Evening star., 1950-05-14
Democrats Advised
To Approach Election
with Guns Smokinq'
By fhs Assoe;o,sd Press

CHICAGO, May 13.-Democratic
leaders counseled today the party
can't win the 1850 elections by
"pussyfooting" but must cam
paign. as in 1948. with gums
smoking hot
Speakers at a National Commit
tee meeting opening an unpre-
cedented three-day party confer
ence and Jefferson Jubilee hit q
common keynote - warning
against over-optimism.
Look what happened to the
Republicans in '48" was the chord
OF caution sounded by Democratic
Chairman William M. Boyle, jr.,
the new vice chairman, Mrs. India
Edwards, and leaders Of the par
tvs Senate and House Campaign
Committees.
Three thousand top Democrats
from all parts Of the country are
in town for what probably will
60 down as the biggest political
powwow outside of q National
convention in the Nations history
Truman's Speech Is Climax.
The climax of the big show
comes Monday night with major
speech by President Truman in
the stadium, preceded by q gala
parade.
Tomorrow afternoon the Presi-
dents cabinet will hold an un-
usual public session in the Opera
House with Vice President Barkley
In the chair.
Mr.. Truman is due to arrive
about 8 pm. (EST) Sunday night.
All members Of his official fam
lily except Secretary Of State
Acheson, who is in Europe, will
make reports" on their depart
ments at the cabinet meeting.
The emphasis then will be on
the workings Of the Government.
But today the talk was all politics.
Anderson Sums Up.
Senator Anderson of New Mex
leo summed up the Democrats
1850 campaign problem by saying:
"It would be better for us if the
Democrats went into this election
scarced and then fought as they
fought in '48-with their backs to
the wall, with their guns smoking
hot, and with their colors nailed
to the mast"
And Mrs. Edwards of Washing
ton, D. c.. elected today to succeed
Mrs. Charles w. Tillett of North
Carolina as vice chairman. said
she hoped Democrats would re-
member why they lost in 1946 and
won in 1948 and act accordingly.
Mr.. Truman, she said, was re-
elected two years ago because he
campaigned fearlessly on the l948
democratic platform.
Kirwan Issues Warning.
"He did no pussy-footing such
as some people did in '46. And you
remember we lost in '46 because
of that pussy-footing."
Chairman Boyle promised, "In
guarantee victory" If party work
ers get registered Democrats tc
the polls. ~
But in a frank vein Representa-
tive Kirwan of Ohio, chairman oi
the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee. said:
Democrats just don't vote in
off-year elections"
Senator Anderson, chairman Of
the party's senatorial. campaign
committee. gave figures.
He provided a slogan, $50 million
voters in 1885," and said getting
this turn out would surely result
in bigger Democratic majorities.
IS Million Voters.
= Senator Anderson figured there
are about 95 or 96 million voters
in the country, and normal mid
term vote would be 48 to 40 million
about the same that turned out
in 1948.
That was a Presidential year
but the vote was lighter than
anticipated.
How to get out the bigger vote
concerned the National Commit
tee at a secret session this after
noon following the public meet
ing. Afterward. Mr.. Boyle said
the reports from the various
States were optimistic.
Senator Anderson said the
Democrats lost II House seats in
the non presidential election year
Of 1888. 81 seats in 1912 and 81
seats in 1916.
mo party with that history can
afford to take any mid-term elec-
tion as a matter Of course" Sen
stor Anderson said.
Gets Down to Cases.
He also got down to cases
mentioning crucial tests for
Democratic Senators in Connec-
ticut, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In Connecticut, he forecast, the
Republicans will put up a "ter-
rifle battle" to defeat Gov. Chester
Bowles and Senators Mcmahon
and Benton.
Senator Benton was appointed
to his seat and must win at the
polls to fill the remaining two
years of the terms of Republican
Senator Baldwin, who resigned
Senator Mcmahon seeks another
six-year term.
"Isolationism isn't dead but is
q live issue in the Illinois Senate
race between Majority Leader Lu-
cas- and Republican Everett M
Dirksen, Senator Anderson as
serted.
The former Agriculture Secre-
tary said Mr.. Dirksen was "once
an isolationist, later an interna-
tionalist and now an isolationist
again"
Physician Protests.
A physician-member of the ma
tional committee said today a party
conference discussion Monday OF