Evening star., 1949-10-02
Boyle Is the Precinct
Workers Idea of q
National Leader
By Al Dopkina

er's idea OF a national leader.
The new chairman of the Dem
ocratic National Committee began
his political career at the age of
Is by ringing doorbells as a pre-
cinct worker-and he still be-
lieves in the vote-getting power Of
that system.
He sold his old friend. President
Truman, on the whistle-stop cam
paign that stumped the pollsters
and Gov. Thomas E. Dewey in the
presidential election last fall.
Privately, the President has con-
f1ded, Mr.. Boyle more than any
one else was responsible for the
speaking tour that took him to the
crossroads.
The 47-year-old Kansas Citian
was virtually hand-picked by the
President to succeed j. Howard
McGrath as the party head when
the Rhode Island Senator became
Attorney General.
Both Mr.. Boyle and Mr.. Truman
are alumni of the T. j. Pender-
gast school of politics Of Kansas
City and Missouri-and they have
worked together ever since the
days the President was running
for county Office.
The late Franklin D. Roosevelt
and James A. Farley. former Dem
ocratic chairman, at the start of
the New Deal created a powerful
combine. But it never appeared to
be as closely knit as the present
team. And eventually they fell
out.
Met Truman in 20s
Mr.. Truman took liking to Mr..
Boyle back in the '20s. Then the
President was out rapping on doors
so he could be elected a county
judge, the counterpart of county
commissioner in some States.
Young Bill was about 16 then.
He was distributing pamphlets
and circulars for the party. Mr..
Boyle became a recognized pre-
cinct captain in the Pendergast
organization before he was of vot-
ing age. Later on he was commit
teeman for his ward.
Both Mr.. Boyle and the Presi-
dent still are paying members Of
the jackson Democratic Club. the
parent organization of the Pen
dergast faction here.
Mr.. Truman respected Mr.. Boyle
from the start for his energy and
for a card index" mind for
names, dates and incidents which
are important to politician.
! In accepting the national chair
manship. Mr.. Boyle made it plain
the Democratic Party was going
Truman's way. He mentioned no
names but he offered a quotation
from Abraham Lincoln:
II will go along with any man
as long as he is going my direc-
ton"
Helped Hanne8an
Mr.. Boyle opened a law practice
then, but the man from Inde-
pendence didn't let him stay at it
long. One day in May, 1941. Mr..
Truman called Boyle on the tele-
phone. He wanted Mr.. Boyle as
an assistant counsel and investi-
gator for the Senate War Investi-
eating Committee which Mr..
Truman headed.
Mr.. Boyle got his first taste |
of politics on a national level in
1914. Then he helped National
Chairman Robert Hannegan of st.
Louis powerhouse Mr.. Truman
into the vice presidential nomina-
ton.
After the November election
that year. Mr.. Boyle turned to law
practice in Washington. His law
practice in Kansas City never had
been extensive. But in Washing
ton he prospered.
But he was not to be a lawyer
long. In February, 1948. Mr..
Boyle became executive vice chair
man of the Democratic commit
tee.
At first he continued his law
practice, but criticism caused him
| to drop it and take the vice chair
mans job, at the request OF the
President, on a salary basis.
Mr.. Boyle's big job is to see
what can be done about bringing
the Southern States back into the
party fold. In his acceptance
speech he called for solidarity and
urged the party to grid for i'm
portant 1850, but he left no doubt
it must be the Truman way.
MIR. Boyle lives in Washington
with his wife and two daughters,
Jeanne, 18, and Barbara, 16, and
still maintains his residence here.
The family moved to Kansas
City while he was a boy, from his
birthplace in Leavenworth. He
and his twin brother went to
school here.
Kept Clear of Scandal
His twin brother, 1t. Col. Rus
sell Boyle, now is with the judge
advocates Office in Tokyo. MIR.
Boyle's mother lives in Evansville,
Ind.
Like his five predecessors, Mr..
Boyle is a Roman Catholic. He
is the second Missourian to hold
the job since the New Deal era
began. Mr.. Hannegan held the
post from 1944-1947, when he
turned it over to McGrath. Frank
C. Walker of Philadelphia served
from 1942-194A Edward j. Flynn.
New York, held the job from 1910
to 1912. taking over from Jim
Farley.
Despite his close connection
with the Pendergast organization,
Mr.. Boyle managed to steer clear
of the scandal that struck it in
1899.
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