The Glacier reporter., 1960-08-18

Smathers May De NeSI "HtP-
Justice Department Flsyed-
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Gover-
nor Abraham Ribicoff of Connec-
ticut is in line for appointment as
the next Attorney General of the
United States if Sen. John F. Ken
nedy of Massachusetts, is elected
President, top sources in the Ken
nedy-Johnson campaign organi-
zation report.
IT has been reported earlier by
members of the Republican Poll
cy Committee that former Demo
cratic National Chairman Paul
NJ Butler was slated for this post,
but sources close to the Kennedy
Johnson headquarters denied
this. and indicated that Ribicoff
would probably be tapped for the
important cabinet post.
Governor Ribicoff is Jewish,
and has the reputation of being a
fighting liberal, but not an "ul-
tra-liberal" of the ADA school.
He is said to have been instru-
mental in quelling the objections
of the labor leaders to the selec-
ton of Senate Majority Leader
Lyndon B. Johnson for the Demo
cratic Vice Presidential nomina-
ton.
Had Johnson won the preSiden-
tial nomination, and subsequently
been elected president, he was
expected to name Nevada's Sen.
Alan Bible as his Attorney Gen
eral.
Senate Majority Whip Mike
Mansfield of Montana is the man
most likely to succeed Lyndon
Johnson as Majority Leader of
the Senate, should Johnson be
elected vice-president.
Senator George Smathers of
Florida is considered on Capitol
Hill to have the inside track to
succeed Mansfield, as assistant
Majority Leader and Majority
Whip.
This has been disclosed by a
close associate of the Democratic
vice presidential candidate, who
discounted published reports that
| Mansfield would not accept the
Senate Majority Leadership.
HE said he would not accept
the Majority Whips job, too, but
as you can see, that's the job
he's got" the source commented
Mansfield, like Johnson, is re
garded as a moderate" in the
Senate.
Associates of the Majority Lead
er say il is still too early to tell
who would succeed Mansfield as
Majority Whip should the Ken
nedy-Johnson ticket win this fall
and Mansfield be promoted tC
Majority Leader.
However, Florida's Senator
Smathers is known to be inter
ested in the post, and is said tC
have strong support among the
other members of the Senate
from throughout the country.
Though he represents FlOrids
in the Senate, Smathers is a t.
tive of New Jersey.
Another Senator who may make
a bid for the Majority Whip pos
is Senator Albert Gore of Ten
nessee.
Senator Olin ID. Johnston ha:
charged the Civil Rights division
of the U. S. Department of JUS
tice with political bullying anc
cowardice" for refusing to make
public the fact that it found nc
evidence of wrong-doing in 1T:
much publicized vote-registratior
investigations in Mccormick anc
Clarendon counties, South Caro-
lima.
Il Demanding apology and exon
Grafton" for the people of Soutf
!. Carolina, Johnston said the vote
probe of the two counties by the
Justice Department was nothing
but a form of groundless slandei
and villification, trumped up fol
political purposes during an elec
ton year.
At the time ii launched its FBl
investigation, the Justice Depart
ment, through Attorney General
William Rogers, said it wanted to
inspect the voting and registra
ton records in the South Caro-
| lima counties to determine If q
pattern of discrimination against
Negro voters existed.
| II said far more Negroes were
of voting age than were register
ed, and added that in McCormicE
county, there were no Negroes
among registered voters-a state
ment that was subsequently refu
ted by Mccormick election Off
cials.
Press releases were prepared
and distributed to all major
washington news media by the
Justice Department, announcing
the opening of the investigation
i in South Carolina.
M pubIicity has been given by