The Wilmington morning star., 1947-09-05
1913 Signpost
Nv KROCK

member of Congress in the Eighth Pennsyl-
vania District a week from tomorrow has
e4emt nts that justify ahe use OF a cllcae often
in politics, but rarely apt. This is
that the eyes of the nation will be on the
voters in this district when they go to the
polls.
Not everybody in the United States, Of
course. will be watching the voters in Lehigh
and Bucks Counties as they make their choice
between Franklin H. LichtenWalter and Phil
Storch. But the national political community
is on the alert, and the account OF the result
will interest a great many citizens who are
not active in politics. For the returns IN the
Eighth Pennsylvania should offer a guide to
the outcome of the general elections OF lS48.
This is because of the issue that has been
put up to the citizens Of the district by Mr..
Storch, the Democratic nominee, and the
Spokesman Of organized labor, principally the
Go. who are managing his campaign. 1t can
ha stated as follows:
20 you approve the record OF the
Eigntieth Congress under its new Republi-
can control, with especial reference TO the
passage of the Taft-Hartley Act; or do
YOU want to return Congress to the allied
control of the Democratic national admin
i~stration and the Lett wing groups, par
t~icularly organized labor?
When this correspondent was in the district
recently that issue was being boldly pressed
on behalf of Mr.. Storch, and Mr.. Llchten-
walter was not meeting it frontally. He was
being urged by some supporters to say, and
PERHAPS he since has said it, that he would
have voted for the Taft-Hartley Act if he had
beer in Congress at the time, and if elected
would support amendments to meet fair critl-
cisms that have been made. But whether or
not the Republican nominee defends the law
which his opponents have made the principal
basis ct their appeal, it will have a laboratory
test a week from tomorrow.
The result of this test will not necessarily
be determined by the end product it that
shall be the election of Mr.. Lichtenwalter,
lately Speaker of the Pennsylvania House. I'm
the Republicans of Bucks County stay at
in droves it is almost impossible for
a Republican to lose tAe> district. But If Mr..
Storca carries Allentown, the seat of Lehigh
County, and the county with it, the Demo-
cratic national administra, ion will be en-
to believe that its Leftist alliance
hold the White House in 1948 and return
to nominal Democratic control. And
the political leaders Of organized labor, es-
the CLIO, will be stimulated to make
IS hard a fight against the Republicans ma
iona ly as they ever made for Mr.. Roosevelt.
The reason is plain. In the Congressional
elections of 1896 the Republicans got MAORI
les in the House and the Senate by overturn-
ng small Democratic majorities in urban
,reas, many of them wholly Industrial. Blu
he Republicans won many of these seats by
margins Of 3 per cent and 5 per cent. "A
'everse trend, which would at least be indi-
lated by an upset in Lehigh County in favor
If Mr.. Storch on the issue described above,
would give solid foundation for hope that these
can be wiped out in l948. And, II
hey are, the chances Of the Democrats ma
ionaliy will be greatly improved.
Even if the race in the Eighth Pennsylvania
$ made closer than usual by the failure OF
republicans to come out and vote, that, be-
,ause of the issue that has been offered them,
will be a sign that the party lacks the vi
7lity and interest to stand on its record.
may stay at home on Sept. 9
n tins district because the special election
cr Congress is being held on the regular
,arty primary day, and there are no I'M
,o1tant nomination contests in their banner
'ounty of Bucks. But L they do, whatever
he cause, the charge of listlessness in the
ace of a strong challenge can fairly be laid
loainst the party as a whole.
The by-election was made necessary by the
leatn in office of Representative Gerlach. Ex-
,ept n 1910, when be lost Lehigh County by
about $50 votes, hes carried both counties in
re district biennially from 1888, and in 1910
Bucks County easily wiped out the small mar
,n against him in Lehigh. His majoritles in
county, the center Of the current strug-
lie, were 300 in 1888, LOW IN 1917, o,Ioo u
o44 and 1000 in 1916. Now the controversy
,ver the Taft-Hartley Act and the general
ecord of the Eightieth Congress has crystal
ICED the issues that reduced Mr.. Gerlach's
hcwing in Lehigh in 1915. And now also both
wings of organized labor have concentrated
m MI. Storch and his issue as they nave
lot done in that locality since the establish
merit o. the CLIO.
Therefore, the party vote in Lehigh County
S what the national politicians will watch 1or
trend. There are. however, compllcatlng
ctors. The Republicans are stressing Mr..
,torch's CLIO connection Che is local president
# the Newspaper Guild. the legislative ex-
,ericnce of Mr.. Lichtenwalter and what they
all the invasion from without by national
10 and other Left wing leaders. The oppo-
;tion is stressing Mr.. storch's gallant ecord
Is a combat correspondent with the MARINES
and his pledge to assail legislatlvely me hlgn
cost of living and the Taft-Hartley Act ano
o work for a national FEPC.
The response to these arguments by a ne
district in Pennsylvania deserves the
attention it will receive.-New York Times.