Evening star., 1947-10-04

Martha and Bob Team
Playing National Circuit
Mrs. Taft Stands Out Among Women
While Senator Hammers Male Side
By Gould Lincoln
CHEYENNE, Wyo., Oct. "A decade ago
the political team Martha and Bob Taft
made big splash in Ohio Today the same
team, playing the national circuit, is making
the voters sit up and take notice. In 1888
Mrs. Taft stumped Ohio-all of it-for her
husband who was seeking the Republican sem
atorial nomination against organizations -sup-~
ported Arthur Day. 1t was tough fight which
Mr. Taft won. His next hurdle>was the election.
against Democratic Senator Bulkley, and with
the aid of Martha he won that too, although
the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt and
other top New Dealers threw everything they
had into the campaign for Mr.. Bulkley. Not a
little of the credit went to Mrs. Taft, and
rightly so.
As political speaker, Mrs. Taft stands out
among wonderland with women Mostly she
works the feminine side of the street, while
her husband, the Senator, sledge-hammers
excellent foil for the most serious pronounce
ments of Bob"
On the Western swing which the Tafts have
just completed Mrs Taft made three major
addresses to Republican women's organiza-
tions in as many States. and followed them up
with several brief talks, sometimes before
women and at other times before mixed gather
ings. Should Senator Taft win the Republican
presidential nomination. the second half OF the
Taft team will be much in demand during
the campaign.
Coined Slogan.
Speaking in Seattle, Mrs. Taft coined
slogan for the Republicans which already is
being seized upon: After next year, the only
fellow travellers around Washington will be
the fellows travelling away from Washington"
She has bite in her speeches, too. Explain-
ing why the Republican Congress was unable
during its last session to deal with public-Wel-
fare legislation, she said there hadn't been
sufficient time. Don't forget" she said, the
session opened with filibuster to seat Biloo
(the late Senator from Mississippi whose seat
ing Senator Taft opposed as Republican leader)
and ended with filibuster to cover up the
Kansas City vote scandals Every one knew
President Truman could have had an honest
investigation of those frauds If he had wished
administration and the Senate Democrats for
a stupid political play which left the country
suspecting that the President had much to
conceal about the vote scandals in his own
home State.
How Mrs Taft acquired her ability to make
political speeches is secret Of her own. She
admits she was interested in politics even
before she married Mr.. Taft. Her father,
the late Lloyd Bowers Of Michigan, was So
licitor General of the United States In the
administration of President William Howard
Taft He had been classmate at college OF
the President. In the natural course OF
events she met the younger Taft and they
were married soon after Mr.. Taft was gradu-
ated from the Harvard Law School. She did
rot really get into the political game, how
ever, until Mr.. Taft made his run Tor the
Senate While he was running for the State
Legislature, Mrs Taft was too busy with their
children and running home to take to the
stump.
Speaks With Ease.
She speaks with entire ease and without
notes, which gives her always q great adVan-
tage. She has, too. logical mind which car
ries her through to a successful elimination
Of her addresses When 1t comes to speaking
Of Republican principles, Republican accom-
plishmentse and the Republican program, she
is on her toes all the way She has, too.
way of humariAng an otherwise dry subject
Always running through her speeches is
the theme OF her faith In her husband. What
she says is to build him up-not herself-and
she does q swell job at it. And when she
appears on the same platform, her slogan Is:
Let him tell his story She sits and listens
with rapt attention, no matter how many
times she may have already heard the speech
Mrs. Taft, like her husband, takes things
as they come in political campaign She
was right beside Senator Taft In every case
on this Western trip when Senator Taft had
to cross labor union and Communist picket
lines Nor did she complain. Indeed, her
only comment after the most hostile Demon
stration Of them all, in Seattle was: Il don't
think they (the pickets) could have been
Communists really, for some of them grinned
at me-"
While she was campaigning in 1888 for her
husband she toured alone, often driving her
own car. On one occasion she ran off the
road into ditch to avoid a truck, and her
car overturned. She scrambled out, got .
farmer to drive her to the town where she
was to speak and filled her engagement.
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