Evening star., 1948-02-19
Bronx Vote Expected
To Spur Move 10 Get
Wallace Back in Fold
Democrats May Seek
United Front With His
Party Before Election
Bv David Laurence

OF the Wallace-Dacked candidate
for Congress on the American
Labor Party ticket seems to be
confirmation of Democratic fears
that their party will be split in the
coming election, it tends to acceler-
ate the steps that doubtless will be
taken to bring about the withdrawal
of Mr.. Wallace from the contest
at the last moment,
The more evident 1t becomes that
the Wallace group constitutes q
threat Of real proportions to the
Democrats, the more pressure will
be exerted to persuade Mr.. WAL
lace to rejoin the fold.
The explanation being made by
Democratic leaders that because
only 40 per cent of the voters went
to the polls the outcome cannot
be regarded as having any mean
ing is not convincing. Actually a
trend in a district is just as pro-
nounced no matter how large or
small the vote cast. 1t is more i'm
portant to examine why such a
small number of voters took the
trouble to ballot. Maybe this in
itself merely means that the threat
of a third party was not enough to
arouse the voters, especially in a
special election involving a three
cornered contest for a seat which
lasts only a few months. The same
district must hold a regular election
contest next autumn, Many vot-
ers may have figured that the con-
test was mot of much consequence.
national Trend Hard to Find.
1t may mean also that the voters
are Neither restless nor discon-
tented nor up in arms about any
thing. Usually when there is pro-
test to be made a large vote is
polled. When the voters are apa-
thetic 1t means that they are not
dissatisfied with.the party in power.
In a .populous AREA like New York
City, where concentrated ninori-
ties are to. be. found, 1T is difficult
to discover national trend anyway.
The fact that Mr.. Wallace can
take votes from the Democratic
Party has not before been made
clear except in some Gallup polls.
An election carries far more weight.
The immediate effect of the New
York district election will be to
arouse Democratic leaders to ways
and means of bringing about the
withdrawal of Mr.. Wallace. There
have been some observers who rea-
soned that Mr.. Wallace was intent
primarily on establishing himself as
a factor In the party and that once
he had achieved that end he would
rejoin the party as major influence
rather than as sideline spectator.
The Truman administration has
been sensitive TO the Wallace type
Of campaign. The message on civil
rights and the espousal Of a revival
Of the excess profits tax are part OF
a program of accepting many of the
Wallace planks. Indeed, the Demo-
cratic platform next time is very
likely to be much more radical than
the Truman administration at heart
really is. But such are the vicissi-
tudes of national politics.
Won't Accept Russian Policy.
There is only one phase of the
Wallace campaign that has met with
no sympathetic gesture on the part
of the Truman administration, and
that is the Wallace policy toward
Russia. Many of the followers of
Mr.. Wallace are convinced that
America Is pursuing an imperialistic
policy leading toward war with the
Soviet. These followers evidently
believe Soviet propaganda.
1t must be borne in mind, how
ever, that the national campaign
has not yet begun and that, when
the debate opens up on the subject
of Russo-American relations, the
Marshall Plan will have been passed
by Congress and the broad outlines
of American policy toward Russia
will be painted as pacific rather
than belligerent.
The influences within the Demo-
cratic Party which touch shoulders
with the Wallace followers are
mostly to be found on the labor side.
Here is the place where the maxi
mum pressure will be exerted on the
Wallace camp and in the end the
public may expect compromise be-
tween the administration and Mr..
Wallace which will enable the Dem
ocratic Party to present a united
front in the elections. The more
danger Mr.. Wallace appears to sig
nifty now, the more important will
1t seem to the Democratic leaders
to bring him back into the fold.
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