Evening star., 1948-05-06
Influential Old Guard
Seen Antagonized by
Stassen Ohio Actions
'BIunder' Nay Have Cost
Him Nomination, Even
Second Place on Ticket
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
Abraham Lincoln was certainly
considered good political strate-
gist In his day and, in his effort to
win the first Republican nomination
for the presidency, he gave his lieu
tenants a piece of political advice
which Harold Stassen might better
have followed in 194s.
Lincoln advised that 1t wasn't
good tactics to try to get q States
delegation away from q "favorite
son" but instead to line up second
choices"
Had Mr.. Stassen done this in
Ohio, he might have placed himself
in favorable position for the Re-
publican nomination. Instead he
has succeeded in antagonizing many
Of the most influential members Of
the Republican Party. His blunder
IN Ohio may we'll cost him the
presidential nomination and 1t could
.conceivably make 1t difficult for
him to win even second place.
Stassen Hurt Irreparably.
Mr. Stassen has been looked upon
as the youthful leader who some
how stands apart from the So
called "old guard" group or the
scheming politicians. Young men
have looked to him for leadership in
an age In which the people gen.
orally abfor the practices Of party
politicians. But the former Mime
sofa Governor did something In
Ohio which has hurt him irrepa-
ra5iv with large sections OF the Re-
publican Party who will have much
TO say about the nomination.
IT was not the invasion Of a
"favorite son" State in itself that
hurt Mr. Stassen. This, It may be
argued, is no political error Of mag
nitude in an era in which prefer
ence primaries are being held,
though many political observers will
think 1t a mistake in tactics anyway.
What Mr.. Stassen did that is almost
unforgivable in politics was to en-
ter certain districts in Ohio where
the labor vote is predominant and
try to knife Senator Taft because
of the latter's championship Of the
new labor management relations
law.
After all, this law was passed by
two-thirds Of both houses Of Con-
gress. The Republican Party almost
to a man supported it. Yet Mr..
StaSsen went into Ohio to capitalize
on labors resentment toward Re-
publican leader. Here is how a
United Press dispatch from Colum-
bus, Ohio, described it:
The Stassen candidates were
hled largely in industrial areas Of the
State where possible resentment
would be highest against Taft for
his sponsorship of the Taft-Hart-
ley labor law"
Would Not Get Labor Vote.
Mr.. Stassen made 1t clear he
would have voted for the law but
he criticized Senator Taft's relation
ship to the law and indicated clearly
that he would amend certain pro-
visions. The plain purpose of such
speeches in Ohio was to indicate
that Mr.. Stassen would be likely
to help labor weaken the law whereas
Senator Taft, if elected President,
might not do so.
What Mr.. StaSSen did might have
been all right in national cam
paign in which he was fighting
against a Democratic opponent, but
going into the State of Ohio to try
to wrest the nomination from a
rival Republican on these grounds
has certainly caused him plenty of
embarrassment with the large group
of conservatives in the party who
will have the final say when the
convention meets.
Mr.. Stassen made a good record
on labor relations when he was Gov
ernor of Minnesota, but were he to
win the nomination he would never
theless not get the labor vote, for
1t will go to President Truman, who
vetoed and denounced the entire
Taft Hartley Act So it is not at
all clear what purpose really was
served by Mr.. StaSsen's maneuver
other than to create antagonisms
and friction inside the party by
criticizing Senator Taft on the labor
issue.
Many Democrats Voted.
Undoubtedly many Democratic
voters entered the Ohio primaries
to help put Senator Taft in a hole.
Even Mr.. Stassen's capture of few
delegates in hand-picked labor dis
tricts, however, doesn't erase the
fact that on Statewide basis
Senator Taft's delegates ran highest
and Mr.. Stassen's candidate for
delegate-at-l large ran last and didn't
win a place in the delegation.
Senator Taft has not won the
nomination by his victory in Ohio,
but what Mr.. Stassen did there may
have immeasurably hurt the Mime
sotan almost to the point of forfeit
ing his chance to win. For Repub-
lican conventions don't usually NOM
mate people who openly knife party
policy or party leaders-especially
when that policy seeks to restrain
the arbitrary acts of labor leaders
that recently cost the Nation hun
dreds Of millions OF dollars In the
coal strike and may cost even more
millions II the rail unions aren't.
also brought within that policy of
restraint
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