Evening star., 1948-09-27
Senator Ball Reported
Doing Well in Contest
ithMayor Humphrey
By Gould Lincoln
Sfor Stof Sorrespondenf

labor leaders in the present politica
campaign, Is giving a good account
of himself in a knock -down-drag.
out fight with Mayor Humphrey oi
Minneapolis, the Democrat-Farmer.
Labor senatorial candidate. Senator
Balls supporters freely admit HI
Is not over the hump, but thes
see him gaining right along.
Since early in August, the Re.
publican Senator has been out
beating the bushes. He is an in.
defatigable worker and is de.
batting all the issues in his effort.
to win against the Mayor of Min
neapolis, the fairhaired boy Of the
Democrats and the labor leaders.
Senator Ball seemed to strike pay
dirt. Anyway, he made an unex-
pectedly good showing in the recent
primary. when he polled $685.
votes on the Republican side to
20o,s50 for Mayor Humphrey on the
Democrat-Farmer-Labor side. Not
only did he make a better showing
than Mr.. Humphrey in the rural
counties, but he made surprising
run In the Twin Cities. In Hen
nepin County-Minneapolis-
tor Ball was only 1926 behind Mr..
Humphrey, and in Ramsey County
st. Paul-he was behind 7,0S7.
st. Paul has long been considered a
Democratic stronghold.
Two Opposed Ball.
Running against Senator Ball In
the Republican primary were Earl
L. Miller, operator Of filling sta
ton. who received 50,342 votes, and
Ienore Irene Bussmann with 17,733.
Mr.. Humphreys only opponent IN
DFL primary was James M.
Shields. practically an unknown IN
State wide politics. Mr.. Shields
was the Wallace Progressive candi-
date for the Democratic nomination.
He got only 22,2s5 votes.
The total vote cast in the Re-
publican senatorial primary was
337 7070, and in the DFL primary,
227,145-a margin for the Repuo-
licans of more than 10000 votes.
Mrs. Bussmann, after the primary
declared her support for Mr.. Hum
phrey, and Mr.. Miller came out for
Ball.
Elmer Benson, who played an
important part In the organization
of the Wallace Progressive Party,
had been expected to enter the
senatorial race as an Independent
progressive and Wallace candidate
after the primary. Now it is SAID
he will not do so because OF Ill
health.
The retrogression of Henry Wal
lace, a presidential candidate. plus
the poor showing that Mr.. Shields
made against Mr.. Humphrey may
have had something to do with the
decision of Mr.. Benson not to run.
Whatever the reasons, it nov ap-
pears that Mr. Humphrey is to have
a clear field to run against Senator
Ball in the general election and that
anv assistance the Republican sena-
torial candidate might have had
from a division of the DFL vote, be-
Cause of MIR. Benson, isoutss Senator
Ball has to do it all himself from
now In.
Humphrey Is Good Talker.
The Mayor of Minneapolis is a
talker, dynamic if at times without
coherence He warns up croWa.
Senator Ball, on the other hand,
fs serious and coherent. He has con-
vinced the people of Minnesota that
he is both Independent and cou-
rageous. They are inclined to ad-
mire him for his courage.
Senator Ball does not hesitate to
talk about the Taft-Hartley Act.
Mayor Humphrey does not say much
about it, If anything. He knows ne
has the labor vote-as much as ne
can have it, which is a good deal.
He is trying to appeal to the farmers
and to the small-town vote, where
senator Ball is strongest. To bear
down on the Taft Hartley Act, whlcn
is popular with that element OF the
voters. might ALLEVIATE votes.
The senior Senator will nave
practically the solid support OF the
Republicans. His desertion OF GOV
Dewey for President Roosevelt IN
1914 has been forgotten by some
because of his strong support OF
labor legislation. Others cannot
stomach the Minneapolis Mayor:
In attempting to estimate what
may happen in the coming sena-
torial election, it is necessary to re-
member that the vote in Minnesota
is divided three ways, one-thlrd IN
the Twin Cities and Duluth IN
which labor is strong, one-thlrd IN
the small cities and towns, and one
third In the farmer vote. NotWlth-
standing the fact that Mr.. Roose-
welt carried Minnesota four times,
and the State has not given its
electoral vote to a Republican can
didate for the presidency since 1928,
1t is still fundamentally Republi-
can. 1t has two Republican Sena-
tors, eight out Of nine OF its House
members are Republicans, and 1t
mas q very pOPu4o1 1sct'uoAAhA4 wv
ernor.
Left Wing Is Factor.
Furthermore, although the Wal
lace candidacy and the New Party
has not panned out so well as ex-
pected. the left wing of the DFL Is
still to be reckoned with. 1t nomi-
mated two of the seven major DFL
candidates for State office, attorney
general and treasurer. 1t is plan
ming to put in candidates for Gov
ernor and Lieutenant Governor-as
Progressives-in order to help have
the Progressive Party recognized, If
1t gets enough votes, as a regular
party In the future.
The Senate seat in Minnesota Is
important both to the Republicans
and Democrats, and to the labor
leaders. The Republicans are striv-
Ing desperately to hold it. They
need it if they are to retain control
Of the upper house, which they de-
sire intensely, particularly If Gov.
Dewey should be elected President.
The Republican presidential candi-
date apparently has decided to 60
about for the reelection of Sena-
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