Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-02

The Democrats got the 1866
presidential campaign off to a
feverish start last week days
ahead of the official opening gun
when Adlai Stevenson and Estes
Kefauver turned series of visits
to party leaders over the Nation
into a 5032-mile grass roots cam
paign tour.
The two Democratic candidates
had set out on their warm-up ex-
petition on Monday to assay local
issues and lnfuse some confidence
into local party organizations. They
ended the excursion in Chicago on
Friday and it was plain that some
OF the confidence of the party's
hinterland hierarchies had rubbed
off on them.
Most significant prize of the trip
was a reasonable assurance that
one of the essentials for Demo-
cratic victory--a Solid South-is
in the bag,
Meeting Democratic leaders from
10 Southern States in Knoxville,
Tenn, on Thursday, Mr.. Stevenson
and Senator Kefauver received en-
thusiastic assurances that the
Souths 1913 electoral votes (48.5
per cent of the 266 required for
victory would be theirs.
Two weeks ago, at the close OF
the Democratic convention, party
leaders had some uneasy doubts
about where the South, not SO de-
pendable these days as in the past,
would go. Delegations from Dixie,
where racial fears are deeper and
darker than they have been in
years, had left Chicago in unhappy,
even bitter, resignation. But reslg-
nation it was, and not revolt.
Though none OF the delegations
sounded the familiar warning that
the conventions disappolntmentS
would drive the South away from
the ticket on November 6, some of
them, notably South Carolina. were
not promising any Stevenson
Kefauver landslides below the Po-
tomac. Most of them wanted time
to think things over on home
ground. They were doubtful about
how their neighborS and the party
leaders left behind would take the
conduct at the convention.
They were not long in finding c
their return that Southern publ
opinion had overwhelmingly rati-
fed the course they took in Chi
cago. The prevailing opinion, ex-
pressed by many Southern news
papers and shared on courthouse
lawns through most of the region.
seemed to be that the ticket and
the platform were the best obtain
able in present circumstances. The
South, it is felt, should now help
elect Democratic Congress, which,
after all, has become court Of last
resort for the protection Of South
ern tradition.
Virginia Leeds the Way
The first hint of Southern soli-
darity came from Virginia, whose
II ELECTORAL votes were captured by
Mr.. Eisenhower in 1852. In Berry
vile on August IS Senator Harry F..
Byrd bitterly denounced MI. EiSen-
hover as the sponsor of an "iniqui-
tous civil rights program" in a
speech regarded as tipoff that
the Senator this year will lead his
flock back home to the Democrats.
Democratic officials are confident
that the Senator will do just this.
He would have reason enough, for
the fruits of his heresy in 1852 are
conspicuous everywhere on the
Virginia political landscape: Two
Republican congressman of the
three elected in 1852 are still in
4. office; in 1858. Republican Ted Dali
ton, running for Governor, collected
"A per cent of the vote; Democrats
are challenged in every precinct.
He also shares the dilemma of
other seniority Southerners in
Congress-he must fight for the
Democratic Party to save his chair
manship on the Finance Committee
On Tuesday South Carolina DEM
ocrats officially concluded that they
had no place to go other than to
the national party When the State
Democratic convention met in Co.
lumbia last week, the most reluc-
tant Southerner at Chicago, Gov.
George Bell Zimmerman, urged that
the only place for him and his COM
rades lis within the Democratic
Party" The convention delegates
agreed and voted to support the ma
tional ticket.
Gov. Zimmerman. like Senator
Byrd, also had harsh words for Mr..
Eisenhower, and it was these words
that seemed to reveal the real
strategy of the Democrats who have
decided to repatriate themselves.
IL is to convince Southern voters
that for the first time since the
death of Franklin Roosevelt, the
South carries It's traditional weight
in the party, and that once again,
the Republicans are the enemies
waving the bloody shirt.
In Alabama, one of the 'SouthS
most unbending segregationists,
Eugene Conner of Birmingham,
praised the Alabama convention
delegation and its chairman. Sena-
tor Sparkman, and limited he would
support the ticket this year.
In Mississippi, Gov. j. P. Cole
man. who all along has urged
against bolt. told group of dis
sident Democrats in jackson that
their plan TO put up an independent
slate would accomplish nothing.
Senator Richard Russell of Geor-
gia, who many times has provided
rallying ground for conservative
Southerners. wired Mr.. Stevenson
in Knoxville that he would support
him. Gov. Marvin Griffin had previ-
ously pledged his support.
Louisiana and North Carolina
have been counted safe through all
the party crises this year, and Flor
ida. which went Republican in 1852
is expected to be led back home