Crossroads in Dixie

The South a primrose path of dalliance treads, unfaithful to her Democratic spouse, unready to wed her Republican lover

When the 68th Congress convened in March of 1923, Oscar W. Underwood held one of Alabama’s seats in the Senate and Tom Heflin held the other. Virginia’s senators were Swanson and Glass. Walter George had just arrived from Georgia the year before. These men were individuals in their own right, and rather cantankerous ones at that; but in a larger sense, they were members of a mystic brotherhood, bound together in a bond beyond their party: They were Southern Senators. Their opposite numbers from, say, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey, shared no such common identification; they were doubtless able men, but they were discrete particles. Much of the history of the mid-century may be gleaned from reflection upon this fact of congressional life: Since 1923, Virginia, Georgia and Alabama have sent, all told, eighteen men to the Senate; and Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey have sent 41. In the past sixteen years, these three Southern states have sent one new senator, Talmadge of Georgia; the three Northern states have sent eleven.

JJ

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James Jackson Kilpatrick

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The South a primrose path of dalliance treads, unfaithful to her Democratic spouse, unready to wed her Republican lover

When the 68th Congress convened in March of 1923, Oscar W. Underwood held one of Alabama’s seats in the Senate and Tom Heflin held the other. Virginia’s senators were Swanson and Glass. Walter George had just arrived from Georgia the year before. These men were individuals in their own right, and rather cantankerous ones at that; but in a larger sense, they were members of a mystic brotherhood, bound together in a bond beyond their party: They were Southern Senators. Their opposite numbers from, say, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey, shared no such common identification; they were doubtless able men, but they were discrete particles. Much of the history of the mid-century may be gleaned from reflection upon this fact of congressional life: Since 1923, Virginia, Georgia and Alabama have sent, all told, eighteen men to the Senate; and Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey have sent 41. In the past sixteen years, these three Southern states have sent one new senator, Talmadge of Georgia; the three Northern states have sent eleven.