Politics: Flight of the Byrd

Harry Byrd Sr. served one term as Virginia's Governor, five full terms as Senator, and for half a century ran the Old Dominion's Democratic Party as if it were a company town. Son Harry Jr., however, has had trouble controlling the legacy he received after his father's retirement in 1965 and death a year later. In 1969 Virginia Democrats rejected the Byrd machine's conservative gubernatorial candidate in favor of a moderate who ultimately lost to Republican Linwood Holton. Last week "Young Harry," 55, himself abdicated the Byrd throne that he had so tenuously held. He announced that he was leaving the Democratic Party and running for re-election to the Senate as "an independent Democrat."

Byrd's explanation was philosophical. Virginia's Democratic state central committee is requiring party candidates to sign a loyalty oath that binds them to support all Democrats running in the next election. Byrd argued that the rule would force him to support men he did not know. Vowing that he "would rather be a free man than a captive Senator," he defected.

Out of Step. It appeared, however, that the Senator jumped to avoid the embarrassment of being pushed. "Byrd is the end of a dynasty of true conservatives," said one knowledgeable Senate aide. "His state is no longer conservative. Young Harry is out of step." No one seems to realize that better than Byrd himself. In 1966 he won the nomination to serve out his father's unexpired sixth term by only 8,200 votes. This year he faced determined Democratic opposition in the primary. His decision to defect removed him from a contest that he was likely to lose and assured him a place on the ballot for the general election in November.

Even there his chances are poor, and Byrd may well finish third in a three-way race. The Democrats, with powerful labor and civil rights support, are expected to make an all-out effort to defeat Byrd. The Republicans, who in the old days declined to waste effort by opposing Byrd père, are also planning a full-scale campaign for a seat that could tip the party balance in the Senate. Their move could effectively block any Byrd ambitions to pick up the G.O.P. nomination for himself.

Fun Prospect. Byrd may not be the only prominent Democrat to bolt the party this year. Mississippi's John Stennis is frequently mentioned as a possible crossover, a suggestion that he denies. Texas State Representative W.R. (Bill) Archer, elected as a Democrat in 1968, is already running for Congressman George Bush's seat as a Republican. But the man most likely to switch is Georgia's archsegregationist Governor Lester Maddox. Prevented by state law and a negative court ruling from seeking reelection, he has announced as a candidate for lieutenant governor. He is thinking of running as a Republican unless his own party pays more attention to him, but the national G.O.P. has done little to encourage his conversion. Democrats are delighted at the prospect of a Maddox switch. "Will we have fun when the time comes for White House endorsement of the Republican ticket in Georgia," says a Democratic Committee staffer. " 'Richard Nixon for Lester Maddox.' Beautiful!"