Show f i Aid Southern Life By EDWARD H. H SIMS 1 The recent death of Richard Russell of Georgia dean of the Senate should not pass without without without with with- I out a commentary on his efI effort effort ef ef- ef- ef fort in in the Senate for so many years to defend the south and its way of life a south which he believed too often oCten vilified by a prejudiced nat na- na tion t HE ONCE said The feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing against the south has become become become be be- come a national disgrace What the Senator meant was not that racial conditions in the south were perfect but that they were as good as asin asin in in other sections of the country country country coun- coun try and that the south was I f being used by of or 1 all sections as a whipping boy for votes while much of the same way of life was hypocritically carried on outside outside outside out out- side the south e THAT vilification might have been justified in a way wayby wayby wayby by various events but not r than for cor other sections sections sections sec sec- which received no such u political abuse The Senator also resented that no Senator or s statesman statesman states states- tes- tes man from the south had a chance to be president 4 AS HE saw it prejudice r r against the south was the main reason-prejudice reason on oni i the racial issue much of oft t J which he found hypocritical He believed the two major l races got on well in the south generally speaking and that there was more genuine friendship and love between them in the south than anywhere else in the nation nation nation na na- na- na tion that the two races had learned to live together HE acknowledged that change was due that every American is due the same opportunity education and rights of or every other But he fought all his life against measures aimed only at the south and those which he considered unconstitutional some of which he considered political pitches for votes But when a law was passed he asked all to obey it it IF INDEED Senator Russell Russell Russell Rus Rus- sell was not completely right in his assessment it must nevertheless be said that all of the Senates Senate's recent members members members mem mem- bers including Harry Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man Lyndon Johnson John Kennedy and Mike Mansfield etc acknowledged that he was better informed on the major issues s of or the day andon and andon andon on the rules of the Senate than any other man They conceded he would have been president had he come from a state outside the south All described him himas as a giant among giants in inthe inthe inthe the Senate Senate- r T r rr r r THIS BEING true its it's impossible impossible impossible im im- im- im possible to dismiss his defense defense defense de de- de- de of the south and its way of or life as having no merit and no truth Far from being a reactionary reactionary reactionary Russell was liberal in many fields He said once he was a liberal in bad times and a conservative in goodyears good goodyears goodyears years and his voting record subs substantiated that s statement THIS WRITER years ago agov v visited sited Russells Russell's office almost daily as a young Washington correspondent While he was far more important in the Senate than some of the theother theother theother other Senators on the daily call list he would almost invariably make himself available for questioning if in Others were often oCten hard to corner and if cornered would avoid answers to delicate questions But Russell was a simple and open man as his modern biography showed which only mentioned that he was Democrat from Winder Georgia |