Evening star., 1949-09-29
The Political Mil
Taft Arouse@ Good Humor
OfAudiences in Ohio Tour
Senator Seems Better Campaiener
Than He Was Two Years Ago
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio Sept 28.-Taft the
statesman, Taft the mine of facts, Taft the
schoolmaster is an old story. But Taft the
man who can raise q laugh and who can
rouse an audience to personal and sponta-
neous enthusiasm Is. something new. Yet
that's the Taft who is touring day after day.
the SO counties of Ohio in preparation for
his campaign for reelection to the Senate
next year.
The Ohio Senator seems to have acquired
a new facility. both in speaking and In the
mere process of meeting people, other human
beings. This writer saw him in action when
he first ran for the Senate in 1898 and
engaged in joint debates throughout the
State with his Democratic opponent, Sem
ator Bulkley. He was out to win his spurs
then. Today he is national figure, sure Of
himself and his position as a leader Of his
party. He knows more about the problems
OF the ordinary man. He seems better
campaigner than he was two years ago,
when he journeyed out to the Pacific Coast
in search Of support for presidential nomi-
nation.
Meets Hundreds Daily.
On this swing through his home State.
Senator Taft is meeting and shaking hands
with hundreds Of people each day, and many
more hundreds are seeing him and listening
to him speak. Not all Of them are Repub-
l1cans. His race for the Senate next year
has taken on the aspect Of national contest,
because OF the fact he epitomized the conflict
between President Truman and his Fair
Deal' welfare state or what you will and
old time individual liberty and free enter
prise. and because of the battle which the
labor leaders and the left-wingers generally
have announced they Will wage next year
to kill him off.
ic ft,cc c,,L
trip of Senator Taft. He drives his own car.
accompanied usually by Mrs. Taft, that other
and most effective member of the team Of
Bob and Martha He has no long string
OF advance agents. The Republicans In each
county seat. and in the other communities
have been notified long ago the day and time
when ne may be expected, and the arrange
ments for his reception and speaking en-
gagements have been made locally
No one without tremendous energy and q
complete conviction OF the business of the
cause he espoused could take the punish.
ment OF long hours which Senator Taft
gives each day to meeting people and
speaking with and to them. There is no
present-day issue which he does not discuss.
He speaks without any notes or text before
MIN and at the conclusion of each address.
ne has question and answer period, His
answers are, keen and to the point and In
good humor.
Typical Days Program.
In small town, like West Union. county
seat OF Rural Adams County, for example.
he is met by the Republican Committeeman
and sets OF to visit about the Square" In
the midst of which the courthouse sits. He
is taken into the grocery stores. the banks
ana all other business houses. He meets
not only the proprietors but also all the
customers and clients who are on the SPOT.
Next ne goes for luncheon at the Ameri-
can Hall, where he speaks. Then to the
high school. where he addresses meeting
Of the school children and then an address
to their elders. za.a 5la1t
He moves on-by car-to Portsmouth, an
up and-coming industrial city, for a meet
ing with the Republican County COMMITTEES.
Junior Chamber of Commerce dinner, and
finally for an open meeting at the Ports.
mouth High School,. This is typical day
Tor Mr.. Taft. He is up early next morning
Tor visits to couple of industrial plants,
one non-union shoe factory and the. other
closely unionized stove plant. In the hrst
he is taken about the plant by the president
OF the company, and in the second, by the
president OF the local union. With his pleas
ant grin and hearty hand grip. he gets an
answering smile from most of the workers.
no matter what they may think of him
inside.
The Democrat who opposes Taft at the
polls next year-and so far they have not
been able to decide on candidate-will
have tough fight on his hands. Senator
|. Taft has seen too many Of his colleagues.
national figures. who failed to attend to
their fences back home. He Is making no
such mistake.