Evening star., 1947-09-11
Republican Victory
In Special Election
Is Held 0verp|ayed
Toft-HortIey Labor Act
Wosn't Necessarily
Issue in Pennsylvania
Rr David Laurence

won a congressional election in
strongly Republican district ts no
reason to announce trend In poll
tics. If, of course, there had been an
upset and the Democrat had won, It
would have been more than sig
nifcant-it would have been SEN
sstion.
The truth Is that the significance
of special elections has been very
much overplayed for long time.
These elections are usually held at
odd times when the interest in poll
tics Is not as high as when there
is a general election and other can
didates are voted on. Usually the
contest turns on the personalities
involved. The more capable Of the
contestants-and often the better
known man-has better chance
over newcomers. Traditionally the
party loyalty Of the voters is the
deciding factor unless the apathy Is
so great that a minority of the vot-
ers actually go to the polls and, as
sometimes happens, cause an upset
by defeating the favorite.
This particular election in Penn
svlvania attracted attention because
the labor union leaders set out to
make it a test of the Taft-Hartley
law. Undoubtedly the unions did
everything they could to mobilize
the vote against the Republican
nominee and it would have been
quite a triumph il they had de-
fested Franklin H. Lichtenwalter,
who has been speaker Of the Penn
sylvania Legislature and unques-
tionably Is qualified to 60 to the
House.
"sIave Labor" Issue Out.
But In special elections there isn't
time enough to overturn tradition
and there isn't time enough to center
attention on any issue. especially
an abstract one. 1t does not detract
one 1ota from the credit which the
Republican Party will get from the
outcome of this election to say that
the Taft-Hartley law wasn't basic
issue or that, If it was. 1t mostly
aroused some Of the labor union
voters to the need for going to the
polls.
The fact that a heavy vote was
cast and a higher percentage voted
Republican than in previous cleo
tions is a sign that even the special
elections can occasionally be publ
cized to the point of getting out
voters. The Democrats may, over
the next few months, dramatize
the Taft Hartley law as a "slave
labor" act, but most of the voters
will want to know where or who the
slaves are. Certainly no labor unions
have gone out of business since the
law was passed and 1t is quite pos
sihle that many workers are secretly
pleased that they have q weapon
now with which to obtain respectful
treatment from arrogant labor
bosses.
The Republican Party will derive
much comfort from the election and
the Democrats may be considerably
surprised at their failure to get much
out of the labor issue-for obviously
the labor vote split and didn't all
go into one party. But, In broad
sense. the congressional election In
PENNSYLVANIA settles nothing in the
way of national issues, because the
subjects that will influence votes a
year hence are not likely to be the
same ones as are under discussion
at the moment.
Frankness Called For.
Instead of the Hartley law,
there may be substantial interest In
the high cost of butter and eggs and
the shortage of meat. The electo-
rate will want to know where the
responsibility lies for the high cost
of living. It will not be easy for
the Democrats to blame the repeal
Of the OPA, because President Tru-
man has never recommended revival
Of that form of regulation though
he has been in Office right along.
Nor have the Democrats in Congress
proposed restoration of price con-
trols.
The answer to today's high food
prices lies In the extraordinary for
eign demand and in the short sup
plies due to inadequate crops. Price
controls merely help the black mar
ket operators and tend to discourage
the legitimate producers through
whom alone can come the necessary
production to break down black
markets and bring reduction in
prices.
The first political party that tells
the voters the facts of our economic
life and ceases to blame the other
party for all the economic ills OF
the moment will gain long start
on its opponents. The public will
accept candor and puts its faith In
the party that sponsors frankness
fRenrodurtion Birhts Reseryed)