Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-10-16

dA1Aoll doAlCoGlC " OSl dlll, anu oeIl-
AN, strongly opposed to that pro-
measure of cooperation the 81st
Congress will give President Tru-
man in its second session, which
opens in January. Congress, in
its session now closing, strongly
rebuffed Mr.. Truman on his pro-
posed repeal of the Taft Hartley
labor law and on other promises
he made during the 1948 cam
paign. The outcome of the elec-
ton certainly will have it's effect
on the morale of the Republican
and Democratic organizations,
now preparing for the congress
sional campaign of 1850. And it
will seem to determine whether
New York, which has been Repub-
lican in its last two gubernatorial
elections and the last senatorial
election, has gone back to its al
legiance to the Democratic Party
of Smith, Roosevelt and Lehman.
When former Senator Wagner,
Democrat, handed in his resigna-
ton last summer, after illness had
kept him out of the Senate cham
Der for months, and it became
necessary to have an election to
fill the senatorial vacancy in No
vember, the situation appeared
particularly favorable to Demo-
cratic victory. The mayoralty
election in New York City-a
Democratic stronghold-was sure
to bring out big vote, and there
would be no particular issue to
bring out the vote in upstate
New York, usually strong Repub-
lican territory. Further, Mr.. Leh-
man wanted to run and the Re-
publicans seemed to have no cam
dldate who could stand up to him.
except Gov. Dewey, who had no
wish to go to the Senate.
Registration Heavy
The picture today is different.
There has been heavy registra-
ton of voters both upstate and
In New York City-so heavy that
it has the political leaders on both
sides guessing what it means.
The mayoralty race in New
York City has its disquieting fea-
lures for the Democrats. Mayor
O'DWyer, the Democratic candi-
date, finds himself opposed by
Newbold Morris, fusion candidate,
who has the backing of the Re-
publican and Liberal Parties, and
Representative Marcantonio, the
American Labor Party nominee.
Mr.. Lehman. if he is to win, must
have support of Liberal Party and
ALP voters, as well as of Demo-
cratic voters. In other words, the
Liberal Party voter must split his
ticket and vote Republican in the
mayoralty race and Democratic in
the senatorial, if MIR. Lehman is
to benefit.
Mr.. Lehman got a break when
the American Labor Party failed
to put senatorial candidate in
the field. Presumably the ALP
voters will support Lehman, not
Dulles. Indeed, Mr.. Lehman has
always had the direct support Of
the ALP in elections since it was
founded back in 1886. 1t gave
Lehman its nomination for the
Senate in 1916.
MIR. Dulles has seized upon this
tacit support of Lehman by the
American Labor Party to charge
that the former Governor has the
sympathy of Communists, and will
get their votes in the coming cleo
ton. Particularly since the ALP,
he says. is Communist dominated,
He makes no charge that Mr.. Leh-
man is a Communist, but the
deduction he seeks to draw Is that
Mr.. Lehman would be too easy on
the Communists.
This Communist issue, in the
present state of mind Of the gar
den run of Americans, is no small
matter. 1t is what destroyed
Henry Wallace and his new
Progressive Party in the 1948
elections. Mr.. Wallace was the
ALP candidate for President in
New York, where he polled half
a million votes-less than half,
however, the number he had been
expected to poll. after the charge
OF Communist direction had
sunk.
The ALP leader, Mr.. Marcan-
tonic, had proposed to nominate
senatorial candidate-indeed,
Mr.. Wallace. But it didn't come
off. Mr.. Wallace did not want
to run. So the ultimate effect
was to aid Lehman, although the
ALP did not give him formal in
dorsement.
Avoids City Issues
Another matter which may have
an effect on the election grew out
OF the Cardinal Spellman- Eleanor
Roosevelt controversy over the
Federal aid to education bill in
Congress. The cardinal charged
that Mrs. Roosevelt was anti
Catholic, and he did so in bitter
words. Mr.. Lehman Immediately
rushed to the defense of Mrs.
Roosevelt. Desperate efforts were
made to close the breach. And
finally Mr.. Lehman, as a candi-
date for Governor, declared him
self in favor of Government aid to
parochial schools-for bus travel
for the pupils-making a palpable
bid for Catholic votes which his
stand for Mrs. Roosevelt had
threatened to take away from
him. Only the votes on election
day will give the answer to that
question. A number of important
Catholic figures have declared for
Mr.. Lehman, including Mayor
ODwyer. ED" Flynn, the Demo-
cratic boss of the Bronx and ma
tional committeeman for Nou,