Evening star., 1948-11-03

The man who refused to believe
he was licked is headed back to the
White House for four more years.
Harry S. Trumans aggressive
campaign caught the fancy of an
American public that likes its
champions to win or lose with both
fists failing.
He turned his back on those who
believed the Democratic Party had
crumbled beyond repair, and even
while experts everywhere were con-
demning him to- a political grave,
stoutly spoke of victory.
The one-time Missouri farmer
and World War I artilleryman who
succeeded to the presidency on the
death of Franklin D. Roosevelt,
found a majority of the people still
favored the New Deal tenets of Mr..
Roosevelt.
Travelled 10000 Miles.
In achieving probably the most
unexpected victory of any presiden-
tial election, Mr.. Truman travelled
81 500 miles in SO States, blasting
the "do-nothing" Eightieth Con-
gress, demeaning his Republican
rival for refusing to engage in a
knock down and drag-out fight, and
confidently predicting victory.
Everybody - but the voters -
thought Mr.. Truman was whistling
in the dark to the tune of Mis-
souri, Waltz" As one wag put it
They smiled when Harry sat down
to play" the familiar refrain that
the Republicans were, refusing to
discuss the issues.
Republican confidence apparently
was well-supported by what looked
like the diSintegration of the DEM
ocratic Party. Secession of some
Southern States under the banner
Of Gov. Thurmond of South Caro-
lima, the States Rights leader, and
the disaffection of liberals who
backed Henry Wallace's Progressive
Party, seemed to apply the crusher
to any hopes Mr.. Truman had nur-
tured.
Poll sampling everywhere indi-
Gated Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of
New York as the victor, but Mr.
Truman said Re did not believe in
polls. Some of his closest advisers,
the public thought, were cast in the
role of humoring man who was
whipped and didn't know it.
Used Invective and Sarcasm.
1t was true that some of the big
gest crowds ever, crowds that sur
passed even those drawn by the
magnetic Roosevelt, came down to
the special train to hear Mr.. Tru-
man, or filled the halls where he
made his major speeches.
Many of the experts thought the
crowds were curious people who
wanted to see Mr.. Truman before
he passed into oblivion. But most
Of the people turned out to be voters.
Employing invective and sarcasm
many people thought unbecoming a
President, Mr.. Truman lashed at his
opponents bitterly. He fought for
a Congress that would support his
plans for repeal of the Taft-Hartley
Act, he alluded to good old Joe"
(Stalin one day and the next
ripped into the Communists; he
called for broadening of Social Sc
curity, for price-control housing,
and for ever strengthening of the
European Recovery Program.
Since the April, 1945, day Mr..
Truman inherited the presidency,
his stock-according to the poll
sters-has done more flip-fops
than circus acrobat.
There was a time, when he
stepped into Office, humble and none
too confident in the face of war
and peace problems, that a sympa-
thetic public gave him even stronger
backing than was accorded Mr.
Z Roosevelt.
4 Labor Trouble Recalled.
The war was soon over, and so
apparently was his general popular
support. Labor. trouble developed
Congress deafened to the Presi-
dents legislative aims, and within
six months after Mr.. Truman was
sworn in his critics were speaking
of his "inadequacy"
Most of the Nation applauded
him when he rebuffed engineers and
trainmen and ended 24-hour ma
tional railroad strike, but soon after
that there was much resentment
when John L. Lewis ended a 51-day
mine strike only at his own price.
Then "OPA trouble" bobbed into
the picture in a big way, high lighted
by a meat famine that forced re-
moval Of controls and sent prices
skyrocketing. Automobiles and cloth
ing shortages irritated people. AS
the congressional elections ap-
preached, Republican billboards en-
blazoned: Got enough?"
Apparently they had experienced
enough" to return a Republican
majority to Congress.
So bad was the defeat that Sen
ator Fulbright, Arkansas Democrat,
suggested Mr.. Truman name a Re-
publican Secretary of State to Sue
ceed him, and then resign.
Wrangled With Congress.
His ups and downs in popularity
boA1OOliCo dSdAlA, CACCpt WIFI ldUOT !,
when he put down John L. Lewis
and national mine strike with
an epoch-making court injunction.
He also gained favor for his new
get tough" policy toward Russia,
and the appointment of Gen. George
c. Marshall as Secretary of State.
Then came two years of wrangling
with Congress, wher the Presidents
domestic legislation met continu-
GUS rebuff. Failure of the admin
istration to do anything about the
mounting cost of living and hous-
ing alienated many Americans, or so
the poll-takers said
MIR. Truman used the Taft Hart
ley Act to put down more labor
strife, but all the time called for
repeal of the act, and thereby won
the vast majority of labor's votes
In the final analysis.
When the death of Mr.. Roosevelt
brought Mr.. Truman to the White