Evening star., 1948-01-08
The Political MN
Truman Message Called
First Campaign Speech
President Seen as Promising Nearly
Everything to Everybody
By Gould Lincoln

~ oObW LtUCObU
President Trumans message to Congress on
the state of the Union turned out to be his
FIRST campaign speech for reelection. II It
doesn't make more appeal to the country ut
large than it did to members Of Congress, in
cluding many Of the Democrats. It isn't going
to help him. In fact, reception Of his message
was the coldest ever given President address.
Ing joint session Of the two houses Of Con-
gress. Yet the President promised everything
to everybody.
There are number Of reasons for this. First
outside of his proposal to give every taxpayer
$40 cut in his income tax, and another so
on for every dependent, there was nothing new
in the message. He went down the line for the
Marshall European Recovery Program-but
added no new and impelling reasons for It. He
asked again for his 10-point, anti-inflation pro-
gram. But at the same time he proposed Q
large program OF new Government activities,
including all kinds of public works, reclama-
ton and water power projects, wide increases
in social insurance and public health appropria-
tions, which II put into effect would cost the
American taxpayers billions of dollars.
The $40 income tax credit proposed by Mr..
Truman has been Immediately labeled bid Of
$40 for individual votes. Coupled with this pro-
posal was another to make up the So, 200, 900 900
1t would cut revenues by increased taxes on
corporations. 1t may be recalled In this con-
nection that it was Democratic Congress, with
Mr.. Truman in the White House, which re.
moved the excess profits tax on corporations
after the fighting had ceased in World War II.
Plan Not His Originally.
The idea OF cutting taxes at the bottom and
increasing them at the top-if the increased
fov he hot mi
originate with Mr.. Truman. Representative
Helen Gahagan Douglas, Democrat. of CALI
forria, introduced bill in the House a couple
of weeks before the recent special session OF
Congress adjourned, proposing cost of living
tax credit" of 500 for each taxpayer. Mr..
Truman has changed this to $40-and called
the reduction also cost Of living tax credit.
The message follows all of the programs Of
the most ardent New Dealers. A perusal of the
letter addressed to Congress by the Americans
for Democratic Action and signed by Wilson
w. Wyatt. Leon Henderson, Franklin D. Roose-
velt jr., and Hubert H. Humphrey, all officers
of the organization, on December rs, shows
that the President has included all Of the 10
point program laid down therein. The Presi-
dents tax proposal Is merely couched In dif-
ferent language from that of the ADA.
This tax-reduction proposal advanced now
by the President Is regarded by some OF his
Democratic advisers as political ten-strike.
But it is bit too political and too slick coming
from President who last year twice denied
tax relief to the tax-burdened citizens
Republicans to Write Bill.
In the first place. Mr.. Truman realizes that
the Republican, controlled Congress Is going TO
write It's own tax bill when 1t gets under way
and therefore his proposal is merely shooting
into the air. He will be faced finally with giving
his approval of the Republican bill or vetoing
a tax reduction third time, thus denying the
people all tax relief. 1t is doubtful II he could
keep enough Democrats in Congress In line with
him to prevent the overriding OF new tax bill
yeto And If the Republicans succeed IN getting
through tax reduction-with or without MIR.
Trumans approval-the present Truman pro-
posal will figure little II any in the closing
campaign.
It Is evident that the President Il, in his
message; reaching out for support OF all the
left wingers he can get. It Is well-baited hook
he has cast overheard. Promises to the farmer.
to the union worker, to the colored voter and
to radicals Of every calber may be found at
tached The purpose seems largely to be to
nullify the Wallace third-party candidacy.
Incidentally, the Truman supporters have
viewed with alarm the first poll taken by the
Boston Globe of Wallace sentiment In Massa-
chusetts This poll indicates that Mr.. Wallace
will poll 215,000 votes in the Bay State, or II
per cent of the 1874 vote cast in the presidential
contest that most Of it will come from Demo-
cratic ranks, and that 1t will probably send
Massachusetts into the Republican column in
a presidential election for the first time since
1924, when President Coolidge was elected.