ustxtxb_obs_1960_02_26_50_00006-00000_000.pdf

“BOW” WILLIAMS Automobile and General Insurance Budget ‘payment Plan Strong Stock Companies GReenwood 2-0545 624 LAMAR, AUSTIN Let’s Abolish the Poll. Tax! Liberal Democrats Make Their Plans for ’60 \(Continued from Page -Holleman moved to table the resolution. There was a recess for discussion. Upon -resumption of the meeting Mullinax withdrew the resolution. The Mullinax resolution stated: “Five of the classic liberal issues of our times are civil rights, the public control of business monopolies, the expansion of the labor movement for the common welfare, the corruption of our elections by excessive business campaign contributions and, in world affairs, a vision of United States leadership which abets, rather than resists the aspirations of the oppressed peoples of the world and narrows, rather than widens, nationalist hostilities. “On each of these vital counts, one candidate, Lyndon B. Johnson, falls short of the standards of idealism liberals expect. He voted with Southern bigots against civil rights legislation for years and lately has been a mere front man against real progress in this area, earning the support of the South. He consistently defends the unfair special privileges of the oil and gas giants of the nation. He has opposed the interests of labor many times, on stage and back stage, as he boasts himself in a celebrated letter. He voted this very session to keep campaign contributions in Southern primary elections secret from the people under the ‘clean elections’ bill and, in foreign affairs, he mistakes the world’s arms race for peace making. “He, more than any other man, has compromised the liberalism of the Democratic Party in the 1950’s. “The Democrats cannot go to the country against one’ fixer’ with another ‘fixer.’ As a symbol of Southern compromise and political opportunism, Johnson has no fair claim on the presidential nomination of the liberal party in the United States. “As a time when the world is praying for a liberal America, his nomination by the traditionally liberal American party would be an historic calamity.” Subsequently Dean Johnston, state representative from Houston, demurred from Holleman’s theme, stating that while he had a voting record labor regarded as good and was a member of organized labor, he did not regard himself as bound in the DOTC convention by the decisions of any earlier meeting. Plans for a Campaign Saturday morning, Mayor Lewis Cutrer of Houston greeted the delegates. Mrs. Randolph said, “The purpose of this meeting is to bring issues of the election year into sharp focus, holding our stand on principles instead of personalities, and issues rather than individuals.” She predicted a Democratic victory in 1960. Alex Dickie, president of the Texas Farmers’ Union and vicepresident of DOTC, presented then five resolutions recommended by the steering committee; and these were adopted. They declared: 1.Mrs. Randolph has “worked harder” for the Democrats than any other Texas committeewoman in history and should be reelected. 2.Texas was lost to the Democrats because of party disloyalty in 1952 and indifference, disloyal elements, and apathy in 1956; the Democrats must not be diverted from their “major purpose” and must organize for the Democratic candidates in November; DOTC will give it’s “full effort” to this campaign for the nominees, “whoever they may be.” THE TEXAS OBSERVER Page 6 February 26, 1960 3.Majority delegations were “ruthlessly” unseated in the 1956 state convention and elected party officials “callously” purged in 1958; DOTC favors fair seating of delegations, “local self representation” in selection of party officials and delegates to Los Angeles, and opportunity for delegates to speak from the floor and have their votes recorded. 4.The Texas delegation in Washington tends to conform and “me-too,” “these same pseudo Democrats, particularly the leadership, tend to criticize and castigate any and everyone who opposes them,” and Yarborough is commended for voting for the Gore resolution and as “a true statesman, a true Democrat, and the true representative of the people.” 5.Yarborough G.I. education bill should be passed. Get In or Get Out Keynoter Justice then took the stage. Justice prefaced his warning about a purge of DOT people from the Texas delegation by reasoning out his own adherence to “a much maligned group,” the brass collar Democrats. A party needs loyal adherents, and permitting those not pledged to its nominees to help make its decisions would be the same as one civic club permitting members of a rival club to help elect its own officers, he reasoned. Persons’ who vote for the man; not the party, are genuine independents, or politically naive, or “miserable and degraded opportunists,” in which latter class he included Freedom in Action members. He has heard some say, continued Justice, that if a person of a given religion . is nominated, they will vote Republican; or unless “a certain sectional candidate” is nominated, they’ll not support the Democrats; or if this same candidate is nominated, they will bolt the Democrats. Justice’s message to these people is that if they are not willing “at this time sincerely to declare at least nominal or formal support for all nominees” of the Los Angeles convention, “you should withdraw from the party’s councils, and not participate in any of its primary elections or conventions,” for they are independents, not Democrats. Justice said progress has been made in Texas since, in 1952, all but one state officeholder backed Eisenhower and Governor Shivers named the entire state Democratic committee, but it is possible, he said, that there may be an attempt “to purge members of the Democrats of Texas Clubs” who are legal delegates to the national convention or members of the S.D.E.C., in which case, he said, the delegates to the national convention “should be immediately and fully apprisedby any means available” of the facts. “Extremely adverse conclusions” would be drawn in Los Angeles about the Texas delegation, Justice believed. The keynoter made his threat even more explicit by noting that in 1952, in the Texas Republicans’ convention, Taft adherents purged Eisenhower supporters, and “since Taft was present and apparently gave his consent,” many were alienated from him, and he lost the nomination. He said he was not trying to exalt, in his party loyalism, the Gilbert and Sullivan politician who said “I have always voted at my party’s call, and I never thought of thinking for myself at all,” but favors thinking Democrats who will “let the conflicts be within the party.” Cty. Cmsr. Pena of San Antonio, introducing the report of the issues conference, said, “We hear too much about favorite sons and not enough about principles. . . . The party’s program should be tailored to a strong liberal policy and not for any favorite sons.” All the stands enunciated by the issues committee were accepted by the convention without dissent except for a scattering of noes protesting the taxation report. In the afternoon, after Fath’s report, Holleman spoke on “a caste system among liberals,” as printed on page seven this issue. Holleman also said DOTC must never become so committed to any personalityMrs. Randolph, Yarborough, or anyone elsethat it loses its independence, nor so opposed to any personality it loses its purpose for existence. “If our purpose is no higher than this, then we are doomed to failure and we deserve to fail,” he said. Rep. Bob Eckhardt, Houston, spoke impromptu while the convention waited for a report from the resolutions committee and many reporters adjourned for an interview with Senator Morse. Eckhardt attacked the system in the Texas House he labeled, “to the spoilsmen belongs the victor,” that is, to the lobbyists who elect him belongs the Speaker of the House. Eckhardt said the most needed reform in the House is the appointment of committees that are representative of the whole House membership. Hall Loses Heavily Reporters were barred from the HOUSTON In a frankly anti-Johnson speech, secretary-treasurer Creekmore Fath of the Democrats of Texas Clubs renewed charges that Lyndon Johnson and Sam Rayburn “led” 1956 convention stealing at Fort Worth and cannot be counted on to organize a hard fight for the Democratic nominees in Texas this year. Speaking to the militant DOTC members, he said, “We are not going to leave the Texas Democratic campaign in the hands of those who give lip service to the Democratic Party but sabotage the effort. . . . We must organize. We must locate every Democratic voter.” He condemned Johnson for “the political process by which a smooth operator subs ti tut e s shadow for substance” and drew applause when he said “Nixon cannot be our future, and I do not believe that Johnson is our destiny.” At the end of his talk, he was given a prolonged standing ovation. Returning to Johnson’s “favorite son” role in 1956, Fath said that after the Democratic Advisory Council joined with Johnson to defeat Allan’ Shivers in May, Johnson forces screened out national convention delegates Johnson did not like. Then, at Chicago, Fath said, Johnson never permitted a vote for another candidate by the delegation, even though it was apparent from the start that “Johnson had no chance.” Rayburn and Johnson told the delegation they were for Clement of Tennessee for vice, president, Rayburn specifically opposing Kennedy, but since Clement was not a candidate, Johnson then led them to support Gore of Tennessee; whereafter Rayburn supported Kennedy to try to stop Kefauver, “so Texas was voting for Kennedy when Kefauver was nominated,” Fath said. In the September state convention at Fort Worth in 1956, Fath charged, “the stealing was done by loyal Democrats led by Johnson and Rayburn.” In 1960, Fath said, “we are faced with a formidable drive by resolutions committee meeting which was held during the afternoon session of the DOTC convention. Members who were present told the Observer that Walter Hall proposed a resolution commending Johnson for the 1957 civil rights act and for his maneuver Feb. 15 on behalf of another civil rights act. Jack Matthews of Houston opposed the resolution, saying it was premature to commend Johnson for a 1960 civil rights law before they knew what it would be. Matthews said the convention should stick to issues. Hall told the Observer he rejoined that the morning resolution condemning “pseudo Democrats” was aimed at Johnson. He said the word “pseudo” means “phoney.” He said that if DOTC would commend Yarborough on one issue but not Johnson on another it had become personalitiesridden. After considerable discussion Hall withdrew his resolution naming Johnson and offered in its place one commending “able Democratic leadership.” Matthews said that came to the same thing. The Hall resolution was defeated by votes variously reported as 13-2 and 15-2. Hall said, “I could not even get enough to get a minority report” and confirmed only one other delegate voted with him. some elements in the Democratic Party to endorse Senator Johnson for favorite son again, even though Senator Johnson says he is not a candidate and will not become a candidate. This farce began” with the 1959 revisions in the election law. “I view with some skepticism,” Fath said, “the solicitude of newspapers such as the Dallas News or Houston Chronicle or Houston Post or the San Antonio Express or the Lubbock Avalanche or the Huntsville Item or the Austin American when they attempt to editorially advise Democrats on what’s good for the Democratic Party. You might join with me in keeping score to see which Texas newspapers are for Johnson in July but will be for Nixon in November.” “Many of the Johnsonites” may turn out to be Republican backers in November, Fath said. Is the Johnson enthusiasm “only a spring fever which may disappear in the Los Angeles smog?” he asked. The danger is that the delegates “are being indoctrinated for a Johnson putsch only.” “We have to tend the garden when the Johnson grass is dead and Johnson grass farmers are cultivating Nixon weed,” the DOTC official quipped. In 1956, he said, the Johnson campaign for Stevenson barred from the effort the Democratic leaders of the 146 counties which voted against Johnson. in the state convention. “In 138 of those coun ties,” Fath charged, “campaign managers for the national election were never even appointed. And you all know that the state headquarters was distributing anti Jack Lee, chairman of the closed session, said “The senator’s merit did not come before the committee.” He said the Hall resolution “did not reach the floor of the convention.” He would not say much else, except that the press was not allowed, “we ran ’em out.” Why did the resolutions committee have a closed meeting? “That’s what the committee elected to do, and I presume they have a tight to do that,” he said. Resolutions passed in the late afternoon called for presidential primaries in Texas and adoption of the Humphrey resolution to allow full participation by the U.S. in the World Court. The Humphrey resolution strikes out the present “Connally reservation” leaving the question of what is a domestic issue up to the United States. Rep. Bill Kilgarlin, Houston, made a short speech, reviewing what he regarded as dirty charges against Democrats by high Republicans, notably Nixon. Kilgarlin, as president of the Young Democrats of Texas, replaced Maco Stewart among DOTC’s members at large; all other officers were re-elected. The executive committee of the Young Democrats,. meeting Sunday, condemned a ban on college political clubs at Sam Houston State Teachers’ College and commended Yarborough for his vote on the Gore resolution..–R.D. Stevenson, pro-Johnson material under the guise of campaigning for the Democratic Party.” Fath then frontally attacked Johnson’s impact on the Democratic Party. The Texas press has argued that Johnson’s “course of accommodation with Republicans in the Senate” has helped the Democrats, but “To the contrary, what is good