Yes, they were. They are republicans now. You arguing in bad faith here, because you very well know the democrats back then are the republicans now. The party of democrats back then is not the party of the democrats now. the democratic party represented the same people republicans represent today. You're trying to make an falsely link the democratic party today with the party in the 60's, you know that link is incorrect, but since it helps you make a point, you're making it anyways. I call this: intellectual fraud.
Ideologically, they were republicans. In name only, they were Democrats.
This is not some 'haha gotcha!' type thing. Real argument with real human brains don't work that way. You can be technically right but if it's on some semantic bullshit nobody cares about, then you're wrong.