Evening star., 1949-01-20
President Truman's abilities as

49,
a mimic and an unexpected de-
fense of the electoral college
system were discussed today as
an aftermath of one feature OF
Inauguration ceremonies.
.Mr. Truman's talents as a mimic
of radio commentators who forecast
his defeat on election night and his
remarks supporting the electoral
college marked q dinner sponsored
by the electors at the Mayfiower
Hotel last night and attended by
300 distinguished guests.
The President brought roars of
laughter as he initiated the voices
of H. ". Kaltenborn and Richard
Harkness as they broadcast on elec-
ton night and predicted that Mr..
Truman, while leading at the time,
would be swamped when rural votes
came in.
Would Continue System.
Mr.. Truman came out fatty
against a move to abolish the elec-
toral college when he said:
Il am in favor of letting the
constitutional provision, which pro-
vides for electors, continue as 1t
has continued for the last 100 years,
and the country will be all right"
Senator McGrath of Rhode Island,
chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, who spoke later
on the program, differed with his
chief, declaring that the electoral
system has outlived its usefulness. :"
He said he interpreted the Presi-
dents comments to mean that, while
I'VE shall gather together as elec-
tors, we should not be dedicated to
the stagnancy of the present sys-
tenn"
Target of Both Parties.
There has been a bipartisan move
in Congress to abolish the system
on the grounds it's old-fashioned
and tends to thwart the popular will.
Under it, q candidate who carries
State, even by a narrow margin
receives the entire electoral vote of
that State.
Senator Lodge, Republican, OF
Massachusetts,, one of the leaders
in the move for electoral reform,
declined comment on the Presidents
remarks until he had time to study
them.
In a mock roll call Of the States
last night, conducted by Senate
Secretary Leslie Biff1e, Mr.. Truman
and Vice President Barkley were
elected to the posts they assume.
today. To the surprise of no one,
the vote was announced as 303 for
the Democratic slate.
Senator McGrath subsequently
congratulated the electors for ''con-
firming for the fourth time the elec-
ton of President Truman and Vice
President Barkley."
President Truman, accompanied
by Mrs. Truman and their daughter
Margaret, was in a gay mood as he
opened his address to the group
spread over four rooms of the packed
hotel
Tells of Retreat for Quiet.
Mr.. Truman began by describing
how he had slipped away on elec-
ton night to a hideaWay at Excel
sior Springs, Mo, for peace and
quiet.
II had my sandwich and glass of
buttermilk and went to bed at $780,"
the President recalled. And along
about IL o'clock, I happened to
wake up for some reason or other,
and the radio was turned on to the
National Broadcasting Co. And Mr..
Kaltenborn and Mr.. Harkness were
reporting the situation as it then
developed.
"Mr. Kaltenborn was saying:
While the President is 100000
votes ahead in the popular vote,
when the country votes come in,
Mr.. Truman will be defeated by an
overwhelming majority Mr.. Hark-
ness came on and analyZed the situ-
alton as it was then and as Mr..
Kaltenborn had recorded 1t. And
to the sorrow of myself and to
those who were listening with me,
it looked very much as if the elec-
ton would be thrown into the
House of Representatives because,
of course, 1t was no, possible for