Reading Eagle (October 4, 1940)
GEORGIA UNIT AIDS WILLKIE
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Further Moves Are Seen As Anti-Third Term Activity Spreads
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Atlanta, Oct. 4 (AP) –
A newly organized political party, Georgia “Democrats for Willkie” today had endorsed the Republican presidential ticket and the regular Democratic slate of state officials for the November 5 general election.
The action came a few days after Alabama Republicans had chosen 11 presidential electors, nine of whom were formerly identified with the Democratic Party, and three Republican candidates for state offices had withdrawn from the November ticket in Florida in a move to aid anti-third term Democrats.
Sam Nunn, chairman of the Georgia convention, described the independent party as a permanent break between Democrats supporting President Roosevelt and those for Wendell Willkie and declared:
We have not left the old Democratic Party – it left us.
Georgia Republicans are expected to name the same presidential electors chosen by the Willkie Democrats.
The independent group nominated one-time New Deal critic Eugene Talmadge for governor. He had been previously nominated by the long-existing Democratic organization.
Talmadge declared he was “the candidate of the regular Democratic Party in Georgia” and intended to vote that ticket in November.
In Florida, withdrawal affidavits were filed for Republicans Miles H. Draper of Tampa, nominee for U.S. Senator; John F. Walter of Daytona Beach, gubernatorial nominee; and Harry Schard of Gainesville, nominee for Attorney General.
Campaign Manager John F. Harrell of Florida’s anti-third term Democrats commended that action, and said in a statement that candidates "understand the critical situation facing the United States and did not hesitate to withdraw that both Democrats and Republicans might unite to preserve the cherished third term tradition of the American republic.
In answer, Chairman T. T. Turnbull of the Florida Democratic executive committee asserted:
They must be pretty close to the Republicans to be able to persuade three of their candidates to withdraw.
David S. Anderson, Birmingham lawyer and member of the state Democratic executive committee in Alabama for 30 years, topped the list of Republican electors filed with Alabama’s secretary of state.
He recently resigned from the committee, announcing that he would support “Wendell Willkie as a better Democrat than President Roosevelt.”