the
yice- presidential nominees. Ro-
bert Short and Popovich going for
Estes and wozniak and Petersen
dumping for Humphrey.
The singular thing about the
iivision was that there were no
no individual was
or condemned for his
;hoice, which Is something new
md adult in political conventions.
rhe decisions were hard to ar
i've at but there was no discern
lble bitterness in evidence as they
we're made.
Delegates were incensed at some
II the news stories which said the
delegation was confus-
ID and leaderless and claimed
4 revolt against its elected
officers was imminent. Most Of the
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