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Some shrewd lawyers told Allan Shivers that under Texas law this would be an illegal use of the Democratic label. (The judgment of his legal advisers was confirmed when a district court last week threw out an attempt to get a "Texas Democratic" ticket on the ballot.) Shivers stayed up until 4 a.m. writing his speech to the year's second Democratic state convention, urging it to take the course it eventually took: put Stevenson and Sparkman on the ballot, but work against them.
Since the convention, Shivers has been suspended in a strange political vacuum. He is against Stevenson and Sparkman, yet he hasn't said he will vote for the Republican nominees. But he is expected to follow the pattern set by Jimmy Byrnes and Louisiana's Governor Robert F. Kennon, and announce that he will vote for Eisenhower.
The "Democrats for Eisenhower" movement last week began to blow like a Texas norther. Gusts:
¶ Lawyer Tom Sealy called together 60 stalwarts of the Shivers campaign organization in Austin to set up the statewide campaign.
¶ Houston Oil Millionaire Wright Morrow made his move. He resigned as Democratic National Committeeman, and commented that he had "the advice of the state Democratic convention to support Eisenhower."
¶ Texas Republicans went through a strange maneuver of their own. They endorsed the Democratic ticket for Senator, governor and all other state offices, hoping thereby to woo Democrats to Eisenhower and Nixon. The Republicans have high hopes for Ike's flying sweep across the state after a big 62nd birthday party in San Antonio on Oct. 14.
¶ Cooperation between Republicans for Ike and Democrats for Ike is close. The harmony is facilitated by the fact that Democratic State Chairman Wallace Savage and Republican State Chairman Alvin Lane are law partners in Dallas.
Counter-gusts:
¶ Last week the Democratic National Committee, facing up to the danger, named House Speaker Sam Rayburn to lead the Texas campaign for Stevenson and Sparkman.
¶ Senator Lyndon Johnson, who as chairman of the Senate preparedness subcommittee, has constantly criticized the Administration's mobilization policies, was less enthusiastic than Sam. But he said he would vote Democratic.
¶ Old Tom Connally, vacationing in Europe, is expected to stay in line too.
¶ Representative Wright Patman, going all out for Stevenson and Sparkman, was making plans to stump the state.
¶ Adlai Stevenson is planning to make at least two speeches in Texas, probably right after Ike's trip, although the state Democratic organization would not turn a hand for him.
This week the Texas Poll reported that Texans stood 51% for Stevenson, 43% for Eisenhower and 6% undecided. In Democratic Texas, that is a remarkable showing for a Republican nominee. With both the Republican and Democratic campaigns for Ike just beginning, he appeared to have a better chance of carrying Texas than any other southern state.