Evening star., 1946-07-19
COP Should Welcome
Truman Stump Plans
Results Will Show Voters
Opinion on Leadership

Dt |"bse AS6eSF S"kS
Despite the almost unbroken rule that
a President of the United States cannot
successfully influence the voters in be-
half of other candidates even of his own
party, President Truman has made up
his mind to take the stump this autumn
to help win for the Democratic party
majority in Congress.
The Republican party should really
welcome that decision, and the Demo-
cratic strategists should think about 1t
twice. For If Mr.. Truman does campaign
and the Republicans make considerable
gains in Congress, it will amount to
evidence that the country repudiates his
leadership
Experience in the elections thus far
shows that the voters generally resent
outside interference. 1t happened ta1t
way recently when Representative Ran
kin, Democrat, was renominated IN
Mississippi. 1t happened also this week
when Senator Wheeler, of Montana,
though possessing the Presidents in
dorsement, failed to win the Democratic
nomination for another term. There
are many mistakes in judgment of the
same sort, and they were made by the
late President Roosevelt as well as by
Republican Presidents.
Attitude of Voters.
The voters are likely to feel that they
know what Is best for their own consti-
tuencies and they usually look upon in
reference from Washington as gratui-
tous. Sometimes even a weak candidate
uses the outside pressure as an argument
to gain sympathy and support. Thus
it happened that while the late Senator
Ellison Smith of South Carolina won
easily in the Democratic primaries when
he was openly opposed by Mr.. Roose-
velt's influence, defeat came subsequent
ly when the Roosevelt Administration
kept hands off.
Mr.. Truman is trying now to defeat
Representative Slaughter, Democrat, one
of the ablest members of the Rules Com
mittee of the House of Representatives.
The President doesn't vote in the Mis-
souri, district from which Mr. Slaughter
comes, and it certainly didn't add to
Mr.. Truman's prestige to find him send
ing for member of the notorious Pen
dergast machine in Missouri to help
in political. conspiracy to defeat Mr..
Slaughter.
The President has played politics a
good many years and owes his elevation
in public life originally to the Pender-
gast machine. Contact with the machine
is something which liberal Democrats
would prefer to see him avoid.
Theoretically. the leader of the party
in power Is obligated to do all he legiti-
mately can do to assist in winning
control of Congress. For his legislative
program may rise or fall on whether he
has majority in the national legisla-
ture. But actually the Democratic party
is divided, and the things for which
the Northern Democrats stand are not
the same as those which the Southern
Democrats support. To elect more
Northern Democrats to outvote the
Southerners is not exactly supporting
the Democratic party but only the fac
ton which plays ball with the adminis-
tration.
The record of the present Congress
shows that many Democrats often called
administration supporters failed to vote
with Mr.. Truman on certain legislative
proposals. Opposing Republicans will
have plenty OF opportunities to point
out the inconsistency of any blanket
Endorsement of a Democratic Congress
that may be given by the President.
Vr.n xrr.xL.-
So far as the proprieties are con-
cerned, Mr.. Truman Is well within pre-
cedent and custom in urging the elec-
ton OF majority in Congress of his
own party No President in recent
years. however. has made any direct
campaign on the stump for a Congress
majority of his own party. Efforts here
tofore have been confined to letters of
| Endorsement or occasional statements
of policy and sometimes to vague and
implicit speeches in political situations
! during visits to particular locality for
some other ostensibly non-political
| reason.
1t is, therefore, an example OF candor
| for Mr.. Truman to have announced
that he intends to engage in a political
campaign to help the Democrats win
/ Congress. 1t is big risk, to be sure,
because Mr.. Trumans record in some
States will prove more Of liability than
an asset
The reasons for the step, on the other
hand, are doubtless related to a belief
that the President can put many mem
bers of the party in his debt If he helps
them win their individual contests.
Certainly that is one way of lining up
votes in Congress for the next two years.
But it is likely that the advantages will
be outweighed by the disadvantages and
it could conceivably happen that by the
time autumn comes, Mr.. Truman will
find himself so busy trying to keep his
bureaucratic agencies in Washington in
line and settling the next wave of strikes
that he will not make many appearances
on the stump after all.
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