Evening star., 1950-11-09
Administration Lacks
Confidence OF PEOPLE,
Protest Vote Shows
G. O. P. Coins Cannot Be
Dismissed as Series
Of Locul Contests
By David Lasprence

Pd1Uy dAIA W 111O w Vi y O1lC oV41C1-
but there is something far more
fundamental in an election result
in which nearly 40,000,000 persons
vote, and that something is the
characteristic behavior of the
American electorate when it ex-
presses it's protest against
things.
The election showed surprising
gains for the Republicans in too
many sections of the country for
the result to be dismissed as a
series of local contests. The pro-
test vote was aimed at the Demo-
cratic Party. which has had full
responsibility for domestic and
foreign policy during the last two
years.
Unquestionably the fiuctuating
course of the administration in
the Far East was held by many
Republican speakers to point the
finger of blame at the Democratic
Party. Unquestionably, too, the
administration had to bear the
blame for high taxes and dis
turbed economy.
The Mccarthy charges of Com
munism in the administration
were not discussed by themselves
very much except in a few spots
but the relationship of those
charges to the failure of the
Democrats to carry on thorough
investigation in Congress instead
of a "whitewash" did arouse. Sus-
picion and add to the general
antagonism toward the party in
power.
Individual Cases.
Individual defeats and victories
can be accounted for by failure
on the part of some candidates to
get started earlier on campaign
ing or to recognize the strength
of their opposition. Thus, Sen
ator Tydings of Maryland, Demo-
crat, antagonized many of his con-
stituents for failing to do a better
job on the Senate Armed Services
Committee of which he was chair
man. At the same time he lost
votes because his committee re-
port on the Communist charges
was so palpably unsatisfactory to
most groups except those white
washed.
On the whole, while individual
cases show local reasons for de-
feat or victory, the basic fact
remains that something aroused
the electorate to activity and
alertness this time which far sur
passed in intensity anything that
has been witnessed in many years
in an off-year election. II any,
thing, the election compaign re-
sembled more the crusade of
1910, when Wendell Willkie was
running-only this time 1t was the
protest vote that took on that
aspect. For large segments of
the voting population came to
feel that survival of the free
democratic system was at stake.
The labor-union agitators played
no small part in alarming the in
dependent voters and causing
them to forget party tradition
and express a protest.
In many a contest, the rank and
file of the labor union members
chose not to listen to the exhorta-
tionS of officers or campaign
workers who tried to influence
them to vote in a certain way.
They considered other issues
the impact of a vacillating foreign
policy, the war, the spending. the
high taxes. When a number of
issues become all powerful, no one
economic interest prevails and
outweighs the others.
Didn't Expect Defeat.
So far as the administration is
concerned, it really didn't expect
the defeat. President Truman
will be welcomed now into the
ranks of those of us who make
mistakes now and then in politi-
cal foreeasting and thus prove
that no one is infallible in ap-
praising future events. in politics.
Mr.. Truman will not be able any
longer to use his 1948 experience
In predicting victory for himself
to taunt his brethren on the op-
posite side. For he announced
boastfully last week he expected
a Democratic landslide.
The effect of the election should
be to cause the President to go
into new phase of bipartisan
foreign policy operation-whole-
heartedly instead of intermit-
tently. The country is worried
about the Korean crisis and the
boldness of the Chinese Commu-
nists and wants the administra-
ton to stop indicating that it is
afraid of the Reds. 1t doesn't
want bluster but it does want
firmness. The elections may re-
fleet that kind of mandate.
Certainly the European press is
all wrong in assuming that there
is coming a return to isolationism
or cutting off of financial aid to
Europe. Careful scrutiny of ex-
penditures there will be-and a
little more f1rmness in insisting
that European countries do more
to help than they have done to
date.
One more thing can be asserted
In Interpreting the results. The
doctors got busy and fought the
administration on its socialized
medicine program. The farmers
got busy and fought the Brannan
plan. The day of the welfare
state" in the sense of the "hand-
out state" is coming to an end as
q political asset. High taxes and
a lack of confidence in the ma
tional administration are basic
reasons for the Republican gains
in both houses Of Congress.
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