With the solidification of the Dixiecrat party and presidential ticket, the 1948 presidential election became a four-way race.
The Dixiecrats called themselves the States’ Rights Party or the Jeffersonian Democrats[1] after Thomas Jefferson. They did this to signal to America that they stood for the Constitution. Through their campaign, they repeated how they weren’t against racial equality and stood for the freedom and liberty of all people[2]. While some newspapers only referred to them as Dixiecrats, several Northern newspapers called them things like “Southern Kluxers[3], the Jim Crow Party[4], and the Dixie(r)ats.”
From the beginning of his presidential race, until he died half a century later, Strom Thurmond always publicly stated that he was against lynching and poll taxes. He was just a proponent of states’ rights[5]. History has been unforgiving to Strom Thurmond, who is often credited as the leader of the Dixiecrat movement, even though Fielding Wright fathered the movement.
Going into Truman’s Special Session of Congress, racial strife was happening all over the South. In July, the National Negro Association, which shouldn’t be confused with the NAACP, started a campaign to get Senator Olin Johnston of South Carolina expelled from Congress. They sent telegrams to President Truman and Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey accusing Senator Johnston of disorderly behavior, saying that he led a campaign to deny voting rights to Black people in South Carolina. They demanded his expulsion based on Article I, Section V of the Constitution[6]. Not only was Olin Johnston never expelled from Congress, but there never was serious talk of doing so.
In the days leading up to the special session, Senator Olin Johnston was outed as a Ku Klux Klan member[7].
By July 26, Truman’s special session was in order. Truman wanted to get anti-inflation legislation passed. He tried to clarify to the country that he was for price control[8]. However, this special session received much criticism from Republicans and Democrats[9].
When the special session did begin, several members targeted Truman in their opening speeches. Republicans criticized Truman, calling the session an extension of the Democratic National Convention. GOP members also blamed Truman’s administration for inflation and high costs of living. Regardless of the political party, nearly all of Congress expressed how Truman was attempting to make political capital at their expense.
In the House, Republicans and Democrats both became embroiled in angry debate. Each side blamed the other for the housing shortage and high prices. Truman gave a speech to Congress on the second day of the session. Both Republicans and Southern Democrats decided not to bring any real legislative business until after Truman’s speech.
On the first day of the special session, the Senate met for only 11 minutes, and there was no partisan speechmaking[10].
Both sides of the aisle predicted that at least one of President Truman’s civil rights bills would be brought up in the special session, resulting in a filibuster or blocking Congressional action on anti-inflation. Dixiecrats threatened to filibuster if progressives brought any civil rights legislation to the floor. Progressive Democrats responded by threatening to filibuster their filibuster. They also pledged to filibuster adjournment until Congress passed adequate civil rights, housing, and price control legislation.
On July 27, when Truman addressed Congress, he asked them for wage-price controls, rationing, and an excess profits tax. The President warned that the country could not put off the battle against inflation until after the election. While addressing Congress, Truman called them one of the worst Congresses in history and demanded an immediate passage of comprehensive legislation to meet the national shorting crisis. President Truman also asked for anti-lynching and anti-poll tax legislation[11].
On the same day as his speech to Congress during that session, President Truman issued an executive order relating to a new FEPC policy in the Federal Government and desegregation of the Armed Forces[12]. The executive order said that “all personnel actions taken by Federal appointing offices shall be based solely on merit and fitness; and such officers are authorized and directed to take appropriate steps to ensure that in all such actions, there shall be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, or national origin.”
While the special session was happening, Republicans agreed to block Truman’s nominations for postmasters and judges. Over 900 federal jobs, the GOP decided, were reserved for Republicans, expecting Governor Thomas Dewey to win the 1948 presidential election. President Truman was able to keep his selections in office until after the election under interim appointments, but the GOP wouldn’t approve any other nominations by Truman[13].
Senator Robert Taft, a Conservative Republican from Ohio, announced that the Senate Republican Policy Committee planned to adjourn on August 7. Taft told his peers on the Senate floor that President Truman “has the power to halt inflation, but he is not using them because he knows if he did so, farm prices would go down, and some unemployment would result.”
Senator Barkley, who was then Truman’s running mate, accused Senator Taft of making a political speech, which led to a heated exchange between the two men[14].
By July 28, Senate Republicans decided to call up the anti-poll tax bill, regardless of the Southern Democrats’ filibuster threats. In 1948, only seven states in the South had a poll tax[15].
Without skipping a beat, as soon as Republicans brought up the anti-poll tax legislation in the Senate, Dixiecrats immediately began filibustering tactics. Senator Richard Russell from Georgia and Senator John Stennis from Mississippi led the charge. Russell promised that the 21 Southern Senators would debate the issue for days, weeks, or months if necessary. He told the Republicans that the Southerners would call off their filibuster plans if the Republicans would agree only to call up a poll-tax repealer and change a House-passed bill on that subject to a proposed constitutional amendment. If the Southern States stuck together and pulled in two more states, they would block a constitutional amendment.
Knowing they couldn’t pull a constitutional amendment, Republicans rejected Russell’s agreement. So, the Southern Democrats filibustered. By filibustering the anti-poll tax bill, Dixiecrats also blocked legislation on price control, housing, and security from going forward[16].
Southern Democrats filibustered the anti-poll tax into August, leading the Conference on Civil Rights Legislation to denounce the filibuster publicly [17].
Senator Glen Taylor, the Progressive Party’s Vice President nominee, went on the radio on August 1 and blamed the old parties in both the Democrats and Republicans. He accused the Conservative Republicans of aiding the Southern Democrats in blocking legislation. He said, “The filibuster only exists because both parties want it to exist. It is a guarantee that Democrats can preserve States’ rights over human rights, and the Republicans profit over prosperity.”
Taylor went on, “I don’t know what the outcome of this political campaign will be. I know that I will be fortunate if I retain my liberty and freedom of action because we have gone a long way down the road towards fascism[18].”
On August 2, Republican leaders in the Senate invoked the cloture rule to limit the debate on the anti-poll tax bill. Four Democrats joined 18 Republicans to sign the cloture petition: Senators Claude Pepper, Alben Barkley, Howard McGrath, and Theodore Green. Those four Democrats were Truman Democrats and progressives.
When Senator Kenneth Wherry read the cloture petition in the Senate, Senator Russell raised a point of order on a technicality. The Republicans couldn’t apply cloture at that stage of the Senate proceeding unless the presiding officer reversed past precedents[19].
By August 4, the Republicans had enough and gave up the fight to abolish the poll tax[20]. In a party conference, the GOP promised to rewrite the Senate rules to prevent filibustering the next civil rights program when Congress returned to regular session. After giving up on the anti-poll tax bill, both parties kicked into high gear to pass limited inflation controls and housing legislation[21].
On August 5, more than 2,500 people showed up in Washington, DC, to protest poll tax. Many of them were followers of Henry Wallace and self-proclaimed Communists. Even though Congress had already set aside the anti-poll tax bill, the protesters were undampened. They chanted, “Jim Crow must go” and “One, two, three, four, we don’t want another war.” While initially meant to be a civil rights march, it quickly became a Henry Wallace rally. Many of the people wore Wallace pins and carried Wallace signs[22].
President Truman accused the 80th Congress of “concocting a feeble compromise” on the special session’s legislation[23]. Throughout the special session, he urged Congress to act, putting out multiple statements to the press saying, “We cannot afford to wait for the next Congress.” Because of this, the 80th Congress became forever known as the “Do-Nothing Congress[24].”
Finally, on August 7, the House passed the Senate’s private enterprise housing bill, sent to Truman to sign. The deficiency appropriation bill was carrying $12.4 million to finance the new housing program. It also had $5 million for purchasing automobiles for disabled veterans. The housing bill encouraged accelerated production of low-cost homes and expanded the production of rental housing units[25].
The special session was a bust for President Truman. Neither civil rights nor anti-inflation measures passed. Truman called the bills inadequate and blamed Republicans for the inaction[26].
Truman planned an aggressive campaign tour after the Special Session fiasco[27].
[1] The Lexington Advertiser, “States Rights Jeffersonian Democrats Hold Meeting,” (March 25, 1948)
[2] The Durant News, “States’ Rights Democrats’ Southwide Conference Will Be Held May 10 Jacksonville,” (March 25, 1948)
[3] Les Finnegan, “Cavil-Cade,” The Potters Herald, (July 29, 1948)
[4] Arizona Sun, “Dixiecrats Organize Jim Crow Party,” (July 29, 1948)
[5] Associated Press, “Thurmond, Bitter Foe of Lynching, Opposes Carolina Poll Tax,” Evening Star, (July 18, 1948)
[6] Evening Star, “Negro Group Demands Johnston’s Expulsion,” (July 19, 1948)
[7] The Southern Jewish Weekly, “Talmadge Seeks Klan Aid in Georgia,” (July 23, 1948)
[8] Evening Star, “The President’s Message,” (July 28, 1948)
[9] Davis Lawrence, “Politics, More Politics Seen in Truman’s Congress Message,” Evening Star, (July 28, 1948)
[10] J. A. O’Leary, “Special Session Meets, Await Truman Speech,” Evening Star, (July 26, 1948)
[11] Associated Press, “Truman Asks Limited Price-Wage Curbs,” Evening Star, (July 27, 1948)
[12] Evening Star, “Text of Executive Orders,” (July 27, 1948)
[13] Associated Press, “Republicans Agree to Continue Blocking Truman Nominations,” Evening Star, (July 28, 1948)
[14] Evening Star, “Ohioan Tells Senate President Can Halt Inflation but Won’t,” (July 30, 1948)
[15] J. A. O’Leary, “GOP Senators Call Up Poll Tax Bill Tomorrow,” Evening Star, (July 28, 1948)
[16] Associated Press, “Poll Tax Bill Hits First Senate Snag in Quorum Call,” Evening Star, (July 29, 1948)
[17] J. A. O’Leary, “GOP Will Fight for Anti-Poll Tax Vote This Week,” Evening Star, (August 1, 1948)
[18] Associated Press, “Old Parties Burying Issues Under Talk, Taylor Tells Nation,” Evening Star, (August 1, 1948)
[19] J. A. O’Leary, “Senate Ruling Bars Cloture on Poll Tax Debate,” Evening Star, (August 2, 1948)
[20] Evening Star, “Senate Deadlock,” (August 4, 1948)
[21] J.A. O’Leary, “GOP Gives Up Poll Tax Fight; Plans New Rules,” Evening Star, (August 4, 1948)
[22] Evening Star, “Wallacites and Reds 2,500 Strong, Arrive to Protest Poll Tax,” (August 5, 1948)
[23] Associated Press, “GOP Moves to Beat Truman to Punch, says it has Saved 6 Billion,” Evening Star, (August 15, 1948)
[24] Montana Labor News, “Congress Fails on All Issues,” (August 12, 1948)
[25] J. A. O’Leary, “Action on Housing Completed, Congress to Quit Tonight After Inflation Curb is Passed,” Evening Star, (August 7, 1948)
[26] The Nome Nugget, “Truman Signs Inadequate Housing Bill,” (August 11, 1948)
[27] Associated Press, “Truman is Reported Planning Aggressive Two-Month Tour,” Evening Star, (August 7, 1948)