DEMOCRATS: The Big Battle

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Before the convention opened, it was clear that Adlai Stevenson, the reluctant candidate, was the man most of the most influential delegates wanted. The Kefauver and Harriman forces of more or less liberal Democrats formed an alliance, decided that what they needed was an issue comparable to the contested delegate fight at the opening of the G.O.P. convention. The issue they hoped would rouse the convention to their side: Northern New Dealism v. Southern conservatism.

Monday. At the first night session they rammed through (by voice vote) a resolution requiring all delegations to sign a "loyalty pledge," promising to use "all honorable means" to get the convention's nominees on the ballots in their states (TIME, July 28). This was designed to make it impossible for the Dixiecrats to run their own regional candidate on the Democratic ticket, as some Southern states had done in 1948. Chiefly responsible for the loyalty pledge move were Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. Harriman campaign manager, Michigan Senator Blair Moody. Michigan Governor Mennen ("Soapy") Williams, a group which North Carolina's old (82), formidable former Governor Cameron Morrison called "half-educated boys." Against them were such fierce old eagles as South Carolina's Jimmy Byrnes and Virginia's Senator Harry Byrd, who were politicians before Roosevelt & Co. could spell "caucus."

Tuesday. The "half-educated boys" began to suspect that they had gone too far, agreed to soften the pledge by adding a proviso that, "for this convention only," it would not be binding if it interfered with state laws. But Virginia, South Carolina and Louisiana still refused to sign.

Wednesday. On the floor, it became apparent that there was no steam in the North-South fight. Reason: the issue that divided them was "white supremacy," and "white supremacy" is no longer a live slogan in the U.S. One of the Democratic Convention's most important achievements was to make this fact clear. Few delegates really wanted to force the South into a walkout. Said Virginia's Harry Byrd: "We'll just sit here, and maybe they'll have to throw us out."

Thursday. On nominating day the delegates, not unlike a family taking the kids to the circus, eager and just a little apprehensive, brought a full arsenal of convention democracy—placards and pennants, paper hats and noisemakers, confetti and enthusiasm. Dick Russell was first. Then that great tribal dance known as the demonstration for the candidate broke loose, with waving banners, music, shouting. Nominating speeches for Kefauver, Kerr, Fulbright, Harriman, Ewing followed. More shouting, more music, more posters. Then Stevenson.