The Pittsburgh Press (September 16, 1944)
Texas Secretary of State scorns new elector slate
Court battle to decide substitution of New Dealers for rebel faction’s choices
Austin, Texas (UP) –
The battle for Texas’ 23 Democratic presidential electors shifted today from a political to a judicial fight, following Secretary of State Sidney Latham’s refusal to certify the slate of electors pledged to vote for the Roosevelt-Truman ticket.
Mr. Latham refused to certify the electors chosen at the tumultuous state convention this week and Harry Seay, newly-appointed chairman of the State Democratic Committee, said there will be a court test of the secretary’s action but it probably would not be started until Monday,
Mr. Latham said he would certify the slate of electors chosen at the Democratic State Convention in Austin May 23. Fifteen of that group have promised to vote for some other Democrat, other than Mr. Roosevelt, probably Senator Harry Byrd (D-VA).
The Secretary of State’s ruling leaves Texas an unknown quantity for the Democrats and if the court upholds him, it might cost the party the election, if it is a close one, or throw it into the House of Representatives for a decision.
The breach in the Democratic Party in Texas began May 23 when a resolution was passed releasing the presidential electors from their obligation to vote for the party nominee unless the national convention at Chicago reestablished the two-thirds rule for nominating a presidential candidate and endorsed a resolution permitting political parties to select their members. The latter was aimed at circumventing a Supreme Court decision permitting Negroes to vote in primary elections.
Pro-Roosevelt forces walked out on the convention and held a rump state convention in Dallas early this week, however, and immediately selected a substitute slate of electors, which Mr. Latham refused to certify.