Evening star., 1951-06-16
The Political Mill
COP. Recognizes Toft
AS Man to Be Stopped
Senator Dominates Party;
3 Years Ago at Dead End
The Political Min
By Gould Lincoln

The wheel of politics takes many a
strange turn. Rarely, however, has it
travelled more fantastic course than in
the case Of Senator Robert A. Taft of
Ohio. Three years ago this month Mr..
Taft's presidential aspirations had ap-
parently reached dead end. At that
time Gov. Dewey Of New York had been
overwhelmingly nominated for President
by the Republican National Convention
in Philadelphia. The expectation was
Gov. Dewey would be elected, and If hs
was, he would be renominated in 1852.
The occasion is rare indeed when
President can be denied a second NOM
ination. BY 1856, it was figured, it
would be too late for Senator Taft to
make successful try for the nomina-
ton.
Today, Senator Taft is widely recog-
nized as the man who must be stopped"
If any other aspirant for the Republic
can presidential nomination is to have
chance. Stopping the Ohio Senator
in the COP. convention in Chicago next
year is likely to be difficult task for
any combination. If he wins the party
nomination, his victory will have been
the result of long process of coura-
geous effort and hard work which has
made Ohio's senior Senator strong and
dominating figure in any mans party.
Refused to Side-Step.
A man of lesser courage than Senator
Taft might easily have side-stepped the
Craftsmanship of the Senate Commit
tee on Labor when the Republicans took
over the Both Congress. He could easily
have been chairman of one of the other
major committees of the Senate, and
thereby have avoided the hatred of the
leaders of organized labor, sure to fol-
low the legislative attack on the in
trenched power of the labor leaders
under the old Wagner Labor Relations
Act. Mr. Taft, however, did not finch
from the job that had to be done-and
the result was the Taft-Hartley Act
and the enmity Of the labor leaders.
The vindication of Senator Taft came
last November. Notwithstanding the
efforts of the labor leaders, he was re-
elected by an enormous majority-430,-
600. Had he merely squeaked by, with
few thousand votes lead, his position
in the field of national politics would
have been materially different. But
the fact that he could win so over
whelmingly in State as strongly in
dustrial as Ohio has given his support
ers an argument which seems unassail-
able. Obviously he must have received
his share of the labor vote, and if he
could do this in Ohio, they may argue.
he can do it In other industrial States.
In 1886. before he was a member Of
the Senate. Mr.. Taft was Ohios favor
ite-son candidate for the presidential
nomination. Four years later he was
runner-up to the late Wendell Willkie
for the nomination. He stood aside in
1914 to give Senator Bricker, then Gov
ernor of Ohio. a chance to make his bid
for the presidential nomination. He
was defeated by Gov. Dewey in 1948 A
long road which finds him now In a
real striking position.
Ohio Situation Cloudy.
The Ohio political situation is cloudy
but not so far as Senator Taft is con-
cerned. He is expected to have the
States big delegation securely in his
pocket when the convention opens. His
younger brother, Charles Taft, has said
he will seek the Republican nominal
ton for Governor. This could lead to
bitter primary fight, for the Repub-
hcan organization in Cincinnati has
been opposed to the progressive Charlie
Taft for years, but this may not happen.
Other prominent political families have
had brothers who were Governors and
Senators-the La Follettes in Wiscon-
sin, for example, and the Lodges-al-
though in the latter case one Lodge is
a Senator from Massachusetts, and the
other Governor of Connecticut
Senator John Bricker has so far not
declared he will seek reelection in Ohio,
and should he decide not to run next
year there would doubtless be scramble
for the Republican senatorial nomina-
ton. Senator Bricker has always been
strong vote getter and his absence
from the ticket would be felt.