The Last Time The Dems Went to Philadelphia
IT WAS A SHIT STORM
The year was 1948. Harry Truman had served out almost all of FDR’s 4th term. And as the Democrats gathered in Philadelphia, no one wanted Harry. The party which Roosevelt had held together with guile, charm and immense public popularity was fighting over the political estate of the Squire from Hyde Park.
The liberals were supporting Henry Wallace, the man who had served as FDR’s VP during his third term. The liberals had broken from Truman when he announced his policy of "Containment" to stop Soviet expansion in Europe. Wallace’s people feared the policy could lead to a 3rd World War. Just two weeks earlier as the Republican Nominee, Thomas E. Dewey accepted the nomination in the same hall in Philadelphia, Stalin started the blockade of Berlin. Truman responded with the airlift. Doves said it was a provocation. Hawks said it was too little and would fail. The average voter was tired of wars that never seemed to end.
Truman’s woes didn’t end on the left. The conservative southern Democrats were uncomfortable with moves Truman had made to desegregate the military. Harry and the DNC had written an innocuous Civil Rights Platform to try and avoid a total split, but the progressives were having none of it. Hubert Humphrey, the Mayor of Minneapolis and candidate for the Senate, had pushed a minority plank to the floor. The minority plank was a specific endorsement of Truman’s civil rights initiatives. The Humphrey plank supported anti poll tax and anti-lynching legislation, fair employment laws and an end to segregation of the armed services.The old hands had tried to talk Humphrey out of bringing his alternative to the floor. They had argued that Truman was already publicly in favor of these things, why rub the Southerners noses in it. Humphrey had not been deterred, instead this young man had stood before the convention hall and against the leaders of his party and said:
Truman’s woes didn’t end on the left. The conservative southern Democrats were uncomfortable with moves Truman had made to desegregate the military. Harry and the DNC had written an innocuous Civil Rights Platform to try and avoid a total split, but the progressives were having none of it. Hubert Humphrey, the Mayor of Minneapolis and candidate for the Senate, had pushed a minority plank to the floor. The minority plank was a specific endorsement of Truman’s civil rights initiatives. The Humphrey plank supported anti poll tax and anti-lynching legislation, fair employment laws and an end to segregation of the armed services.The old hands had tried to talk Humphrey out of bringing his alternative to the floor. They had argued that Truman was already publicly in favor of these things, why rub the Southerners noses in it. Humphrey had not been deterred, instead this young man had stood before the convention hall and against the leaders of his party and said:
"There are those who say to you--- we are rushing the issue of civil rights. I say we are a hundred and seventy years too late. . . . It is time for the Democratic Party to get out of the shadow of state’s rights and walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights.”
The hall had gone crazy. There was a long demonstration started by the California delegation and ultimately joined in by all except the southern delegates, who had sat on their hands while Sam Rayburn of Texas, the former Speaker of the House and permanent Chairman of the Convention scowled, fearful that these events would drive the southerners out of the convention hall.
Following the floor demonstration, the Humphrey substitute civil rights plank was adopted by a 651 to 582 vote. Then, Handy Ellis, a six-foot six-inch delegate from Alabama, rushed to the platform and waived his big arm in front of Rayburn’s face demanding to be recognized. Rayburn knew that if he gave him the floor it would mean another anti civil rights diatribe and a public announcement of the Dixiecrats exit. Rayburn ignored the delegate from Alabama and called on a delegate from the floor he knew would move that the convention adjourn for the afternoon. After the convention reconvened, Rayburn had still not given the Dixiecrats a chance to rail against civil rights and so they had bolted the convention. Later in the evening the rumor circulated that Rayburn had said, “Those Dixiecrats are as welcome around here as a bastard at a family reunion.”
So by the time Truman took the floor the liberals had left him, the southern Democrats were organizing their own Dixiecrat Party behind Democratic Senator Strom Thurmond, and to add insult to injury the moderates represented by FDR’s son had begged General Eisenhower to take the Democratic Nomination. (He was not ready to run in 1948. 4 years later he would be elected as a Republican)
Now it was in the wee hours of the morning. Most of American and the morning papers had been put to bed. It would seem from this brief retelling that nothing more could go wrong for President Truman on the July night.
The program called for Vice Presidential Nominee Barkley to speak and introduce Truman, who would conclude the events in the City of Brotherly love.
The hall had gone crazy. There was a long demonstration started by the California delegation and ultimately joined in by all except the southern delegates, who had sat on their hands while Sam Rayburn of Texas, the former Speaker of the House and permanent Chairman of the Convention scowled, fearful that these events would drive the southerners out of the convention hall.
Following the floor demonstration, the Humphrey substitute civil rights plank was adopted by a 651 to 582 vote. Then, Handy Ellis, a six-foot six-inch delegate from Alabama, rushed to the platform and waived his big arm in front of Rayburn’s face demanding to be recognized. Rayburn knew that if he gave him the floor it would mean another anti civil rights diatribe and a public announcement of the Dixiecrats exit. Rayburn ignored the delegate from Alabama and called on a delegate from the floor he knew would move that the convention adjourn for the afternoon. After the convention reconvened, Rayburn had still not given the Dixiecrats a chance to rail against civil rights and so they had bolted the convention. Later in the evening the rumor circulated that Rayburn had said, “Those Dixiecrats are as welcome around here as a bastard at a family reunion.”
So by the time Truman took the floor the liberals had left him, the southern Democrats were organizing their own Dixiecrat Party behind Democratic Senator Strom Thurmond, and to add insult to injury the moderates represented by FDR’s son had begged General Eisenhower to take the Democratic Nomination. (He was not ready to run in 1948. 4 years later he would be elected as a Republican)
Now it was in the wee hours of the morning. Most of American and the morning papers had been put to bed. It would seem from this brief retelling that nothing more could go wrong for President Truman on the July night.
The program called for Vice Presidential Nominee Barkley to speak and introduce Truman, who would conclude the events in the City of Brotherly love.
However, before Barkley could begin his brief speech to accept the vice-presidential nomination, a robust woman came forward to present Truman with a floral “liberty bell” which had been sitting on the stage awaiting the emergence of the President. As she made the presentation, there was a sudden swishing under the bell and she just had time to get out the words “Doves of Peace,” when abruptly flock after flock of white pigeons flew out from under the display into the air over the delegates. Delegates would learn later, that the birds had been captive for the entire evening in the large box under the floral display. They needed relief. Someone was heard to yell, “The birds are shitting on the Democrats. Their own birds are crapping on them.”
Just then, people watching on TV saw Chairman Rayburn catching a pigeon and throwing it high into the air. Then the camera showed Truman laughing, then the delegates and people in the great hall began laughing. Somehow this bazaar incident had been converted from a symbol of Democratic ineptitude to a showcase for the good-humored determination of the little man in the white suit.
Once the birds settled down, Barkley’s remarks were mercifully brief. Then President Harry Truman, accepted the nomination for President, and surprised everyone. Speaking extemporaneously, from an outline, Truman delivered what the reporters would call a haymaker. He wasted no time with preliminaries and got right to his main theme, “Senator Barkley and I will win this election and make these Republicans like it---don’t you forget that.” The delegates loved it and broke out in wild applause and yelling “Give em hell Harry.”
In Dewey’s high road acceptance speech, he had offered platitudes, Truman said, “Now it is time for us to get together and beat the common enemy.” It was that way throughout his speech, Truman happily exposing himself as a common, plainspoken man. He called the Republican tax bill, “rotten. He labeled the Republican platform promise to increase social security benefits as “poppycock.”
Truman listed the gains that farmers, working men and women, and the poor made under sixteen years of Democratic leadership, and he tore into the 80th Congress for holding up progress on housing, aid to education, medical care. And Truman did not duck civil rights. “Everybody knows I recommended to the Congress the civil rights program. I did that because I believed it to be my duty under the Constitution.”
The Democrats who went into that convention acting like losers, complaining about their fate which was written in the stars heard a self-educated man who was having none of it. He knew his party was the best hope for “regular folks” and he had complete faith those folks would see the Republicans for what they were, the party of the rich.
So as the Democrats return to Philly, it’s time for Democrats to stop crapping on Hillary and crying woe is me. It’s time to show some gumption, act like citizens and take personal responsibility for showing our neighbors just what is at stake and getting them to the polls this November.
Just then, people watching on TV saw Chairman Rayburn catching a pigeon and throwing it high into the air. Then the camera showed Truman laughing, then the delegates and people in the great hall began laughing. Somehow this bazaar incident had been converted from a symbol of Democratic ineptitude to a showcase for the good-humored determination of the little man in the white suit.
Once the birds settled down, Barkley’s remarks were mercifully brief. Then President Harry Truman, accepted the nomination for President, and surprised everyone. Speaking extemporaneously, from an outline, Truman delivered what the reporters would call a haymaker. He wasted no time with preliminaries and got right to his main theme, “Senator Barkley and I will win this election and make these Republicans like it---don’t you forget that.” The delegates loved it and broke out in wild applause and yelling “Give em hell Harry.”
In Dewey’s high road acceptance speech, he had offered platitudes, Truman said, “Now it is time for us to get together and beat the common enemy.” It was that way throughout his speech, Truman happily exposing himself as a common, plainspoken man. He called the Republican tax bill, “rotten. He labeled the Republican platform promise to increase social security benefits as “poppycock.”
Truman listed the gains that farmers, working men and women, and the poor made under sixteen years of Democratic leadership, and he tore into the 80th Congress for holding up progress on housing, aid to education, medical care. And Truman did not duck civil rights. “Everybody knows I recommended to the Congress the civil rights program. I did that because I believed it to be my duty under the Constitution.”
The Democrats who went into that convention acting like losers, complaining about their fate which was written in the stars heard a self-educated man who was having none of it. He knew his party was the best hope for “regular folks” and he had complete faith those folks would see the Republicans for what they were, the party of the rich.
So as the Democrats return to Philly, it’s time for Democrats to stop crapping on Hillary and crying woe is me. It’s time to show some gumption, act like citizens and take personal responsibility for showing our neighbors just what is at stake and getting them to the polls this November.