Evening star., 1948-04-20
The Political Mil
Ohio Stussen Votes Seen
From Labor, Democrats
Minnesotan Cutting 1t Pretty Fine
In Primary Politics, Says Writer
Rp GoaLd Lincoln


6tassen leaders are counting seriously on
organized labor and Democratic support for
their candidate in the coming Ohio primary
for the election Of delegates to the Republican
National Convention. Labor, they figure, will
60 all out to defeat Senator Taft-co-author
Of the Taft-Hartley Act. They are counting
on Democratic labor as well as Republican
and other Democrats who do not like Mr.. Taft
to help Mr.. Stassen win delegates in Senator
Taft's home State.
Ais fair in politics. Yet this reliance on
organized labor and Democratic votes to defeat
Senator Taft in the industrial districts Of Ohio
for the sake Of another Republican who has
given his Endorsement to the Taft-Hartley Act
is cutting it pretty fne Certainly 1t is not
calculated to win the support Of any 100-per-
cent Taft leader or delegate in the national
conventional and when Senator Taft no
longer has . chance for the presidential
nomination. g.
The Ohio Senator Is not taking this assault
upon him in Ohio lying down. He has already
started hammering at the former Governor
of Minnesota and will continue to do 80 until
the primary, May 4. Mr.. Taft, except for one
day. will campaign continuously in the dis
tricts where he believes it Is most needed.
First Clip at Stassen.
his nrSG CLIP at Mr. SCdSScN CTin YVES uc~
livered Sunday. He said that the Minnesotan
had chosen to campaign for the presidential
nomination and to work for two years instead
of getting himself elected to the Senate to
fight the New Deal in Washington. In other
words-that Mr. Stassen had put his own per-
sonal ambition ahead Of the good Of the
Republican Party and the country. This Is Q
new way Of looking at the Stassen candidacy
and Mr. Stassen's early announcement he IN.
tended to run for President.
It has been obvious for q long time that
Senator Taft and. Gov Dewey Of New York
also had their personal ambitions for 1948. But,
as Mr.. Taft pointed out he was working IN
his official position to defeat the New Deal
Democrats and their policies-and did not
have the same freedom to move about the
country in his own personal interests as did
Mr.. Stassen. ...,.
Mr.. stassen is entered In only II congress
sional districts of Ohio-one- half Of the whols
lot These II districts either lie in an in
dustral center or contain one. The strategy,
of course, in this selection Is the labor vote.
Also Mr.. Stassen has entered only one dele.
gate -at-large candidate-although nine dele
gates -at-large are to be elected. It would have
been fairer, of course, as a test between Sena-
tor Taft and Mr.. Stassen, to have had nine
the field What the Stassen people are count
ing on Is single shot" or bullet" voting to
help their candidate for delegate e-at-large
win. In other words, that they will vote only
for one delegate large candidate when they
mark their ballots.
Reports from Ohio are that some stassen-
ties already are urging Democrats to 60 into
the Republican primary and vote against
Senator Taft. Yet this is supposed to be .
contest between two Republican leaders.
stassen Aides Confident.
stassen leaders speak confidently Of winning
fve or more delegates in Ohio. Their best
chances are to pick up one in Cleveland
district one in the Akron district, two in the
Youngstown district. and delegate-at-large.
Whether Taft can stem the tide-or whether
the tide for Stassen is as strong as it Is made
out to be, the next two weeks will tell. This
Stassen delegate -st-large is Darlington Mar
shall, who was formerly Chief Justice of the
Ohio Supreme Court, an Office to which he
was elected. Marshall Is a good-running name
in Ohio.
The Taft people have one recourse to halt
Democratic voting for Mr.. Stassen, II 1t
develops They may challenge any voter at
the polls who they believe is a Democrat.
When challenged the voter must take an
oath that he voted for q majority Of the
Republican candidates on the ballot In the
last election
There is nothing they can do about Mr..
stassens appeal to the labor vote-except to
keep 1t constantly before labor's eyes that Mr..
stassen has approved the Taft-Hartley Act.
Mr.. stassen, having insisted that Senator
Taft is far more conservative than is he, also
will be requested to state his own views on
public housing. public health and other social
issues in comparison with those Of Senator
| Taft.
The race is q severe one, with Mr.. stassen
standing to win much or lose little, whichever
way the primary goes. Mr.. Taft must win or
/ lose a lot Of prestige.