Roanoke Rapids daily herald. (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1948-1949, 1948-10-19
Chester Bowles
Nav Have Chance
At Bigger Post
TUCKER
BY RAY TUCKER

Former Price Administrator
Chester A. Bowles' sparkling
campaign for the Governorship
of Connecticut as possible step
ping stone to the presidency
or vice-presidency, though he
might settle for the Senate, at
tracts more attention than the
Dewey-Truman battle in the
Nutmeg State, largely because
a Republican presidential VIC
tory is conceded.
The Connecticut contest has a.
mother appealing angle. It will
show whether Advertising Man
Bowles' personality and sales
manship are more effective with
the suffering customers than
President Humans.
Both officeseekers are sell
ing the same line of political
goods. Mr.. Bowles, who op-
posed Mr.. Humans termination
of price controls at the end of
the war, is hammering on the
two issues of housing shortages
and the high cost of living.
So, belatedly, is Mr.. Truman.
Both face the same political diff
ficulties-the desire for a
change in a historically Repub-
Gcan state.
ARISTOCRACY vernon
Shannon has two advantages
that nobody minimizes. He is
a Roman Catholic in a state
with a fairly large representa-
ton of that faith, although its
politics have usually been run
by pre-colonial settlers descen-
dants. He has served at Hart
ford, the Capital, as former
counsel for the American Fed
Grafton of Lobor.
Although a majority Of Con-
necticut's workingmen may vote
the Truman-Bowles ticket, the
men in the foundries, machine
shops, specially lines, rifle fac
tories, brass mills and notion
plants constitute a sort of aris-
tocracy of labor. They handle
delicate, precision tools.
They have frequently shown
the same nice sense of balance
in handling voting machinery.
Although they manipulated the
levers for Franklin D. Roosevelt
in his heyday, they usually sw-
ung back to Republicanism in
Congressional and local contests
in off years, as has the nation
since 1898.
SMASHES Opposites meet in
the gubernatorial race.
Whereas Mr.. Bowles typifies
the youthful, energetic and sti-
mulating breed introduced into
national politics by F.D.R.'s ap-
peal to their emotions and ina
gination, Governor Shannon is
kindly, quiet, old-fashioned, up
the-ladder sort Of politician.
The former advertising man
relies on smart wisecracks and
hard, oratorical smashes. Mr..
Shannon makes friends through
meeting folks personally, and he
is meeting lot of them these
days-at county fairs, fraternal
dinners, rallies on the street cor
ners and campaign tours into
the back country.
BUILDUP Still another intri-
guing aspect of the Bowles can
didacy is his friends conviction
that he will be leading can
didate for the Democratic pres
idential nomination in 1852 if he
should survive q Dewey-Warren
landslide. For that reason alone
national politicians will keep
their eyes on Connecticut on the
night Of November 2.
Assuming that Mr.. Bowles
wins, his 1852 buildup will re-
semble the sensational adver-
Using campaign that won Wen
dell Willkie the Republican pres
idential nomination in 1910. b.
wles and Willkic are of the same
pattern, politically.
IRONY Connecticut politicos
Of cynical nature discern irony
in the prospect that Mr.. Bowles
may emerge as the gallant,
white knight of Democracy. As
they see and chuckle over his
Connecticut charges, it Is one Of
the most human and exciting
chapters in present-day politics.
Senator Brien F. Mcmahon,
atomic specialist on Capitol
Hill. is the acknowledged boss
Of the Democratic machine. It
is doubtful if Mr.. Bowles could
have been nominated without
the Senator's okay.
There has been suspicion that
Mr.. Mcmahon handed the honor
to Mr.. Bowles in the expecta-
ton that he would be defeated,
and thereby eliminated az a pos
sible contender in 1850, when
the Senator must seek reelec-
ton. But should Mr.. Bowles
win, he becomes automatically
the undisputed boss. and Mr.. Nc
Mahon's fate would lie in his
hands.
Even more ifnnortant natt,r