The Wilmington morning star., 1947-11-26
Senator Taft Rebuked

Rv general consent American HeWSPd-
ners display what they consider the most
;mnortant news of the day in column elght'
or outside column, on page one. Inc reao-
ers eye naturally fastens on this spot
first. AS naturally, editors place what III
+be;, oninion is the article of greatest I'M
portance there.
Recause of this universal custom 1t is
the more notable to find in recent issue
of the New York Herald Tribune predls-
nosed as it is to republican preachment,
a revolt of republican senators against
Senator Taft's attack on President iru-
mans anti-inflation policy, as voiced IN his
message to Congress, occupying this place
of preferment. May we not accept 1t as
a fact that Senator Taft is not only out OF
harmony with a section Of his colleagues
i'm the Senate but with the Herald Tribune
which exerts powerful influence upon re-
publican party policy 1t would seem 50.
The article in question was written by
Mr.. Jack Steele who reported proceedings
at the first meeting of the party's confer
ence, composed of all republican Senators,
during the present congressional session,
and particularly of the singing rebuke to
Senator Taft who went on the air after
President Trumans delivery of his mes
sage to quarrel with the Chief Executives
position on anti-inflation legislative needs.
Mr.. Stele notes that Senators Flanders
of Vermont and Baldwin OF Connecticut
both ardent republicans, raised the chief
objections to Mr.. Taft's speech on the
grounds that even if he was speaking
primarily as presidential candidate rath-
er than a Senate leader, his speech was
generally interpreted as a statement OF
party policy in the Senate
Two other equally potent objections
were:
That, by rejecting Mr.. Truman's pro-
gram and proposing none of his own
Senator Taft left the Republicans in a
position of having no plans to combat
initiation.
That nine of the ten points in the
controls - were previously recon-
mended by subcommittee of the joint
Committee on the Economic Report.
(Senator Flanders is chairman and
Senator Baldwin member of this SUBJ
committe, while Senator Taft himself
is chairman of the full committee.
This bears out what the Star has con-
tended all along, that Senator Taft is per-
petually out of plumb with the thinking
of the American people and the policies o1
his party. Obviously he does not enjoy the
political friendship of the republican con-
ference, for Mr.. Steele reports further that
Senator Millikin of Colorado, who is the
conference chairman declared it the gen.
eral view of the conference that "every
member will have to be more careful te
distinguish between his personal views and
expressions of party policy and further
that the conference recognized the seri-
BUSINESS of the initiation threat and had de-
|cided that the Presidents recommenda-
tons should be carefully sifted by Senate
committees, after which the republicans
would come up with a sound program o1
their own to halt rising prices"
AS chairman of the Republican Policy
Committee of the Senate, Mr.. Taft appears
to be dismal failure. His Senate career
offers a fair example of what might be
expected of him if the republican national
convention in a moment of folly should
make him its candidate for President and
the voters in even greater folly should
elect him at the polls next November.