Evening star., 1950-09-17
Labor Bombards Taft
Ohio Senator forget of Two Books in
Home Stute-One of Comic Variety
By Ed EosterIy

EosterIy
the alleged oatmeal and jellyfist
episodes:
1.-TWO of the silliest statements
of the entire book 80.
Can the CIO really believe the
voters of Ohio will swallow this
stuff and nonsense?"
The United Labor League saio
both books presented itemized ac-
counts of Taft's statements and
voting record in the Senate. The
leagues officials challenged:
''If our charges are lies and de-
famatory, as Taft alleges. we in
vite the Senator to sue u.s."
Those officials are Jacob C
Clayman, secretary-treasurer OF
the Ohio CIO Council, and Phil
Hannah, secretary-treasurer OF
the Ohio State Federation Of
Labor.
Both veterans in labor and pol
itics, they claim to represent IL
million members of organized
labor in Ohio.
That array Of potential votes
plus the Democratic Party organ
ization, gives you an idea Of the
forces which-on the surface, al
least-appear massed between the
61-year-old Taft and what he
says would be his last term in the
Senate.
That's one reason why a Taft
campaigner said:
We're working like hell, and
taking nothing for granted"
In 1914 Taft's friends took his
reelection for granted, and got
an awful scare. In that senatorial
campaign 2,983,878 votes were
cast. and Taft's margain of vic
tory (plurality) was only 17.740.
And his Democratic opponent,
William G. Pickrel of Dayton,
didn't campaign as industriously
as some supporters believed he
could.
Six years before, at the height
of the Roosevelt administration,
Taft had knocked off the New
Deal Senator, Robert J. Bulkley,
by 170.597 votes.
Careers Contrasted
This year Senator Taft. when
he is not on the Senate floor, is
racing about Ohio, making up to
13 speeches a day. He covered IS
of the 88 counties in a 100-day
campaign last year, and is out
to do all 88 in less time this year.
In charting the 1850 campaign
course, the Taft advisers tagged
it with warning signs. They
cautioned:
Don't make an underdog Of
Little joe"
Little Joe" is Taft's diminu-
tive. Democratic opponent. Joseph
T. Ferguson.
During IA years as State audi
tor. the 5-foot-5 Ferguson has
become a popular figure in the
Democratic Party. He's bouncy,
outspoken campaigner whose con-
duct has won him other nick
names such as "Jumpin' Joe,' ''
"Fightin' Joe" and Fearless Joe. "
But his career is in sharp con-
trast to the scholarly Senator
Taft, son of a former President,
graduate of Yale, identified (espe-
cially by his opponents) with the
wealthy, and twice a candidate
for the COP presidential nomi-
nation.
Mr.. Ferguson worked in a
butcher shop and the coal mines
as a boy, didn't go to college, and
his So years have poor -boy-who-
made-good touch.
I'VE seldom mention him." a
Taft campaigner said of Fergu-
son.
But Mr.. Ferguson mentions
Senator Taft a lot, and the labor
coalition probably devotes more
attention to the Senator than to
Ferguson.
Senator Taft, therefore, is the
candidate most shot at. This has
led some political observers to
wonder if the Senator's managers,
in trying to keep the underdog
role from Ferguson. inadvertently
may have caused their own man
to fight on the defensive too often
1t must be pointed out that
Senator Taft has expended much
of his energy on the national ad-
ministration, criticizing its con-
duct of the Korean war effort, its
foreign and domestic policies
Naturally, the Senator's remarks
on these subjects have provided
ammunition for his opponent.
Mr.. Ferguson, for example, says
"the Korean war and prepared
ness" perhaps constitute the No. !
issue in the Ohio senatorial cam
paign.
! CLOS Clayman strengthens Mr.
Ferguson's impression: "The work
ers are especially concerned with
Taft's record of isolationism and
obstructionism in internal affairs. u
Remark Stings CLIO
j Senaor Taft. taking note of the
unceasing Ferguson-labor barrage
against his Senate record, con-
tends labor is conducting a "hate
campaign" with "the Communist
technique"
The Communist technique" he
explains, "is if you tell lies often
enough, people might believe
them"
This remark has stung the CIC
political strategists. The CIO, en-
gagged in a campaign to drive
Communist sympathizers from its
ranks, said the statement was
"slanderous." 1t demanded that
the Mutual Broadcasting System