Evening star., 1948-03-14

OGdGcS.
tiles Of the candidates, as indicated
They face. however. states pledged
to Dewey and to Stassen, contain
ing widely known Republicans who
Will make their own personal appeal
to the voters. Under the Wisconsin
law, any qualified voter, irrespective
OF party afiliation, may vote in
either the Republican or Democratic
primary. Macarthur supporters
predict that many Democrats will
cast their ballots for the general on
primary day.
Next to the Wisconsin primary in
interest will be the primaries in
Nebraska. Oregon and Ohio. The
last will be watched principally be-
cause Mr.. Stassen has a slate Of
delegates entered there. Obviously
If Stassen is able to win delegates
In the home State of Senator Taft,
the prestige of the latter will suffer
and the cry which has gone up
from Taft opponents that he is not
a good vote getter will increase in
volume, thereby injuring Taft's
chances. rl
In Nebraska this year a novel
plan is being tried out. The names
OF all the leading potential nomi-
nees of the Republican National
Convention have been entered, in
cluding Taft, Dewey, Stassen, War
rem, Macarthur. Vandenberg and
Martin Of Massachusetts,. 1t had
been planned to enter Wallace in
the Democratic primary against
Truman. This was abandoned, how
ever. because of Wallace's third
party designation. Senator VAN
denberg of Michigan has asked
that his name be omitted from the
ballot, asserting he Is positively not
a candidate. But the proponents of
the plan to enter all the candidates
have persisted in keeping his name
on the ballot. 1t is their conten-
ton that the voters should be given
an opportunity to express prefer
ence for presidential candidates Of
their own choice instead Of merely
voting on candidates whose man.
ayers believe it advisable to enter
them in the primary.
Pennsylvania Puzzles
The Nebraska primary Is not
binding upon the delegates-merely
advisory. An overwhelming vote for
one Of the Republican candidates,
however. would be considered G
moral obligation to be observed by
the delegates to the national con-
vention.
Dewey and Stassen and Gov.
Warren of California will fight it
out in the Oregon primary. The
California Governors name has
been entered by friends, although he
voiced a disinclination to enter any
Of the primaries outside his own
State. On the Pacific Coast Gov.
has a following, and 1t is
we'll within the probabilities he will
win there. Indeed, there has been
talk of Far Western bloc of dele
gates for the Californian, from the
coast and mountain States, which
might prove formidable In the ma
,ional convention.
Irrespective of its primary, Penn
'ylvania, the State with the second
argest delegation in the national
convention, will have in al proba-
oility as its favorite-son candidate
Senator Martin. But where that
delegation will go, after casting its
vote for Martin on the first ballot
or two is still in doubt. Gov. Duff
If Pennsylvania, who may be inf1u-
initial in the delegation. has ~r23oiy
ntimated he will be opposed to any
candidate tied with the Old Guard
md who is opposed to the Marshall
Plan for European recovery.
Massachusetts,, another primary
State, will send a delegation pre-
pared to vote for Senator Salton-
;tall as the Bay States favorite son.
The delegation will doubtless be un-
instructed, and If and when Speaker
Martin requests, its vote may
,e swung to him. That will depend,
however, upon whether the conven-
ion becomes deadlocked over the
;andidacies of Dewey, Taft, stassen
Ind others.
Primaries Don't Nominate
Presidential preference primaries
10 not actually nominate a candi-
late. There are not enough such
primaries to do so. The majority Of
he delegates to the national con-
,entions are chosen in party con-
ventions. But occasionally the rri-
nary results are effective. They
we're, for example, in 1914. The late
L. Willkie, who had been
he party nominee in 1910, was an
lctive candidate for denomination.
But when he lost out in the Wis
;onsin primary-where he didn't get
single delegate-he withdrew.
1ov. Dewey, on the other hand, al
hough he had declared himself not
candidate, cleaned up in the Wis
onsin primary, leaving all his COM
'etitors, including Macarthur and
;tassen and Willkie. far behind.
oewey's name appeared prominently
n the voting In other State pri-
by the time the ma
ional convention assembled, he was
IS good as nominated.
In contrast to this, however, was
)ewey's failure to win the presi-
Iential nomination in 1910. all
hough in that year he had won in
number of primary contests, in
luding Wisconsin.
II the primaries demonstrate this
ear that Dewey still retains great
trength among the voters-as was