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Show GRASSROOTS President Disregards His Dixiecraf Opposition By Wright A. Patterson TJEGARDLESS of what the perma-nent perma-nent effect may be on the future of his party, how wide the factional split may spread, the President is determined to make another try at securing legislation on his Fair Deal program. Senator Humphreys of 'Minnesota has been delegated to prepare and introduce in the senate eight bills that, if they can be passed, would effectuate the Fair Deal program as contained in the Democratic platform plat-form of 1948, for the adoption of which Senator Humphreys was largely responsible. Senator Humphreys is promised the active support of half a dozen other northern Democratic senators who support anything the President asks for. The first of these measures Is the anti-lynching bill, which the south has been able to talk to death, as an invasion of state's rights. It is the President's belief be-lief that the passage of such a measure, with its effect on the northern negro vote, could mean turning the electoral vote of such states as New York, Illinois, Illi-nois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and others with a large negro population into the Democratic column, without seriously effecting ef-fecting the, white vote of any of the southern states, the people of which are regarded as first Protestant, second democratio and third American. Only a counting of the ballots In the next election can determine the real answer. If the President Is right in his surmise, it could mean his election to a third term. All such bills are to be promoted as welfare legislation. What the action of the Republicans Republi-cans in the senate, whether or not they will support the Dixiecrats of the south, will not be known until the senate votes. The Republicans are not anxious to affront the northern north-ern Democratic negroes. The Republicans, Re-publicans, too, would like to have as many of those votes as possible. In it all there is much more of politics poli-tics than of welfare on both sides. Such a move on the part of the President could mean a permanent split in his party that in time might be politically expensive and mean a third party and a loss of regular Democratic control of congress. Such a result would not be evident in the next election. When I was in Hawaii between the first and second world wars, an invariable in-variable subject of conversation was "statehood for the islands." A large majority of the people of all the racial groups were for it. A small minority, led by the Honolulu Advertiser, Ad-vertiser, was opposed. The Advertiser based Us opposition op-position on its expressed belief in a lack of loyalty on the part of the Japinese, then the largest of the racial groups in the islands, is-lands, but the publisher and owner admitted the real reason was the certainty that the pub-Usher pub-Usher and owner of the compet ing daily, The Star-Telegram, would undoubtedly 'je elected to the United States senate following follow-ing admission of the islands to statehood, and that he could not afford to have a competitor selected se-lected for such a job which would add to his influence and prestige among the island's people. peo-ple. I am told the opposition to statehood state-hood has grown some, since I was in the islands, and such opposition as exists is fathered, not alone by The Advertiser, but also by the army, especially the intelligence service of the army. It is fearful that statehood would affect the army's privileges and practices. Such objections as are back of any opposition is not worthy of consideration con-sideration on the part of congress. The islands are fully entitled to being be-ing made a real part of the United States. It has been a step child for an overly long period. To longer continue it on a territorial basis is unfair. Give it a chance to rule itself it-self and to enjoy the advantages of statehood, regardless of petty objections. ob-jections. The examples starting the breakdown break-down of morality and integrity in America were to be found in the White House, among the President's cabinet officers, ambassadors, and public officials fairly generally. They have accepted bribes for betraying be-traying the interests of the American Ameri-can people. But the President says they have done nothine iHeeal. |