The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1948-11-03
TRUMAN IS
VOTE GETTER
IN ELECTION
Democratic Leaders Tried
TO Dump Him But He Kept
On, Road 10 Victory
BY WILLIAM L. BEALE, Jr.

) Sist WV W a.
| or lose on the final count. Harry
is. Truman's amazing vote tally ii
the presidential ell ion demon
strated a quality of political lead
ership that measures well by the
Roosevelt yardstick.
Five m n this ago organization
leaders in the Democratic party
tried to dump Mr.. Truman. He
couldn't win, they said. Henry A.
Wallace organized a splinter pro-
gressive party. A group of southern
ers holted the Democratic conven-
ton in anger over Mr.. Truman's
civil rights program and formed the
States Rights party. Poll-takers
counted Gov Thomas E. Dewey as
good as elected.
That perhaps was the low point
of Missouri's Truman Then he made
an after midnight acceptance speech
to convention delegates that kim
died a flame of hope-of fighting
never-say-die battle to win the cleo
ton.
How Did Truman Win?
How did President Truman win
the support that poured in those
millions. of votes? These factors
stand out:
l. Mr. Humans own personal
fight against the overwhelming odds
of a party split wide over his NOM
nation. splintered by factions, APP
lcarently crumbling under the load
of 16 years of continuous rule.
2. His choice of issues, including
what he called the idiot" Goth Con-
gress-"the second worst in history
He hammered at: CAD Enactment
over his veto of the Taft-Hartley
law so bitterly opposed by organized
labor.
OBJ Failure to vote Legislative
controls for soaring cost-of-liv-
ing.
Housing Shortage
Co Failure to provide a long.
range program to relieve the hous-
ing shortage.
cd Lack of action of his civil
rights program-A recommendation
that cost electoral votes in the South
but doubtless added to his popular
vote in the northern cities.
3. Farm belt uneasiness in re.
cent weeks over grain price declines
stirred by Mr.. Trumans arguments
that the Goth Congess crippled the
price-support program and that 6
Republican administration woule
bring back 1882 farm conditions.
Less apparent was the part play
ed in the outcome by the interna-
tional situation. Both candidates
pledged firmness toward Russian
Communism and peace for a free
western world
Foreign Affairs
Jack Kroll, director of the CO.
Political Action Committee. which
fought for Mr.. Truman's election
cited the Democratic platform plank
on foreign affairs as a contribut-
ing factor to the Presidents showing
Knoll stressed also the Taft-Hartley
law, the cost-of-living, housing ano
civil rights.
In the farm belt, according to the
Democratic Secretary of Agriculture
Charles F.. Brannan, there hao
been distinct shift in sentiment
in the last two weeks.
Few are the Democratic Congress
men and Governors elected yes
terday who do not owe good meas
ure of their success to Harry Tru-
mans crusading leadership. If the
final vote count continues him in
the White House, it will be as a
political leader who has literally
lifted himself and his party by his
own political bootstraps in an ex-
traordinary comeback.
That, in its turn, would spell a
different President Truman in the
next four years than the one who
succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt on
April IL, ls45 y :