Evening star., 1949-04-07
The Political Mil
Elections in Michigan
Seen as Jolt 10 Labor
Unusually BID Vote in Deircss Arss
Gives lie 20 Democratic Claims
81 GealA Lrnfels

AAcAlsars sssssnx slsrthsas sar STATE e.
sc~s wasca ine Republicans wrn g&ve O
tc2t Gcs anay 80 Tire Democrats SS1s 10 the.y
ardent Allies n egEassnrd AAor Tnfy gave
TIE hs, also 50 the FvFs~ase1 claims al t'ss
Democrats ard lAasr lsAaurs thAI The h.s.
Ger the vese, she eettey ths chances o. ire
Democratic candidates Tawrr HAs an IT.
usually Bis vote IN Detroit WAYNE ce@HTy
coasarrec a DeznacrAsse ss-crx noia and tnr
Lead Asld By the Democrats wKs Q mere -
eoo. where al ieAxs % Nao had eecn claimed.
The Michigan sleStAoeas ean caty be cox
as6ere6 o straw lr tire wind They aTw nct
conclusive esadenes ~ o a2K Republican
eosneeaek In 1880. Michigan save - elec-
toral votes by q nArvuw nkrktn 10 Gov.
pewvy q New YORK IN tho prrSaeentaAl race
lass although It sgectrd q Drzsls,-
cratic Governor. O Meunen Ntllams II .
. fact however that IN TIE rreeng election
the Clo-pAc. with q hoase TO- hoase eAn-
vass made desperate slogts 30 put scToss
Democratic eAndidatss
JSH fer Demeeraha
President Truman. who won Q surprse
victory last fan and wAs Immediately hailed
as the new champ, promised the CIO ard
AFis and other labor organizations that re
would put . Taft Hartley labor lax REPEAL
bill through Congress and do II eulck Mr.
Trumans failure 10 DATE 70 set aetlen on hs
campaign promises. including the repeater
bill. is another toli for the administration
Democrats the so-eAlled square dealcTs-
and Is perhaps as significant as the MSehi-
san election results
Rarely. ever has q yietortouS-at the
polls-Presldent returned 20 Washington and
found himself % quickly checked. Unless
present signs fail the mater promises made
by Mr., Truman in his election eAmpa,gn are
not going to be carried out This ~in not
be due TO lack Of trytng on the part oi Mr..
Truman. Rather II will be due 90 the fact
some OF the things he promised no more
command support Of a ms Aiority Of the people
than did Mr., Truman command . majority
OF the votes cast In the election.
Organized labor. through Hs leaders 70
putting on q great Campaign for the repeal
OF the Taft Hartley Act, The MiehsEAn
election results are not going IN help this
drive And by the same token. Sorne of The
members Of Congress whom the Cfo, the
AFI and other labor unions have marked
for defeat IN next years congressional cleo
tons are likely to take courage,
stage Set In Ohio.
Ohio Is not far from Michigan for sS-
ample. and In Ohio the stage is bcIns set
for an al-out eTor, on the part OF labor
to defeat Senator TAFT. Republican and
sponsor of the hated labor lRw. There has
been some inclination In the past 10 predict
that Gov. Frank Lausche Democrat will
seek the senatorial nomination 10 run
against Senator Taft-~but now rlmors are
to the effect Gov Lausche would prefer TO
seek reelection as Governor instead Of tam
Cling with Ohios senior Senator. II Is eS-
tremely doubtful that the Democrats could
beat Senator Taft with any other candidate
than Gov. Lausche-~and doubtful that Gov.
Lausche popular as he ia could win over
the hard hitting Senator Taft.
1t was the farmers and the rural voters
who helped carry Ohio for President Iru-
man against Gov. Dewey last year. They
did 20. not because they hated the Taft
Hartley labor Law but because they did not
want TO rock the boat when farm prices we're
no high. They feared that these prices
might 20 lower. and were not sure the Re-
pubiicanx would provide high governmental
price supports, promised by the Democrats,
Next year there would be no great urge
for the farmers 70 turn against Senator TAFT
and in favor of Gov, LAusche. as the record
stands TO date. or IN favor Of any other
Democratic nominee for Senator.
Mr. Truman promised 70 keep farm prices
high and TO reduce the cost Of living. espe-
cially To the city dwellers Ths cost OF liv-
ing 10 going down and % are farm prices
At the same time employment h tagging.
Any or all OF these things will have distinct
effects on the elections next year. II they
persist-and some OF them may have played
their part In the Michigan elections this
week