Hennings’ bills: Hennings to Johnson, March 19, Box 45, LBJA SN. “The Senate rules”: Eastland OH. Eastland’s tactics in committee: Eastland, quoted in Watson, Lion in the Lobby, p. 347.
Rayburn let Boiling know: Boiling, quoted in Hardeman and Bacon, Rayburn, p. 419. And see Rayburn statements on pp. 420, 421.
Rayburn’s tactics: Steinberg, Sam Rayburn, pp. 313–316. Hardeman and Bacon, pp. 410–20; Watson, Lion in the Lobby, pp. 344–45; Edelsberg and Brody, “Civil Rights in the 84th Congress,” Washington, D.C., Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, Oct. 29, p. 5. LBJ at Board of Education: Boiling interview. Rayburn’s feelings, “Lyndon was asking”; “To my shame,” etc.: Boiling interview; Hardeman and Bacon, p. 419, say that not only did he not “press” in the Rules Committee, but that he “decided that his best course was to impede the bill’s progress even more” to ensure that it didn’t reach the Senate too early. Stepin Fetchit: Quoted in Watson, p. 342. “The jig’s up”: NYT, June 28. “Rayburn senses”; “You’d better get”: Harry R. Sheppard (D-Calif), quoted in Hardeman and Bacon, p. 420. “I started”: Boiling interview.
Tricking Douglas: Douglas, Fullness of Time, pp. 281–82; interviews with Richard A. Baker, Bartlett, McCulloch, Shuman, Reedy, Welsh. “I don’t know”: Richard Baker interview. “Nearing its end”; “Badly divided”; “Even if”: Douglas, p. 283. “Behind the scenes”; “searchlight”: Shuman interview. “More remote”; “Only power”: Reedy, LBJ, pp. 109–10. “Even if: Welsh interview. “Paul felt”: McCulloch interview. “If: Rauh interview. “Might be wrong”: Edelstein, McCulloch, Shuman, Rauh, Welsh interviews. “Allowed himself”: Miller, p. 191. Douglas says (p. 281) that Lehman was “overworked and ill.” Hill asking Mansfield to yield; “without objection”: CR, 84/2, July 23, p. 13937. “My dear boy”: Douglas, p. 282.
Humiliating Douglas: Douglas, Fullness of Time, pp. 282–83; Watson, p. 346; Othman, “Senators Stop the Calendar,” Abilene Reporter-News, July 26; “Why Those Poor Senators,” HP, July 27; Alsop, “Johnson Civil Rights Strategy,” DT-H, Aug. 1. “As you know”: Rowe to Johnson, July 24, Box 32, LBJA SN. Russell’s tactic: McCulloch, Shuman interviews. “Sat there”: Abilene Reporter-News, July 26. Of course it wasn’t: CR, 84/2, p. 14161. “I object”: CR, 84/2, pp. 14163, 14171. “So we are”; not at all: CR, 84/2, pp. 14161–62; Abilene Reporter-News, July 26. “There will not be”: “In the Nation,” NYT, Aug. 3. Johnson persuading Knowland: Alsops, DT-H, Aug. 1. “It is only kidding”: “In the Nation,” NYT, July 26. “Let us consider”; “I say”: HP, July 27. “I can still”: McCulloch interview. “All men differ”: Russell, quoted in “In the Nation,” NYT, Aug. 3. Watson wrote (p. 346) that “The defeat was a glaring example of how practical politics could overwhelm principles.”
“The dirtiest trick”: Rauh interview. “An effort”: McCulloch interview. “Even my friend”: Douglas, Fullness of Time, p. 283. “Push”: Shuman OH, p. 142; Shuman interview. Douglas, Fullness of Time, on p. 283, gives a slightly different wording. Cried: Douglas, Fullness of Time, p. 283.
“Organized”: Robertson to John L. White-head, Sept. 20, Drawer 114, Folder 14, Robertson Papers. For further documentation of Johnson’s role in bottling up the 1956 civil rights bill, see Robertson to Ralph Widener and to Lindsay Almond, July 24, Drawer 113, Folder 58, and Drawer 40, Folder 14, Robertson Papers. Robertson wrote Widener: “The Policy Committee, headed by Majority Leader Johnson, has the privilege of scheduling what is to be taken up for floor actions and Johnson, of course, is against the civil rights bill.”
“With a series”: NYT, July 30. “He has brought”: Rauh, quoted in AA-S, March 24.
35. Convention
All dates are 1956 unless otherwise noted.
“Professional prognosis”: NYT, Aug. 2. Stevenson writing speech: Newsweek, Aug. 20.
“THE IRRESPONSIBILITY”: Shannon, SLP-D, June 7. “Brokerage house”: Rauh, quoted in Waco Tribune, Aug. 10. “No ardent advocate”: Alsop, WP, May 9.
Southerners believed him: For example, Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, May 8; WP, Aug. 12. On the eve of the convention, John Sparkman told journalist Ronnie Dugger, “Lyndon has told me repeatedly that he does not regard himself as a serious candidate” (Texas Observer, Aug. 15). Southerners comfortable: Luther Hodges of North Carolina, for example, said, “Mr. Stevenson is a great person” (WP, Aug. 12). “Toward gradualism”: Martin, Adlai Stevenson and the World, p. 248.
“Dramatic incident”: Allen, Abilene Reporter-News, June 24. “I’ve never said”: Rayburn, quoted in Abilene Reporter-News, Aug. 16. When another reporter asked him whom he was for, Rayburn said: “Johnson. I don’t play them two ways” (WP, Aug. 12). Rayburn’s assessment: Connally, Corcoran, Rowe interviews.
“A deep scar”: Connally interview. “I’m going”: Russell, quoted in NYP, Aug. 13. Spectre of “humiliation”: Explaining just prior to the convention that he was not a serious, but only a favorite son, candidate, Johnson said that he didn’t intend to leave his name before the convention too long. “I don’t invite humiliation, and I don’t intend to have my name up there without cause and purpose,” he told Ronnie Dugger (Texas Observer, Aug. 15). “Ego reasons”: Connally interview.
“Mine still hurts”: NYP, Aug. 2. “He is sincere”: James Saxon Childers, Atlanta Journal, June 21.
Byrd’s pleading: Texas Observer, Aug. 15. And as late as May 8, asked if Johnson would be a candidate, Byrd could say only, “I think we’ll have to wait and see” (Richmond [Va.] Times-Dispatch).
“It has happened”; “does not share”: Rovere, “Letter from Chicago,” The New Yorker, Aug. 25. “Was affronted”: Ball, quoted in McKeever, Adlai Stevenson, p. 198. “Why, if: Time, Aug. 20.
“I am not”; “I’m going”: Truman, quoted in Time, Aug. 20. Party insiders knew: Newsweek, Aug. 20.
“Get up”: Kilgore interview. “Serious about everything”: Johnson, quoted in DMN, Aug. 12, 19. “Very unlikely”: FWS-T, Aug. 12. “Erased”: Allen Duckworth, DMN, Aug. 12. “The best qualified now”: DMN, Aug. 12. “15- and 16-hour”: Time, Aug. 20; DMN, Aug. 12. “You don’t always”: “I’m opening”: Truman, quoted in Time, Aug. 20. See also DMN, Aug. 19; Newsweek, Aug. 20. “Wide open”: Connally, quoted in DMN, Aug. 12. “He thought”: Corcoran interview.
Adlai’s slip: Martin, Adlai Stevenson and the World, p. 348. “Big blocks”: NYT, Aug. 11, 1956. Newsweek (Aug. 20) said it more strongly: “If the favorite sons failed to come to Stevenson’s rescue, hundreds of southern delegates were planning to switch to Johnson.” Quick reversal: Time, Aug. 20. Telegram: NYT, Aug. 11.
Johnson’s belief: Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise, pp. 234–39; Connally, Corcoran, Jenkins, Reedy, Rowe interviews and OHs; Mooney, LBJ, pp. 118–21; Oliver OH. “Forgot”: Richard Rovere, “Letter from Chicago,” The New Yorker, Aug. 25.
“Knocked”; “no talking”: Corcoran interview. “Another new”: Newsweek, Aug. 10. “He just”: Rowe interview. “Ambivalent”: Rowe OH.
Johnson, Rayburn on plane ride: Albert OH, SRL; Mooney, p. 119; Steinberg, Ray-burn, p. 306; Evans and Novak, p. 235. “Embarrassing”: Steinberg, p. 306. White House briefing: Time, Aug. 20; Johnson, quoted in Ambrose, Eisenhower, p. 333. “Persisted”: Evans and Novak, pp. 235–36. “I don’t see”; “I haven’t said”: Mooney, p. 119. “It’s a serious”; “a good many”: Ray-burn, quoted in NYT, Aug. 13. “No illusions”: Mooney OH. “I told”: Rayburn, quoted in NYP, Aug. 13. “I said you”; “I agree”: Rowe interview, OH.
“One man”: Rovere, “Letter from Chicago,” The New Yorker, Aug. 25. “Let us tell”: Lyle, quoted in NYT, Aug. 14. “My name”: ATP, Aug. 13.
Declining invitations: Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 437; Houston Press, Aug. 14;Wichita Falls Record-News, Aug. 15. “A very odd”: Rowe interview. “I didn’t”: HP, Aug. 17. “Different”: Wichita Falls Record-News, Aug. 15. “While”: McGrory, WS, Aug. 15. “Not unlike”: DMN, Aug. 14;WF R-N, Aug. 15. “Flown in”: HP, Aug. 14. “Most crowded”: NYT, Aug. 14
. Stevenson thirty, Kefauver five; Johnson made sure: DMN, Aug. 14;Amarillo Daily News, DMN, NYP, WS, Aug. 15.
Southern states maneuvering: DMN, Aug. 19; Kempton, “The Last Hurrah,” NYP, Aug. 13; Baltimore Sun, Aug. 13; WS, Aug. 13; Connally interview. “Asked him”; “that firm”: DMN, Aug. 19. Byrd, Battle maneuvering: WS, Aug. 13; Kempton, “Last Hurrah,” NYP, Aug. 13; WP, Aug. 14. Georgia maneuvering: NYT, Amarillo Daily News, Aug. 15. “Until an”: NYT, Aug. 14, 18.
Believing Harry, Jr.: WP, Aug. 13; Kempton, NYP; Wichita Falls Record-News, Aug. 15. “A very fruitful”; “Lyndon Leaves ’Em Guessing”: Houston Press, Aug. 14. “Biggest block”: Wichita Falls Record-News, Aug. 15. Could not imagine; “Listen”: Corcoran, Rowe interviews. “For one day”: Connally interview.
Reality: DMN, Aug. 15, 19.
“The old man”: Kempton, “Last Hurrah,” NYP, Aug. 13. “Fooling around”: Breyhill, quoted in WS, Aug. 13.
Finnegan’s arguments: Evans and Novak, p. 236; Martin, Adlai Stevenson of Illinois, pp. 348–49; Miller, Lyndon, pp. 197–98; Time, Aug. 27; Rowe OH. “Some of: NYT, Aug. 15. “Uncertainty”: NYP, Aug. 15. Johnson’s confidence about Reuther: Rowe OH, interview. “The great fruit”: Kempton, “Last
Hurrah,” NYP, Aug. 13.
“Hello, Sammy”: Kempton, “Last Hurrah,” NYP, Aug. 13. And see Time, Aug. 27. “A minority”: Williams, quoted in WP, Aug. 15. Bringing the news to Johnson: Rowe OH, interview.
Meyner’s refusal; finger across throat: Time, Aug. 27. Southerners annoyed; “may not”: WS, Aug. 13; NYT, Aug. 14, 15.
“Too defeatist”: Truman, quoted in NYT, Aug. 15. “To confirm”: NYT, Aug. 15. Bargaining with Finnegan: Miller, p. 198; Rowe OH, interview.
“Fire”: DMN, Aug. 19. “Let there be”: Waco News-Tribune, SAE, Aug. 17. “Had they missed”: Mooney, p. 120. Mooney quoted in Miller, p. 198; Connally interview. “Without a flicker”: Waco News-Tribune, Aug. 17. In his autobiography, Connally wrote: “The show was Sam Rayburn’s doing…. Whether Johnson won or lost, Sam Rayburn would still be Speaker of the House and no one wanted to offend Mr. Sam” (Connally with Herskowitz, In History’s Shadow, p. 133). For descriptions of the demonstration, see also Amarillo Daily News, Aug. 16, SAE, San Angelo Times, Aug. 17; Connally, Jenkins interviews.
“Lyndon, don’t ever”: Russell, quoted in Oliver OH.
“Senator, are you”: Houston Press, Aug. 16. “It became”: Holleman, quoted in Miller, p. 199. Rayburn recognized: Waco News-Tribune, Aug. 17; Texas Observer, Aug. 22.
Puzzling over his actions: Rowe, Connally, Corcoran, Jenkins, Reedy interviews. Because of Shivers: McGrory, WS, Aug. 15. “I never could”: Rowe OH. “Made no sense”: Connally interview. “Explosion”: Felix McKnight of the DMN, quoted in Crawford and Keever, Connally, p. 68. “He hadn’t: Brown interview. “He couldn’t bear”: Corcoran interview.
“I have not”; “I am not”: DMN, Aug. 15. “Reported ready”: McKnight, quoted in Crawford and Keever, p. 69. And Mike Monroney told the Associated Press that “he understood Senator Johnson might now be receptive to the (vice presidential) nomination. ‘Don’t count Johnson out,’ he said” (WP, Aug. 17).
“Go in”: Rowe OH, interview. Rayburn advising Johnson: Texas Observer, Aug. 22. “I saw”: Corcoran interview. “I have never”: Rayburn, quoted in Abilene Reporter-News, Aug. 17. “‘Go back’”: Rowe OH, interview.
“Profanely”: Martin, Adlai Stevenson of Illinois, p. 350. “Mr. Sam”; “All right”; “Stay out”: Martin, Ballots and Bandwagons, pp. 400–02. “Within minutes”: Time, Aug. 27. “Under no”: San Antonio News, Aug. 17. “I talked”: Kennedy, quoted in Evans and Novak, p. 238. Humphrey first choice: Reedy, quoted in Miller, pp. 199–200. “Kefauver can’t”: Rayburn, quoted in Abilene Reporter-News, Aug. 18.
“Al Smith”; “a wealthy”: Hardeman and Bacon, Rayburn, pp. 404–05. Texas caucus is described there, and p. 104, and in Texas Observer, Aug. 22.
Clements withdrawing; “We’re gonna”; “very grateful”: Texas Observer, Aug. 22. Rayburn told him; “use my name”; “stone-faced”: Texas Observer, Aug. 22; Time, Aug. 27.
“As Rayburn”: Hardeman and Bacon, p. 405. Johnson’s talk: Texas Observer, Aug. 22. “We’ve got”: Pearson, Texas Observer, Aug. 29; Time, Aug. 27.
“Texas proudly”; “All right”: Texas Observer, Aug. 22. Scene in Texas delegation; “if we can’t”; “We don’t”: Abilene Reporter-News, Aug. 18; Texas Observer, Aug. 22.
“Lace”: Ian Campbell to author, Dec. 27, 1989.
“Lyndon Johnson’s”: Rovere, “The Last Hurrah,” The New Yorker, Aug. 25. “Would have to”: WP, Aug. 17.
“Bloopers”: Leslie Carpenter, Abilene Reporter-News, Aug. 18. “Mystery”: McClendon, Waco Tribune-Herald, Aug. 19. “What’s?”: Houston Press, Aug. 17. “Cellophane bag”: Pearson, W P, Aug. 22.
“A sectional”: Krock, NYT, Aug. 14. “Fantasy”: Reston, NYT, Aug. 14.
36. Choices
All dates are 1957 unless otherwise noted.
General background for this chapter is found in the following magazine articles: Douglass Cater, “How the Senate Passed the Civil-Rights Bill,” The Reporter, Sept. 5; Tris Coffin, “How Lyndon Johnson Engineered Compromise on Civil Rights Bill,” The New Leader, Aug. 5; Richard L. Neuberger, “Democrats’ Dilemma: Civil Rights,” NYT Magazine, July 7; Reinhold Neibuhr, “The Civil Rights Bill,” The New Leader, Sept. 16; Richard Rovere, “Letter from Washington,” The New Yorker, Aug. 31; William S. White, “Battle Lines on Civil Rights,” NYT Magazine, July 7; C. Vann Woodward, “The Great Civil Rights Debate,” Commentary, October; “Washington,” The Atlantic Monthly, March; “Purists and Progress,” The New Republic, Aug. 12.
“Banker, preacher”: Larry L. King, quoted in Steinberg, Sam Johnson’s Boy, p. 443. “Ferocious”; “if”; “Woodrow Bean”: Steinberg, pp. 443–45.
Depression: Mooney, LBJ, p. 122. “In all fairness”: Lehman to Douglas, Aug. 10, Special File 224b, HHLP. “I want”: Johnson quoted in Evans and Novak, LBJ: Exercise of Power, p. 119. Johnson’s post-convention thinking: Clark, Connally, Corcoran, Jenkins, Reedy, Rowe interviews and OHs.
“To cultivate”: Galbraith, quoted in Miller, Lyndon, p. 202. “Frank, why”: McCulloch interview. Rowe and Reedy: Reedy to Johnson, March 30 (with attached memo, “The Liberal Line”); Rowe to Johnson, March 22 (attached to Reedy to Johnson, March 29), Box 420, JSP. “Never known”: Evans and Novak, p. 104. Schlesinger conversation: Schlesinger, Aide-Mémoire, “Washington, March 30–31, 1957: Conversations with Lyndon Johnson, Joe Clark, David Bruce,” pp. 1–2; Schlesinger interviews; Schlesinger, A Thousand Days, pp. 10–11. See also Evans and Novak, pp. 104–05. “He is a man”: Reedy to Johnson, March 30, Box 420, JSP. “I had carefully”: Schlesinger, A Thousand Days, p. 11. “A good meeting”: Galbraith, quoted in Miller, p. 202.
Graham visit: Katharine Graham interview; Graham, Personal History, pp. 236–38. Profile of Johnson: Robert Albright, “‘Johnson Formula’ Heals His Party,” W P, Jan. 13. “I know”: Johnson to Philip Graham, Jan. 14, KGP. “Sort of”; Shooting the deer: Graham interview; Graham, p. 237. “Phil always”: Rauh interview. “Pushing Lyndon”: Graham, p. 241. “Completely”; “Looking”: Graham, p. 237. “How Civil Rights Came to Johnson City”: Katharine Graham OH, pp. 36–37; Graham, p. 237; Graham interview. Water purifier: Johnson to Philip Graham, May 21, Box 101, LBJA SN.
“You certainly did”: Rowe to Johnson, Dec. 21, 1956, Box 32, LBJA SN. “I found”: Schlesinger, Aide-Mémoire. “Will believe anything”: Rowe to Johnson, April 8, Box 423, JSP.
“What did?”: Radin interview. “Anguish”: Stokes, San Angelo Standard-Times, Dec. 8. “Digging”: NYT, Nov. 10, 23, 1956; W P, Nov. 23, 1956; Eisele, Almost to the Presidency, p. 104; Solberg, Hubert Humphrey, p. 178. “Johnson is a southerner”: Fleeson, AA-S, Nov. 12, 1956. Diggs: AA-S, Nov. 30, 1956. ADA resolution: Rauh, in Irwin Ross, NYP, Dec. 19. National Committee: WS, Feb. 27. “A fight”: Lehman, in Ross, NYP, Dec. 22, 1956. “All th
is talk”: Arvey, in NYT, Dec. 27, 1956. “Some of”: Galbraith, quoted in Miller, pp. 201–2. “A challenge”: NYT, Nov. 28, 1956.
“I don’t think”: Kirwan, in W P, Dec. 19, 1956. “First blood”: Lincoln in WS, Dec. 12, 1956. “Our fight”: Butler in WP, Dec. 14, 1956. “Though similar”: NYT, Dec. 27, 1956. “That he”: Krock, in NYT, Nov. 13, 1956. Not the point: The Nation, Dec. 8, 1956. Herblock cartoon: W P, Nov. 28, 1956.
African-American voting trend: Branch, Parting the Waters, p. 192; Henry Lee Moon, “The Negro Vote in the Presidential Election of 1956,” Journal of Negro Education, Summer 1957. “Of all”: Watson, Lion in the Lobby, p. 355. “Not in the South”: Moon, ibid., p. 227; Carol A. Cassel, “Change in Electoral Participation in the South,” The Journal of Politics, Aug. 1979, p. 910.
“From every”: Scammon in New Republic, Sept. 16. The larger; Harlem and Chicago South Side trends: Reston, “Politics and Civil Rights,” NYT, July 24. Boston trend; “even a 50–50”: Scammon in New Republic, Sept. 16. “The Negro voter”; “Washington”: Atlantic Monthly, March 1957. “Would automatically”: Mitchell, Sept. 9, 1956, Mitchell Papers, cited in Watson, p. 352. Nixon in Harlem: Mitchell, pp. 354, 355; Wicker, One of Us, p. 184. “Seldom”: Mitchell, Nov. 11, 1956, Mitchell Papers, cited in Watson, p. 355. Eastland as liability: Neuberger, “Democrats’ Dilemma: Civil Rights,” NYT Magazine, July 7.
“It could”: USN & WR, Aug. 16. “the … dilemma”: Neuberger, “Democrats’ Dilemma: Civil Rights,” NYT Magazine, July 7. Give us: Reston, “Politics and Civil Rights,” NYT, July 24.
“One thing”: Childs, NYP, Aug. 1. Brownell’s enthusiasm: Brownell, Rogers interviews.
Southern situation: Martin, Deep South Says Never, pp. 163–67. “In recent”; “no prospect”: Martin, p. 167. “We face”; “assembled”: Heinemann, Harry Byrd of Virginia, p. 345. “Massive”: Heinemann, pp. 334–37. An overall account of Byrd’s policy is in Heinemann, pp. 325–49, and Wilkinson, Harry Byrd and the Changing Face of Virginia Politics, 1945–1966, pp. 113–46.
Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Page 183
