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VENIN VT
By Quimby Melton
“I do not believe that I should
devote an hour or a day of my
time to any partisan call. ...”
those were the words that stun
ned the world when President
Johnson announced Sunday ni
ght that he would not seek, nei
ther would be accept if offered,
the nomination of his party for
re-election is President.
In other words, the chief exe
cutive flatly said that come 1969
he would step aside and turn
over the responsibilities of his
office to whomsoever the people
of America elect.
This startling announcement
came at the close of his report
to the nation on the Vietnam sit
uation in which he said he was
taking a step, stopping air raids
on parts of Vietnam, as a ges
ture to North Vietnam that the
United States is ready, as she
has been for sometime, to sit
down and discuss a peaceful set
tlement of the Vietnam ques
tion.
There was no doubt, however,
In what be said, but that Uncle
Sam is not abandoning her al
lies and that if the government
of North Vietnam does not want
a fair and peaceful settlement,
that we have the strength and
determination to see this thing
through.
President Johnson in announ
cing he would fade out of t h e
Presidental picture, cited the
fact that both major political
parties, as well as much of the
nation, is badly and bitterly div
ided. Saying he would have no
part in any “divisiveness”, he
warned the public to be on the
outlook for such and called for
a united nation.
The President, who many be
lieved had he remained in the
race, would wind up the party
nominee, after a bitter fight in
the convention; and who had an
excellent chance to be reelected,
proved that he puts the good of
the nation above personal am
bition — and overnight grew in
stature with Americans.
The call of the President for a
united America should meet with
quick compliance on the part
of all. Asking this united front,
the President said, “with Am
erica’s sons in the field far away,
with America’s future under
challenge here at home, with
our hopes — and the world's ho
pes _ for peace in the balance
every day, I do not believe that
I should devote an hour of my
time to any personal partisan
causes or to any other duties
other than the awesome duties
of this office."
Senators Kennedy and McCar
thy; Vice-President Humphrey
and others in high elective office
should think seriously over this
statement and take this advice
of the President and tend to
their jobs in the high offices to
which they have been elected
by the people.
Former Vice-President Nixon,
who has taken the oath, both as
a soldier and twice as Vice-Pre
sident to “uphold the Constitu
tion of the United States” should
remember these oaths and con
duct his campaign on a high le
vel.
Former Governor George Wal
lace of Alabama should restudy
his position and determine if his
course of action will bring a
united America or further pro
mote "divisiveness” and “let
his conscience be his guide.”
Civil rights leaders should ask
themselves if their marches,
protests, their demonstrations
will promote unity.
Student organizations that are
criticizing everything they
"don't like” should soberly re
value their “contribution” to a
strong America.
Labor and Management, ali
ke, should look at everything
with one goal in mind —a st
rong and united nation.
For, if this nation of ours con
tinues bitterly split into factions,
we will be playing right into the
hands of those who hate Amer
ica, and there will be no peace,
no future for our youth, and no
civil rights for anyone.
No greater truth has ever been
expressed than the one “We
shall all hang together or we
shall all hang separately.” Am
erica is going through a test,
the like of which she has never
faced before.
It has taken the unselfish atti
tude of a man (The President)
who puts his "awesome duties”
above personal glory, to warn
America.
LBJ’s No Run Decision Rockets
Humphrey Into Contender Ranks
I
; <
i
I M B I rJI
(Griffin Daily News Staff Photo)
Easter Seals
Frank Akin (1), treasurer, and Ray Simonton, chair
man, discuss the Spalding County Easter Seal Cam
paign which opened today. A door-to-door solicitation
is being planned for next Monday. Akin and Simon
ton said efforts will be made to make this one of the
most successful campaigns ever.
Both Party Leaders
In Spalding County
Predict Victory
Chairmen of the Spalding Co
unty Democratic and Republican
parties today both predicted vic
tory for their respective party
nominees in the presidential el
ection this fall in the wake of
Donna Wins
Region Contest
Griffin High student Donim
Mostiler won the regional Ora
torical Contest held today at
Woodward Academy at College
Park.
She won over contestants
from Birmingham, Ala., Talla
hassee, Fla. and Rock Hill, S.C.
The competition today was the
first on the national level.
Her next competition will be
next Monday in Elkins, W. Va.
Donna won the oratorical con
tests on the local, district, area
and state levels.
She will participate in the Am
erican Academy of Achieve
ment in Dallas, Tex., June 13,
14 and 15.
Bloodmobile
Here April 9
The American Red Cross
Bloodmobile will be in Griffin on
Tuesday, April 9, at the First
Baptist Church, from 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. to receive donations of
blood.
The bloodmobile’s goal will be
200 pints. Don A. Young, chair
man of the Blood Program com
mittee for Spalding County, ur
ged those who can to help reach
the bloodmobile’s goal.
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Variable cloudiness
and cooler tonight. Tuesday
mostly cloudy and cool with
occasional light rain likely.
LOCAL WEATHER — Maxi
mum today 76, minimum today
56, maximum Sunday 75, mini
mum Sunday 58. Sunrise Tues
day 6:27 a.m., sunset Tuesday
7 p.m. Total rainfall Sunday .37
of an inch.
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872
President Johnson’s decision not
to run.
Jim Goolsby, chairman of the
Spalding Democratic Party,
said;
“My initial reaction as I wat
ched him was that I think it was
the most courageous and patrio
ic decision ever made by a pre
sident and I personally was ex
tremely proud.”
He added:
“I think that whoever the De
mocratic National Convention
nominates will carry Georgia
and Spalding County. Spalding
County never has gone Repub
lican and I see no reson that it
will do so now.”
Troy Mays, cnalrman of the
Spaldin Republican Party,
commented:
“It didn’t come as a big sur
prise. It had been anticipated.
The fact that he withdrew this
early was the only thing that
was unexpected.
“As far as change in the local
position is concerned, I don’t
think it really makes much dif
ference. As far as we are con
cerned, all the known potential
Democratic candidates are un
acceptable to the majority of
the people of Georgia.”
LBJ Had Statement In Pocket On Night
Os State Os Union But Didn’t Use It
By MERRIMAN SMITH
UPI White House Reporter
WASHINGTON (UPD—It was
approaching midnight when
President Johnson strol le d
across the great center hall of
the White House family quar
ters, dipping into a cup of
chocolate custard as he sur
veyed the crowd awaiting him
in the yellow oval study.
His face was tired but ruddy
from his sunlamp and vestiges
of television makeup.
There were a few attempts at
joviality, but they were hollow.
The truth seemed to be that
Lyndon Baines Johnson, 59, was
emotionally drained by what he
had just done—voluntarily end
ed a political career dating
back to the Roosevelt New
GRIFFIN
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Monday, April 1, 1968
President Makes
Talk In Chicago
By MERRIMAN SMITH
UPI White House Reporter
WASHINGTON (UPD—
President Johnson’s decision not
to run for re-election rocketed
Vice President Hubert H.
Humphrey today into the front
ranks of Democratic White
House contenders along with
Sens. Robert F. Kennedy and
Eugene J. McCarthy.
Whether Humphrey, Johnson’s
constitutional successor, would
become his political heir was
not certain. The President
endorsed no one in his dramatic
withdrawal speech Sunday
night.
The President said he was
withdrawing in hopes of restor
ing national unity, especially in
the area of searching peace in
Asia. He appealed to the
Communists to accept his order
halting most bombing in North
Vietnam as a sincere effort to
end the killing.
Johnson repeated his plea
again today in a Chicago speech
as reports came from Paris
that North Vietnamese officials
were carefully studying the new
U.S. move.
“I pray that the message of
peace I conveyed last night will
be accepted in good faith by the
leaders of North Vietnam,”
Johnson told a broadcasters’
meeting.
Kennedy and McCarthy,
whose campaigns had to be
shaken by Johnson’s announce
ment of a bombing pause in
Vietnam and his “irrevocable”
decision not to run again,
praised the President.
Kennedy called the move
magnanimous. McCarthy paid
tribute to Johnson’s "many
years of public service.”
Humphrey told reporters he had
been aware of the decision and
regretted it, but gave no hint of
his plans.
Johnson told reporters after
the Sunday night speech that
any announcement of his choice
for a successor would come
when he deemed it timely.
With Kennedy and McCarthy
campaigning hard for Democra
tic National Convention dele
gates, Humphrey obviously
must make a decision quickly
whether to seek the nomination.
Although Johnson refused to
discuss the possibility of a
convention draft in August,
some Democrats were not
willing to dismiss it. Senate
Democratic Leader Mike Mans
field, Mont., for one, said
Johnson could not turn down
such a movement.
There also was some skepti
cism about the value of
Johnson’s gesture toward bring
ing peace to Vietnam. Sen.
Richard B. Russell, D-Ga., said
“I hope it will succeed, but . . .
I have very grave doubts that
Hanoi will change its policy.”
Johnson nailed his political
decision firmly to his efforts to
end the war in the climax of his
nationally broadcast address.
Turning aside from personal
ambition, the 59-year-old John
son told an impromptu news
conference after his 41-minute
Deal.
Despite what many people
were bound to believe, John
son’s dramatic decision was not
as precipitate as it seemed. He
and his wife, Lady Bird, had
been talking about it for at least
two years, maybe more.
Friends Gather
The people in the yellow study
were mostly reporters, come to
ask why he had quit and
whether his decision was final.
Around them, with slightly sad,
pensive faces, cricled those who
had been in on Johnson’s
thinking for some months.
There was Defense Secretary
Clark M. Clifford, George
Christian and Marvin Watson of
the White House staff. Also the
President’s personal secretary,
radio and television address: "I
would hope that by what I did
tonight, we can concentrate
more of our energies on trying
to bring about peace in the
world and that we would have a
better chance to do it.”
The initial reaction to his
decision not to run, both at
home and abroad, was stunned
disbelief. Several prominent
Democrats spoke of organizing
a draft. “There is no one else”
who can handle the job of being
president declared Rep. Wright
Patman, D-Tex., a freind for
more than 40 years.
Fulbright Applauds Action
Sen. J. William Fulbright, D-
Ark., an outspoken critic of the
President’s Vietnam policies,
termed Johnson “a great
patriot.” He said he thought the
bombing halt and the Pres
ident’s decision not to run were
“hopeful gestures” toward
peace. Other Vietnam “doves”
expressed similar sentiments.
But politics takes no breather,
and on the heels of their
expressions of astonishment and
tribute, the various presidential
contenders immediately turned
to assessments of their own
chances now that Johnson had
acted to remove himself from
contention.
Former Vice President Rich
ard M. Nixon, the odds-on
favorite in the Repubican
presidential race, predicted that
“someone espousing the John
son philosophy” would seek the
Democratic nomination in the
President’s place.
Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy,
Minn., while praising Johnson
as a man “who has given so
many years of public service to
his country,” thought that the
President’s decision had en
hanced his own chances for the
White House.
The Chief Executive’s eyes
were red-rimmed and his voice
appeared to break as he told
the nation and the world of his
decision to step down at the end
of his current term.
Recalled Kennedy Pledge
He recalled the day 52 months
ago u'hen he assumed the
presidency upon the assassina
tion of John F. Kennedy, and he
quoted from the late President’s
inaugural address that “This
generation of Americans is
willing to pay any price, bear
-any burden, meet any hardship,
support any friend, oppose any
foe, to assure the survival and
the success of liberty.”
“We have kept that com
pact,” Johnson said, tears
welling In his eyes. “I shall
continue to keep it, whatever
the trials and tests ahead. The
strength of this country will
lie...in the unity of our people.”
The President’s decision was
a well kept secret from ail but
his most intimate associates.
Significantly, the only Cabinet
member standing by in John
son’s White House office during
the speech was Defense Secre
tary Clark M. Clifford, a friend
and adviser since the Pres
ident’s congressional days.
Johnson disposed of one
question at once—whether he
Mrs. Juanita Roberts,
really meant it when he told the
nation earlier that “I shall not
seek and will not accept the
nomination of my party for
amother term as your pres
ident.”
“It was just as irrevocable as
my statement says—completely
irrevocable,” he answered after
placing his custard dish on a
nearby table.
When had he decided? The
President who clawed his way
to the top of the political heap
from an unpretentious start as
a scarcely paid teacher in a
tiny Texas country school,
thought for a moment. Finally
he said he had kept no calendar
Vol. 96 No. 78
Lyndon B. Johnson Hubert H. Humphrey
RFK Calls Step
‘Magnanimous’
By DREW F. STEIS
NEW YORK (UPD—Sen.
Robert F. Kennedy congratulat
ed President Johnson today on
his “magnanimous” decision to
withdraw from the presidential
race and urged a meeting “to
discuss how we might work
together in the interests of
national unity.”
In a nationally televised and
boadcast speech to the nation,
the New York senator whom
Johnson catapulted into a front
running position for the Demo
cratic nomination noted that
Vice President Hubert H.
Humphrey had a “distinguished
record” but would have to
answer for himself on whether
he was now a prospective
presidential nominee.
Kennedy was in a serious
mood as he faced microphones
and television cameras just 12
hours after the President
dropped his political bombshell
in Washington. The senator
concentrated on the internation
al repercussions of the Pres
ident’s decision to de-escalate
the Vietnamese War in an effort
to bring Nnorth Vietnam to the
peace table.
Kennedy said he believed the
cause of peace could be
furthered by de-escalation and
"negotiations with all parties”—
a reference to his belief that
peace will not be achieved until
the Viet Cong is invited to the
peace table. He said however
that it was an “obviously
critical time” and thus an
inappropriate moment for him
to comment in detail on the
President’s announcement.
The senator injected a new
note into his views on achieving
a settlement in Vietnam by
saying there was need for “all
Vietnamese and only Vietna
mese” to settle the future of
their country.
“I am hopeful that th action
announced last night will prove
to be a step toward peace,” he
said, adding that wherever he
has travelled in the United
States he has found "Americans
of all ages seeking peace in
Vietnam and reconciliation in
this country.”
“It will not only be how we
will survive but whether we
survive this century,” he said.
on this thinking.
Long Consideration
It was, however, a question
with several answers. From
Press Secretary Christian, from
the President’s own version and
from hints he dropped many
months ago in private conversa
tions, it was possible to piece
together a revealing picture.
At a private lunch with a
couple of reporters in August
1066, Johnson admonished them
not to be too sure about his
running again.
Christian knew the President
and Lady Bird has “thought
about serving this term and this
term alone for a long, long
time.”
From his speech and subse
quent informal news conference,
'Bi
Robert F. Kennedy
Kennedy, in answer to ques
tions, made clear that he did
not think Johnson’s withdrawal
had left him in the position of
“shadow boxing”, although he
said Johnson made it clear he
is going to remain out of
politics during the remainder of
his term. He said he would
continue to present his ideas on
the problems that face the
nation.
“It’s a long road to Chicago,”
Kennedy commented of the
months ahead before the
Democratic National Convention
in August.
Country Parson
JU
nW-
“Comfortable church mem
bers are those who don’t al
low worship to upset what
they plan to do on Mon
day.”
Johnson made it clear that even
last year he could see the
country was being torn increa
singly by political dissension.
Had health been a considera
tion? No, he’d never felt better.
His health was excellent.
The overriding reason was as
he outlined in his speech—peace
had no place in the developing
political campaign.
The decision was more or less
wrapped up in December, but
timing was another matter.
Johnson had Christian prepare
a “contingency statement”
which the President could drop
into a news conference, a
speech or a public appearance
if he thought the time was ripe.
Such a statement was in
Johnson’s pocket on the night of
Southern
Leaders Are
flabbergasted’
By O’NEIL HENDRICK
ATLANTA (UPD—The South
was flabbergasted by President
Johnson’s decision not to seek
re-election. Georgia Gov. Lester
Maddox issued an immediate
call for Dixie to rally behind
third - party candidate George
Wallace.
“He offers something differ
ent from anything now offered
by the Democratic Party,” said
Maddox of the former Alabama
governor. "I believe the Demo
cratic Party may be going to
George Wallace itself soon.”
Wallace Quiet
Wallace, whose campaign for
the presidency as a candidate
of the American Independent
Party has been interrupted by
the illness of his wife, Alabama
Gov. Lurleen Wallace, refused
immediate comment.
“There will be no statement
issued tonight,” a Wallace aide
said in Montgomery Sunday
night.
Most Southern governors
were cautious in their reaction
to the President’s stunning an
nouncement on nationwide tele
vision Sunday night.
“I’m shocked and stunned
like the rest of America,” said
South Carolina Gov. Robert E.
McNair, adding he had “no oth
er comment at this time.”
Gov. Dan K. Moore of North
Carolina said President Johnson
“showed his patriotism and his
desire to unite the Democratic
Party.” He also showed “that
the United States is sincere in
its desire for peace,” Moore
said.
“This makes it a brand new
ball game,” remarked Missis
sippi Gov. John Bell Williams.
Open Convention
An aide to Tennessee Gov.
Buford Ellington, a strong John
son supporter, said he was “un
available” for comment Sunday
night. Virginia Gov. Mills God
win also was not reachable, his
aides said, and Florida Gov.
Claude Kirk, a Republican, re
fused to make any immediate
comment.
Democratic and Republican
chairmen in the South were va
ried in their assessment of the
situation. Several thought it
would throw the Democratic
convention wide open.
“It’ll be a summer of thunder
and lightning,” said Florida
Democratic Chairman Pat
Thomas.
“There’ll be a field of candi
dates at the national conven
tion,” said Bidwell Adam, Mis
sissippi Democratic chairman.
Tennessee’s Republican chair
man, Claude Robertson, predict
ed a flurry of new candidates
among Democrats and Repub
licans, and said the President’s
withdrawal “will hurt Bobby
Kennedy bad.” He added, “This
may mean that we will have
more candidates on our side,
too.”
Jan. 17 when he delivered his
1968 State of the Union message
to a joint session of Congress.
He decided not to use it lest his
announcement endanger his
legislative recommendations.
In recent weeks, two pres
sures began to increase—the
mounting Intensity of the
political campaign, plus indica
tions that a new peace effort
was needed, partciularly after
the Tet offensive in late
January.
As the evening drew to a
close, someone asked Johnson
whether he felt he was
"sacrificing himself.”
No, he did not think so—“l’m
Just trying to do what I think is
right,”