Evening star., 1947-10-25
Nov. d Election to Test
Drift Of Political Winds
Vote in Three Congressional Distr'et'
MAY Improve Chances for TAFT
The Political Mil
Rv Gould Lincoln

May Improve Chances tor ait
By Gould Lincoln
The direction of political winds VIII pe
+ested November 4, when the voters go 10 tne
Mills tn elect Governor of Kentucky ana 10
elect Representatives in three congresslonal
districts In some measure the test VIII Apply
to the candidacy of Senator Taft OF ONO 1or
the Republican presidential nomination
Four years ago the Republicans put across
their candidate for Governor IN hentuchy'
Simeon S. Willis, much to the cnagrln ol 'ie
Democrats, who usually dominate tnaS o'aIe'
At that time the Democratic macnlne III 'llo
Bluegrass State was in bad repute. Inc Nsue
was Turn the rascals out" This year tne major
issue-and 1t has been raised by the Hepuon-
cans-is the Taft-Hartley labor law. ms Is
the first Statewide political battle with tne
new law governing bor-management rela-
tions as a principal bone of contention. II the
Republicans should win, their victory viii not
only give the COP big boost but 1t will also
improve the chances of Senator Taft prlncl-
pal sponsor of the law which bears his name.
Situation in Kentucky.
Kentucky's Attorney General, Eldon s. Dunn
nit, the Republican gubernatoria1 candidate,
is supporting the new labor law UP and down
the State. His Democratic opponent isN(eQre-
sentative Earle C. Clements, who voted againN
the Taft Hartley bill in the House and voted to
sustain President Truman's veto Of the measure.
Mr.. Clements has been Endorsed by the AFb
and the Gloon the issue Of the labor law.
Mr.. Clements, however, has been laying low
on the issue-one reason being he does not wish
to offend Democratic farm voters. AL OF Whlcn
indicates that the Taft-Hartley law, SO roundly
denounced by President Truman and the labor
leaders, is not such an unmixed blessing to the
Democrats as they had originally supposed.
Until recently the Democrats believed that
they would win hands down in this Kentucky
election. Not so today. Senator Barkley, the
Democratic leader of the Senate, most popular
man in public life in Kentucky, has been
called into the State to campaign Tor Mr..
Clements. All signs point to an all-cut effort on
the part of the Democrats With democratic
registration greater by many thousapds than
the Republican, Kentucky Is regarded as y
Democratic State. Nevertheless, Jouette, R8ss
Todd, Republican national committeeman for
Kentucky, predicts the election of Mr.. Dummit
by from 10000 to $4,000. If the Republicans
should win by mere handful of votes 1t would
still be a major political achievement one that
would send cold shivers down Democratic spines.
Another proving ground for the Taft-Hartley
law is found in the 10th Indiana congressional
district. There Ralph Harvey, member OF
the State Legislature and q dirt farmer,
is running as the Republican candidate for
the House against Frank Hanley, Democrat,
an automobile dealer in Muncie Mr.. Hanley
has the Endorsement of the C1O. Indeed.
the CIO gave blanket Endorsement to the
Democratic nominee before the nominating
convention was held. When Businessman Han
ley came up with the designation the C1o
was somewhat nonplussed. Anyway, while
Republican Mr.. Harvey is going to town in
support of the Taft-Hartley law the Demo-
Gratis have passed the word to lay low on
that issue. The district is partly industrial
and partly rural-with Muncie as its largest
city. 1t also has been strongly Republican and
was carried by the late Representative Springer
in 1916 by some $4,000 votes. The most the
Democrats can hope for is to cut down the
percentage by which the Republicans carried
the district last year. Therein will lie the test
of the Taft-Hartley law.
4th Ohio and 14th New York.
The other two congressional districts in
which special elections are to take place to
fill House vacancies are the 4th Ohio and the
14th New York districts. In the Ohio dis
trict William M. McColloch, Republican, Is
ptted against Joseph B. Quatman Democrat,
OF Lima. Mr.. McColoch Is former Speaker
of the Ohio Legislature.
The Republicans won the 4th Ohio district
in 1946 by some 10000 votes. In this district.
too there is industry we'll as farming.
But as in the 10th Indiana district, the Demo-
Gratis appear to be shying away from a test
eof the popularity of the Taft-Hartley law.
Mr. Quatman contents himself with saying
| that all the gains made by labor in the
| Roosevelt administration must not be lost
| but he does not demand the repeal OF the
| Taft-Hartley law.
| New York's 14th congressional district lies
| in Brooklyn-not favorable district for the
| Republicans. This year three candidates are
contesting-the Republican, Mr. Lefkowitz; the
| Democrat, Abraham ]. Multer, and the Ameri-
can Laborite, Victor Rabinowitz. Mr. Muter
| has the support of the Liberal Party as well as
| the Democratic. Despite the detection Of the
| ALP, the district still looks Democratic. In
| 1946 the Democrat, with the Endorsement OF
the ALP, won by more than $4,000 votes.
The only previous test for the Taft-Hartley
law in congressional election took place in
September in Pennsylvania's 9th district. It
resulted in a victory for the Republicans and
| the law
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