▁race ▁Like ▁most ▁South ▁Carol in ian ▁Democr ats ▁from ▁his ▁era , ▁R ivers ▁was ▁an ▁ar dent ▁seg reg ation ist . ▁He ▁voted ▁against ▁every ▁civil ▁rights ▁bill , ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁entire ▁South ▁Carolina ▁deleg ation ▁in ▁signing ▁the ▁Southern ▁Man if esto ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁He ▁attempted ▁to ▁have ▁Char l eston ▁federal ▁judge ▁Wait ies ▁War ing ▁im pe ached ▁for ▁having ▁ruled ▁that ▁black s ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁allowed ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁Democratic ▁primary ▁and ▁that ▁seg reg ated ▁schools ▁were ▁un const itution al . ▁When ▁President ▁Tr uman ▁integrated ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁R ivers ▁called ▁him ▁a ▁" de ad ▁ch icken " ▁and ▁a ▁" bank rupt ▁politician ". ▁R ivers ▁was ▁so ▁inc ensed ▁by ▁Tr uman ▁that ▁he ▁supported ▁St rom ▁Th ur mond ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁President ial ▁election . ▁After ▁Tr uman ' s ▁victory , ▁he ▁lost ▁his ▁patron age ▁privileges ▁and ▁was ▁luck y ▁to ▁retain ▁his ▁seat ▁on ▁the ▁Ar med ▁Services ▁Committee . ▁ ▁R ivers ▁attended ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁Democratic ▁National ▁Convention ▁and ▁believed ▁that ▁Ad la i ▁Stevens on ▁would ▁reverse ▁the ▁policies ▁of ▁Tr uman ▁by ▁returning ▁to ▁traditional ▁Democratic ▁principles . ▁However , ▁R ivers ▁became ▁dis ill usion ed ▁with ▁Stevens on ▁and ▁he ▁open ly ▁supported ▁Republican ▁D w ight ▁D . ▁Eisen h ower ▁in ▁the