Democrats: I Was the Instrument

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Alabama's Governor George Wallace for weeks has been bursting with tall talk. After his surprising performances in presidential primaries in Wisconsin, Indiana and Maryland, Segregationist Wallace announced that his name would be entered on the ballots of at least 16 states in the November election. He hoped that he might win enough electoral votes to force a sort of "coalition" government with one of the major parties — one in which he would be given power of review over Supreme Court appointments and assurance that never again would civil rights leaders "set foot in the White House." But last week, as abruptly as he had entered, Wallace withdrew as a presidential candidate.

Still he stayed as cheeky as ever.

"My mission has been accomplished," he said in a television interview. "My purpose was to help conservatize both national parties. Today we hear more talk of states' rights than we have heard in the past quarter-century. I was the instrument through which the message was sent to the high councils of the parties."

Actually, when faced with a choice between Barry Goldwater, a conservative with a chance, and George Wallace, a racist with none, Wallace's supporters had started deserting him in droves. In Atlanta, where 100,000 had been expected to hear him speak, only 10,000 turned out. Even good friends joined in jumping the sinking ship. Georgia's ex-Governor Marvin Griffin, who had been helping to organize the Wallace-for-President campaign, now announced he would vote for Goldwater.

As for Goldwater, he insisted that there had been no deal with Wallace. But Barry could hardly be anything but cheerful about Wallace's withdrawal. In San Francisco, he had already admitted that the Wallace campaign was "something to be concerned about." If the Re publican nominee "can't get his foot in the door in the South," said Barry, "he is not going anyplace." Wallace, he said, "has strength where I have strength."

In the wake of the Wallace withdrawal, Alabama Republicans claimed, with some justification, that Goldwater would not only carry the state but would carry some Republican Congressmen along with him. In Mississippi, Tom Garrott, a longtime member of the state Demo cratic executive committee, began cranking up a Democrats-for-Goldwater movement. Throughout the South, Gallup and Harris polls agreed, a Wallace candidacy would have cost Goldwater 12% of the vote, Johnson 7% .