Aug. 26, 1964 - The Alabama delegation to the Democratic National Convention followed the Mississippi delegation today in withdrawing rather than signing pledges of loyalty to President Johnson for the coming election. (Pictured below, seats assigned to Mississippi are empty.)
They left behind only token groups of loyalists — nine from Alabama and three from Mississippi — to take part in the President’s nomination by acclamation.
Eugene (Bull) Connor, Alabama’s national committeeman, was physically blocked a by sergeants-at-arms when he sought to take his seat. A convention official told him he must take the oath.
“That’s not for me,” Connor said. “I will retire.”
Mr. Connor, former Birmingham police commissioner, predicted that the action would hurt President Johnson politically in the South.
“I’ll let the people of Alabama decide who represents them — me or the Democratic National Committee,” he added.
The refusals by the two delegations to participate in the proceedings came after the convention’s adoption yesterday of a recommendation by the Credentials Committee that the Mississippians take the loyalty pledge. The convention had earlier approved a similar requirement for the Alabamians.
Many of the Mississippians, who had made known their intention last night to quit the convention, left Atlantic City earlier today.
Mayor Jess Lanier of Bessemer, chairman of the unpledged group in the Alabama delegation, said tonight before the convention opened that they would suffer no further “insults” and that they were returning to Alabama.
Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s
Comments