Changes

In a television address, Phillips reaffirmed his belief in segregation but spoke in conciliatory language toward African Americans:​

In a television address, Phillips reaffirmed his belief in segregation but spoke in conciliatory language toward African Americans:​

<blockquote>The influence of race ... is so dominant that it is utterly unrealistic to expect any significant progress in such vital fields as education, economic development, and federal-state relations until we have brought the race issue out into the open and begun, at least begun, to deal with it effectively. ... I advocate spending money to develop our underdeveloped human resources ... with the expectation of getting all that money back ... With [[God]]'s held and your help, I will bring peace and harmony and material progress to Mississippi.<ref>''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald,' October 4, 1967.</ref></blockquote>​

<blockquote>The influence of race ... is so dominant that it is utterly unrealistic to expect any significant progress in such vital fields as education, economic development, and federal-state relations until we have brought the race issue out into the open and begun, at least begun, to deal with it effectively. ... I advocate spending money to develop our underdeveloped human resources ... with the expectation of getting all that money back ... With [[God]]'s held and your help, I will bring peace and harmony and material progress to Mississippi.<ref>''Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald,' October 4, 1967.</ref></blockquote>

 

''The Meridian Star'' charged that Phillips had "made it plain that he is no conservative. He is a member of the Republican Party, not just here ... but at the national level."<ref>''The Meridian Star,'' October 13, 1967.</ref> ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger'' judged Phillips' in his second race as "a weak candidate with a weak pitch" and correctly termed his prospects as virtually "hopeless."<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 18, 1967.</ref>

''The Meridian Star'' charged that Phillips had "made it plain that he is no conservative. He is a member of the Republican Party, not just here ... but at the national level."<ref>''The Meridian Star,'' October 13, 1967.</ref> ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger'' judged Phillips' in his second race as "a weak candidate with a weak pitch" and correctly termed his prospects as virtually "hopeless."<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 18, 1967.</ref>

Phillips in 1963 urged a "long-range master plan for education" and the reinstatement of compulsory attendance, which had been repealed in 1958.<ref>''The Meridian Star,'' October 17, 1963; estimates were that 84,000 pupils were not attending school in Mississippi in 1967.</ref> Phillips questioned the need of the Mississippi Milk Commission, which he said kept the price of milk artificially too high.<ref>''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 10, 1967.</ref>​

Phillips urged a "long-range master plan for education" and the reinstatement of compulsory attendance, which had been repealed in 1958.<ref>''The Meridian Star,'' October 17, 1967; estimates were that 84,000 pupils were not attending school in Mississippi in 1967.</ref> Phillips questioned the need of the Mississippi Milk Commission, which he said kept the price of milk artificially too high.<ref>''The Hattiesburg American,'' October 10, 1967.</ref>​

Presidential politics played a role in the 1967 campaign, as Williams stressed his friendship with former Governor [[George Wallace]] of Alabama, who was preparing for an independent presidential candidacy in 1968. Phillips countered that only a Republican, perhaps Richard Nixon or Governor  [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]], could defeat a national Democratic presidential nominee. Reagan cut a campaign commercial for Phillips; his older daughter, Maureen Reagan, made some twenty appearances on Phillips' behalf at various places in the state.<ref>''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' XXV (November 10, 1967), pp. 2295-2296; ''Vicksburg Evening Post,'' September 23, 1967</ref> Neighboring Governor [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] of [[Arkansas]], younger brother of [[Nelson Rockefeller]], spoke in Corinth and assisted Phillips in fundraising. Phillips raised $300,000 in the 1967 race.<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' November 1, 1967.</ref>​

Presidential politics played a role in the 1967 campaign, as Williams stressed his friendship with former Governor [[George Wallace]] of Alabama, who was preparing for an independent presidential candidacy in 1968. Phillips countered that only a Republican, perhaps Richard Nixon or Governor  [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]], could defeat a national Democratic presidential nominee. Reagan cut a campaign commercial for Phillips; his older daughter, Maureen Reagan, made some twenty appearances on Phillips' behalf at various places in the state.<ref>''Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report,'' XXV (November 10, 1967), pp. 2295-2296; ''Vicksburg Evening Post,'' September 23, 1967</ref> Neighboring Governor [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] of [[Arkansas]], younger brother of [[Nelson Rockefeller]], spoke in Corinth and assisted Phillips in fundraising. Phillips raised $300,000 in the 1967 race.<ref>''Hattiesburg American,'' November 1, 1967.</ref>​

​

​

Williams rejected Phillips' pleas for debates, as had Paul Johnson in 1963. In fact, the congressman spent few days on the general election campaign trail and urged friends "to do the campaigning for me."<ref>''Jackson Daily News'', October 25, 28, 1967; 'The 'Jackson Clarion-Ledge,'' October 28, 1967.</ref> Williams, who had lost the lower part of his left arm while serving in the [[United States Army]] Air Corps during World War II, was hospitalized during the campaign with a leg ailment, which also stemmed from war injuries.<ref>''Vicksburg Evening Post,'' October 25, 1963.</ref> At a $40 per person fundraiser attended by some five thousand and hosted by the state's congressional delegation, Williams vowed to "destroy that Republican crowd so bad that they won't be able to find a Rubel in the rubble."<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 31, 1967.</ref>​

Williams rejected Phillips' pleas for debates, as had Paul Johnson in 1963. In fact, the congressman spent few days on the general election campaign trail and urged friends "to do the campaigning for me."<ref>''Jackson Daily News'', October 25, 28, 1967; 'The 'Jackson Clarion-Ledge,'' October 28, 1967.</ref> Williams, who had lost the lower part of his left arm while serving in the [[United States Army]] Air Corps during World War II, was hospitalized during the campaign with a leg ailment, which also stemmed from war injuries.<ref>''Vicksburg Evening Post,'' October 25, 1963.</ref> At a $40 per person fundraiser attended by some five thousand and hosted by the state's congressional delegation, Williams vowed to "destroy that Republican crowd so bad that they won't be able to find a Rubel in the rubble."<ref>''Jackson Clarion-Ledger,'' October 31, 1967.</ref>​

 

Phillips obtained the endorsement of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which sent a rival delegation to the 1964 national party convention in [[Atlantic City]], [[New Jersey]]. The Freedom Democrats backed Phillips because he had expressed his own doubts that Williams as governor would be able to fight the desegregation policies of the then [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare]].<ref>''U.S. News and World Report,'' LXII (November 20, 1967), p. 35.</ref>​

Phillips obtained the endorsement of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which sent a rival delegation to the 1964 national party convention in [[Atlantic City]], [[New Jersey]]. The Freedom Democrats backed Phillips because he had expressed his own doubts that Williams as governor would be able to fight the desegregation policies of the then [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare]].<ref>''U.S. News and World Report,'' LXII (November 20, 1967), p. 35.</ref>​

 

As in 1963, ''The Greenville Delta Democrat-Times'' endorsed Phillips in 1967, having hailed his racial-moderation speech as "frank, honest, courageous ... the unvarnished truth."<ref name="autogenerated1967">''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times,'' November 5, 1967.</ref> The paper claimed that Phillips had abandoned the earlier GOP efforts to "out-Dixiecrat the Dixiecrats," a reference to [[Strom Thurmond]]'s 1948 presidential campaign.<ref name="autogenerated1967"/> An unidentified Republican told ''[[U.S. News and World Report]]'' that the GOP had "thrown off the tag of being a racist, segregationist party in the South." <ref>''U.S. News and World Report,'' November 20, 1967, p. 35.</ref>​

As in 1963, ''The Greenville Delta Democrat-Times'' endorsed Phillips in 1967, having hailed his racial-moderation speech as "frank, honest, courageous ... the unvarnished truth."<ref name="autogenerated1967">''Greenville Delta Democrat-Times,'' November 5, 1967.</ref> The paper claimed that Phillips had abandoned the earlier GOP efforts to "out-Dixiecrat the Dixiecrats," a reference to [[Strom Thurmond]]'s 1948 presidential campaign.<ref name="autogenerated1967"/> An unidentified Republican told ''[[U.S. News and World Report]]'' that the GOP had "thrown off the tag of being a racist, segregationist party in the South." <ref>''U.S. News and World Report,'' November 20, 1967, p. 35.</ref>​