Evening star., 1950-08-10
The Political Mill
Wallace, Glenn Taylor
Political Dead Ducks
Idoho's Defect Shows
Strength of Anti-Red Issue
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

The man who might have been Presi-
dent Henry Wallace-and didn't miss it
by much. has taken himself out of the
Progressive Party which was organized in
1948 to run him for President. 1t wasn't
in 1948, however, that Mr.. Wallace had
his chance to become President, but four
years earlier, when he lost out for re-
nomination for Vice President to run with
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Had he been
renominated, instead of Harry Truman,
he would have become President on Mr..
Roosevelt's death in April, 1945.
Republican first, then Democrat. and
then Progressive is the political cycle
through which Mr.. Wallace has passed.
He broke finally with the Progressive
Party because of it's stand in opposition
to the part of the United States is play
ing in the Korean war. Yet the party
evidently had been Communist domi-
mated since soon after its creation in
1948. That was one of the things Mr..
Wallace refused to see.
And on the same day that Mr.. Wallace
made known his resignation from the
Progressive Party, his 1948 running mate,
Senator Glen Taylor of Idaho, had his
political head Topped off in the States
Democratic primary Mr.. Taylor re-
turned to the Democratic Party soon
after the 1948 election-but his earlier
start with Mr.. Wallace and the Progress
sives apparently was not forgiven by the
Democrats in Idaho.
Started With Whoop.
Mr.. Wallace's presidential candidacy
started off with whoop in early 1948.
President Truman at that time was eX-
ceedingly unpopular with the So-called
liberal elements. Mr.. Wallace had no
liking for Mr.. Truman, who not only had
prevented his becoming President on
Roosevelt'S death but had virtually
kicked Mr.. Wallace out of his cabinet.
Mr.. Truman could not stomach Mr..
Wallace's Russian appeasement program.
Never, however. did Mr.. Wallace admit
that he was tied in with the Commies.
He was merely another high official in
the Roosevelt administration who had
gone overheard in his sympathy with the
experiment which the Russian Commu-
nists were trying out. He had plenty
of company in Washington at that time,
in his efforts to be friendly with the
Soviet Union. He persevered in those
efforts all during his service as Secretary
of Agriculture and later, as Vice Presi-
dent He kept up this kind of thing
after he had been tossed out on his ear
by President Truman. The fellow
travellers in this country fastened on him
like teaches. He was their fair-haired
boy.
It was when the Communist influence
in the Progressive Party was strongly
publicized in the summer and fall Of
1948 that Mr.. Wallace's strength polit-
ically began to shrivel. Instead of roll
ing up millions of voteS-which might
easily have made it impossible for Mr..
Truman to be elected-Mr. Wallace came
through with only 1,157,172. This was
less than the States Rights candidate,
Gov. Thurmond of South Carolina, polled.
by $4,000 votes. Gov. Thurmond turned
up with 80 votes in the Electoral Col
lege, and Wallace with none.
Politically Dead Duck.
Mr. Wallace is politically dead duck
for the time being. 1t seems extremely
doubtful he will ever be an important
figure again in the field of politics, un-
less this country should swing far to the
Left-very far. Even in his heyday, when
he was under the Roosevelt wing. M.
Wallace had little political standing
among the voters of his own State, Iowa.
He was nominated with Mr.. Roosevelt
in 1948, with the distinct idea that he
would swing Iowa and other midwest.
farm States to the Democratic ticket. He
didn't Iowa, Nebraska, the two Dakotas.
Michigan and Indiana all went for Re-
publican Wendell Willkie in that year.
1t will be remembered in Mr. Wallace's
favor that finally he would not go along
with the pro-Russian Communists in
this country or abroad, after he had
learned the hard way. like so many others
in the Roosevelt Administration, that the
real purpose of the Russian Soviet gov
ernment had been the overthrow Of the
United States Government.
Mr.. Taylor's defeat in Idaho en-
phasizes the strength of the anti-Red
issue in the country today. Even with
his opposition divided between Mr.. Clark
and Representative Compton I. White.
Democrat, Senator Taylor couldn't come
through. The Republicans would have
been delighted to have him renominated.