Evening star., 1948-04-29
The Political Mil ..
Latest Stossen Victory Z
Held Difficult to Assess
Small Eisenhower Vote Indicates
Result May Mean Little
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
Harold E. Stassen of Minnesota newest star
in the Republican galaxy, has demonstrated
certain popularity in big industrial State Of
the East-Pennsylvania. In the presidential
preferential vote there on Tuesday Mr.. Stassen
led his nearest opponent, Gov. Dewey Of New
York. by approximately 5000 votes All the
votes in this Republican presidential primary
were written in by voters; the names Of none
Of the Republican candidates and possibilities
were printed on the ballot. Under the circum-
stances, it is difficult to estimate how much, If
any, work was done by supporters of Mr..
StaSSen, Gov. Dewey and the other candidates
to get out write-in vote.
These political beauty" contests produce
strange results sometimes. Gen. Eisenhower,
for example, has been considered much more
generally popular than Gen. Macarthur. Gen.
Eisenhower has repeatedly declared he is not q
candidate for presidential nomination. Gen.
Macarthur has said he was available" II the
country wanted him. In the Republican pri-
mary IN Pennsylvania about three times AZ
many voters wrote in the name of Gen. Mac
Arthur as wrote in the name Of Gen. Eisen-
hover.
II Gen. Eisenhower is as popular as has been
reported, the primary result means little. II
it means little so far as the generals are con-
cerned. it might mean little with respect to d
Mr.. Stassen and Gov. Dewey-for the vote in
the primary was very light when compared to
what may be expected on election day next
November.
Stassen Bested Only Once.
Four years ago in similar Pennsylvania
primary, 146,706 voters wrote in the name of
Gov. Dewey and only 1902 favored Mr. Stassen
who was the last of seven Republicans for
whom votes were written in. Obviously there
has been great growth of sentiment for Mr.
Stassen DUNG the interval. The Minnesotan
Is far more widely known. Nationwide
organization has been working for him and
with him. His victories in the Midwest against
Gov. Dewey, Senator Taft Gen. Macarthur
and the rest have added vastly to his prestige
He is tickling the imagination of the voters
everywhere. If he finally wins their imagina-
tion, he will be difficult to stop" In the Repub-
lican National Convention.
In only one Of these primary contests has
Mr.. Stassen been bested this year-in New
Hampshire, where Gov Dewey won six of the
eight delegates to the party's national con-
vention. Mr.. Stassen goes up against sterner
test next Tuesday, when he seeks to wrest %
OF Ohio'S SO delegates to the national con-
vention away from the States favorite son.
Senator Taft.
1t is unfortunate that only slightly more
than one-fourth of the States of the Union
hold these primary tests. If every State held
presidential preferential primary for presi-
Dental nominations, the influence of the pri-
mary would be Of tremendous and probably final
import. The people would, indeed, have q real
voice in these nominations
AS 1t Is, however q candidate wins q few
primaries and then has to face perhaps the
opposition OF q large number Of delegates
elected to the national convention via the
district and State convention route. Or 1t Is
within the bounds OF possibility that the candi-
date who has shown vote-getting ability in
few States might not be the choice of the
voters in large number Of other States.
Tests Disastrous for Taft.
1t would have been interesting to know, for
example, how Mr.. Stassen would have Jared
in primary contest this year with Gov
Dewey in New York-and how Gov. Dewey
would have Jared in similar contest with
Mr.. Stassen in Minnesota If all the States
should adopt presidential primary system
and enter the names Of the most widely dis
cussed candidates, the people would have their
say. In one State this year, Nebraska, this
idea had real tryout. The results there gave
Mr.. Stassen first place, Gov Dewey second
and Senator Taft third, with Senator vanden-
berg Of Michigan running fourth. The write
in race in Pennsylvania came nearer to the
Nebraska primary than any Of the Others
since it gave the voters free choice.
The primary tests so far have been dis
astrous for Senator Taft and for Gov. Warren
of California. Senator Taft has run no better
than poor third, and Gov. Warren has been
FAR in the ruck. Yet both are highly regarded
and will have considerable blocs Of delegates
to support them on the first ballot in the
national convention. Both are announced
candidates for the presidential nomination On
the other hand, Senator Vandenberg, who has
sought in many ways to remove himself from
consideration for a nomination, has done re-
markably well in both the Nebraska and Penn
Sylvania contests.