Evening star., 1950-07-02
Lausche Puts His Country Before Politics
Moy Support Taft
Insteud Of His Own
Porty's Candidate
By Gould Lincoln


who recently started the politi-
cally minded by saying he had not
made UP his mind whether to vote
for Democratic State Auditor
Joe" Ferguson or Senator Robert
"A. Taft, Republican. is variously
called an impish independent and
a sound, liberal Democrat.
In any mans language. Gov.
Lausche is q courageous. tough
fighter. His whole career In poll
tics and public service shows him
"a stickler for what he considers
the best public interest. At the
same time, the Ohio governor
knows the great game of politics
and he plays it boldly.
He has never taken orders from
leaders Of organized labor. He has
never kow-towed to the Demo-
cratic organization in Cleveland,
Of which he was mayor. In the
State or Nation.
Gov. Lausche'S victories at the
poles have been personal tributes.
He won election as o judge on the
municipal bench In Cleveland. as
a judge on the Cuyahoga County
Court of Common Pleas. twice as
mayor Of Cleveland, and twice as
governor Of Ohio. In his elections,
he established a record as a tre-
mendous vote getter.
His Attitude No Secret
That is the. reason that the labor
leaders and representatives OF
President Truman did their ut
most to get Gov. Lausche to run
for the Senate against Senator
Taft this year. Not only did he
decline. but Mr.. Lausche has now
said he might vote for Mr.. Taft.
He himself is a candidate for re-
election as governor. Quite natu-
rally the Democrats, particularly
these in Ohio, are not anxious to
kick their gubernatorial candidate
around too much. Further, they
probably know that If they tried
to put pressure on the governor,
1t would be the surest way to make
him vote for Senator Taft, and
probably announce it in advance.
AS matter Of fact, it has been
no secret in Ohio that Gov.
Lausche does not regard Mr.. Ferg-
uson as fitted to become a United
States Senator and that he does
regard MIR. Taft as highly quail
fed. 1t is also no secret that he
has little sympathy with the de-
mands of the labor leaders and
President Truman for the repeal
of the Taft-Hartley labor law; or
with some Of the more radical
items in the Truman program,
including the Brannan farm plan
and the proposed national health
insurance. However. in 1948, Mr..
Lausche, late in the campaign,
spoke out for President Truman
and travelled across the State with
him.
When Gov. Lauscle, at press
conference during the Governors
Conference at White Sulphur
Springs. said he had yet to decide
whom he would support for Sem
ator. Ferguson or Taft, the corre-
spondent OF Cleveland news
paper Immediately telephoned his
city editorle and reported the
uausche statement.
Country Comes First
Gosh" came back the reply Of
the city editor in Cleveland, that's
the first time the Governor has
ever suggested he might vote for
Ferguson!"
The Lausche statement, how
ever. caused some gnashing Of
teeth on the part of Democrats and
Of CIO and AFL leaders. The Ohio
CIO-PAC did not mention Gov.
Lausche's name on its roster Of
"a favored Democratic nominees
for Office. President William Green
Of the AFL publicly expressed his
outrage at the idea that Lausche
might vote for Taft.
Mr.. Lausche. however, has never
hesitated In the past to 60 counter
to the desires of labor leaders--if
he believed they were in the wrong.
He added to his statement that he