Compromise

When the Texas Democratic organization convened last week at Amarillo, it contained three groups: 1) the loyalists, who wanted to endorse Stevenson and Sparkman, 2) the rebels, who wanted Eisenhower and Nixon at the head of the state Democratic ticket, and 3) the compromisers, who wanted to let Stevenson and Sparkman head the party ballot, but endorse Eisenhower and Nixon.

The loyalists stayed quiet and let the other two groups fight it out. Governor Allan Shivers, in his keynote speech, stated the case for the compromisers. He insisted that the state party was honor-bound to put the national party's nominees on the ballot: "I have been one of those who has sought a solution to our dilemma--the dilemma faced by lifelong Texas Democrats who sincerely want to vote their own convictions without leaving the party of their fathers ... In my opinion there is no legal and moral way of accomplishing the desired purpose . . . It is time for every Texan to caucus with his own conscience . . ."

Shivers and his compromisers won. The convention voted to put Stevenson and Sparkman on the Democratic ballot--and then urged "every Democrat" to vote for Eisenhower and Nixon "under the label of the Republican Party or the label of any other party . . ."

A group of and-Stevenson Democrats were all ready to take advantage of the any-other-party hint. They filed a request for a "Texas Democratic Party" to go on the ballot, with Ike and Nixon as its nominees, and the same presidential electors as the Republicans. Loyalists went to court and got a temporary restraining order against such a ballot.

At week's end it looked as if Ike's chance to carry Texas had greatly improved, even if the "Texas Democratic Party" never appeared on the ballot. Shivers and the Democratic organization had committed themselves to the kind of fight that a politician can hardly afford to lose. Shivers' Democratic organization apparently had moved all the way over to active support of Ike.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.