Evening star., 1948-02-24
The Political Mil
HercuIeon Task Facing
Democrats on Platform
Committee Must Recognize Opinions
OF Diversified Groups Inside Party
By Gould LincoIn

By Gould Lincoln
Writing the Democratic national platform
next July Is going to be Herculean task The
Committee on Resolutions and its chairman
to whom the job will be assigned-may look
forward to all day and night sessions.
There will be other problems, but the two
that thrust themselves into the picture today
are anti-segregation (as proposed in President
Trlman's civil rights message to Congress) and
repeal Of the Taft-Hartley labor law The
anti-segregation law proposals are violently re-
sisted by the Democrats of the South, those
Democrats who claim that they alone kept
the Democratic Party alive in the years of Re-
publican supremacy after the Civil War and
after World War T. AS for the Taft-Hartley
law, more Democrats voted for the law in the
House than voted against it, and almost an
equal number of Democrats were recorded for
the law in the Senate as against it.
If President Truman is to be the Democratic
nominee for President, it would be ridiculous
to write platform on which he would be
supposed to stand. which failed to contain his
civil rights proposals-anti-lynch, anti-poll tax
and anti-segregation proposals. Since the
President vetoed the Taft-Hartley bill when
it came to him for approval and has said this
year that he feels "the same" toward that
measure, 1t would be difficult to ignore that
issue, too. 1t is true, however, that the con-
servatives in the Democratic Party do not
wish to repeal the Taft-Hartley law. And it
is equally true that Democrats of the South
threaten to leave Mr.. Truman and his candi-
dacy high and dry if the effort to push anti
segregation laws is continued.
Liberal Group to Apply Pressure.
The pressure on Mr.. Truman-and it will be
the same upon the Democratic National Con-
vention-to support anti-segregation laws and
to seek the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act
comes from the so-called liberal element of
the party, the New Dealers and the extreme
radicals. 1t is the price which this element
demands for support of the Truman candidacy.
1t is the price which must be paid unless large
numbers of this group are to desert to the
Wallace third party ticket.
Mr. Truman has already been accused in
labor and liberal circles of merely giving lip
service to civil rights issues and to opposition
to the Taft-Hartley labor law. One of the bit
terest attacks on him comes from those labor
leaders who charge that Mr.. Truman did not
use his great influence President to make
his veto of the Taft-Hartley bill stand up 1t
is an attack which Henry Wallace presses home
whenever occasion arises.
bent on making things as difficult as possible
for the Resolutions Committee of the coming
Democratic National Convention. They are
working fast to bring out and pass at least one
of the main bills proposed in President Tru-
mans Civil Rights meSsage-an anti-lynching
bill. If they can get this measure through,
and it becomes law with the Presidents ap-
proval, they undoubtedly will tell the coun-
try that all they need to enact anti-pon tax
and anti-segregation laws is little more time.
Expected to Fan Opposition.
Why, they will ask, should they be disodged?
The passage of any of these civil rights laws,
it is predicted, will fan to white heat the
Truman opposition in the Southern States.
The Democratic resolutions committee of the
party's national convention also may have
knotty problem when it comes to write about
tax legislation If the Republicans succeed as
they expect in passing bill reducing the in
come taxes of the people and President Tru-
man vetoes it Gas has been threatened IN some
uuarters) what will the Democrats have to say
in their party platform? Will the document
denounce tax reduction? Will 1t do so If
Democrats join with Republicans to enact
tax law over presidential veto2 Tax reduc-
ton has strong public appeal which would
make a political party hesitate to go all OUT
against it. Yet, with Mr.. Truman as It's can
didate, can the Democratic convention be silent
about tax reduction in its platform?
It was said in Democratic quarters not long
ago-not longer than last year-that tax re-
duction was not popular, that the people would
rather go on paying high taxes in view OF the
world situation. 1t is beginning to sink IN,
however, that the ordinary taxpayer Is restlVe
under the heavy burden he now bears-Whicn
hat no
is likely to become law