Evening star., 1950-11-02
The Political Min
Power of Labor Leaders
Faces Test Election Day
Voters Reported Apathy
Discounted After Survey
The Political Min
By Gould Lincoln


HARTFORD, Conn.-In this off-year
election campaign, when ordinarily the
political party in power might be expected
to suffer reverses, the Democrats are
placing great store on the ability OF the
leaders of organized labor, through the
CLOS PAC and the AFL's League for
Political Education, to get out the vote.
It's the x factor in State elections all
over the country, for example IN Call
fornia, In Colorado, in Illinois, in Penn
sylvania, in New York and in Connecti-
cut. The argument advanced by the
Democrats is that if a big vote comes
out, they are sure to win.
This may be so-but it still has'to be
demonstrated on November 7, election
day. 1t also has to be demonstrated that
the workers when they go to the polls
will sacrifice to the labor leaders collec-
lively their right to individual opinion
on the affairs of Government and on
candidates If the great mass OF labor
voters can be gotten to the polls and
voted as dictated by their leaders, indie
pendent elections are on the way out in
this country.
In this years campaign, the Republl-
cans, in order to offset this drive by the
labor organizations for Democratic can
didates, have undertaken to build up
stronger party organizations, particu-
larly at the precinct level. They have
also sought to organize on their side
groups which in the past have not been :
politically active-like the doctors, the
dentists, the clergymen, the white-collar
class and particularly the housewives.
They are trying to fight fire with fire.
Apathy Discounted.
A great deal has been written during
the last few weeks about APATHY on
the part of the electorate, probably be-
cause the ordinary voter does not go
about wearing his political heart on his
sleeve. After a coast-to-coast survey
this correspondent does not subscribe to
the apathy theory. In many States. the
voters are taking keen interest IN the
election. Registration in many OF them
is higher than it has ever been before In
an off year-a year when there is no
presidential election-and even higher
than in presidential years.
Ordinarily large registration Is indie
ative of resentment, determination to
punish some one-in other words. to
throw out the ''ins" With labor'S inten-
sive drive to get voters registered this
year, however that may not be an accu-
rate assumption so far as the 1850 cleo
tion is concerned. All of which comes
back to the original proposition that
results will be determined for or against
the Democrats on the size of the vote.
Without the wholehearted support OF
labor, Gov. Chester Bowles of Connectl-
cut would not have Chinamans chance
this year. The campaign is being waged
here principally against the Democratic
Governor-who if reelected will serve
the first four-year gubernatorial term in
the history of the State. The Republl-
cans passionately do not want Mr.. BoWles
to hold on for another four years.
Ferguson Helped.
Nor would State Auditor "Joe" Fer
guson, the Democratic candidate against
Senator Taft, Republican, have any
chance of victory in Ohio if organized
labor leaders were not tearing their shirts
to get workers out toyote for Mr.. Fergu-
son. The voters in Ohio would only have
to look the two men over and hear them
discuss issues once to make up their
minds-for Senator Taft.
These two campaigns, in Connecticut
and Ohio, are against" campaigns. In
the one, the Republicans are campaign
ing against Gov. Bowles, rather than for
Representative John Davis Lodge, al
though Mr.. Lodge is young man Of
considerable ability. In the other, the
Democrats-and labor-are campaigning
against Senator Taft, without giving
a thought to the qualifications of the
man whom they intend to place in the
Senate.
In still another State, New York, thu
Democrats are running practically un'
known candidate against Gov. Dewey
The battle there has turned into ar
against" campaign. particularly since
an anti-Dewey Republican Congressman
Kingsland Macy. let slip out the nov
notorious letter written him by Joe
Hanley, Republican senatorial candi
date The stab was in Gov. Dewey's back
but that Mr. Macy will survive that stab
politically, is extremely doubtful.