Evening star., 1946-11-01

beaten 1or Ine uoiulllaeioi Wy
Blaine.
True. Theodore Roosevelt and Cal
vim Coolidge were nominated practl-
cally by acclamation, but in both
cases their party was firmly IN
trenched in power and both were
the unchallenged leaders OF that
psrtv. OF our elected Presidents,
Polk, Pierce, Buchanan and hayes
failed to be nominated for second
term.
However. no one-term President
In the last go years has failed to be
renominated. and it is that on Which
the aforementioned assumption
rests. Nevertheless, there obviously
is no party precedent or tradition OF
such length or character as to make
denomination inevitable after one
term secured either by electlon OF
succession.
Reasons, Not Precedent.
denomination of such Presidents
depends on the man, the condltlon
of his party and the general sltua-
: ton, The opposite view (Which is
Sthe common view has been ex.
pressed in this place number OF
times. Admission is here freely mace
that 1t is incorrect. Mr.. Truman
easily may be his partys l948 nom
inee But there is no surety ABOUT
that-and except for the last gu
years, there is no party preceoehI
that calls for his nomination. ana
during that 60 years the Presidents
renominated were renominated be-
cause of party and political reasons
and not precedent.
Thus, putting precedent aside as
not binding, the question OF MI.
Trunnan's nomination can now be
considered as a practical polltlcal
and personal proposition. AS OF TINS
moment, men close to him are con-
yinced he does not want to be noml-
mated and will not use the power OF
his office to obtain the nomination.
If that is the way he feels now,
certainly, he will feel more strong
" that way after the November
elections which are expected TO give
the Republicans control OF the
House. -,
Mr.. Truman, his friends say, will
not Quit. He is thoroughly game
man and If his retirement would be
construed as running out On the
party" he will not do SO. But II
there, is a better man available who
can, be drafted and be more likely
to win. Mr.. Truman would be Tor
him. That is the way those close to
him believe the President feels. His
is a tough job. He would be glad to
turn 1t over. He is not having good
time. He is harassed, badgered, wor-
ried. Another term in the White
House does not appeal to him.
Might Draft Eisenhower
II stronger man can be found,
he will cheerfully cooperate. Clearly,
however, he would have to be man
with vastly better chance OF being
elcted and no such man seems to
exist within the party. Certainly,
there is none in Congress, none
among the Democratic Governors,
none anywhere else SO far as can be
seen. Clearly, Mr.. Truman would
make q better fight than any other
regular Democrat. With split party
weighted down with heavy response
bilities, the odds are going to be
against any party man in 1948.
Under these conditions what the
Democrats need is not a party man
but one with an appeal far beyond
the party and to the country. Most
Democrats agree about that and
most agree, too, there is just one
such in sight and his name is EiSen-
hover.
Conceding that he would make an
ideal candidate and a great Presi-
dent, two objections are made to the
general-f1rSt, that he is a Repub-
lican; second, that he will net move
to obtain the nomination.
The answer to the first is that
while Gen. Eisenhower does come
from a Republican family, he
himself is neither Republican nor
Democrat. He has never voted and
he has no party affiliation. The an
swer to the second is that he will
not resist real draft and that that
is the only way he should be nomi-
mated.
The big argument. of course, Is
that If the Republicans gain control
of Congress next month the Demo-
cratic outlook for 1948 will be pretty