Evening star., 1951-11-27
Ferguson Thinks
Taft and Lausche
Had Voting Deal
They Carried Same
Precincts in Suburbs,
He Tells Hearing
By J. A. O'Leory

Joseph L. ferguson. Democratic
senatorial candidate in Ohio last
year, virtually charged before the
Senate Elections Committee today
that there was a deal between
Gov. Frank J. Lausche, a Demo-
crat, and Senator Taft, Republic
can, in the elections which re-
suited in the reelection of both
Gov. Lausche and Senator Taft.
I'm inclined to think there was
a deal" said Mr.. Ferguson, when
Senator Margaret Chase Smith,
Republican, of Maine questioned
him about Gov. Lausche'S victory
while Mr.. Ferguson was defeated
by 431 900 votes in his race with
Senator Taft.
Senator Smith asked Mr.. Fer
guson if the Democrats came out
to vote for Gov Lausche. Mr..
Ferguson had previously testified
his defeat was due to Democrats
not getting out to vote.
Urges Limit on Funds.
II think maybe the Republicans
elected Lausche," was Mr.. Fer
guson's comment. He added that
Gov. Lausche had carried the
same precincts as Senator Taft in
the suburbs of Ohio's big cities.
Mr.. Ferguson urged the COM
Imittee to propose a law limiting
the total amount a candidate can
receive from all sources land then
you'll have clean elections.
The existing Federal laws re-
quire Congressional candidates to
report only their own expenses
and do not require them to &C
count for what is spent by other
individuals or groups supporting
them.
Mr.. Ferguson claimed more than
SIS million was spent in behalf of
Mr.. Taft and testified that the
net total outlay for his own cam
paign was SLOT 7,004.94. In reaching
the SIS million figure for Senator
Taft, his opponent included the
estimated value of numerous news
paper ads by industries, some Of
which admitted made no mention
of the Taft campaign.
Workers Didn't Bother.
Turning philosophical, Mr..
Ferguson told the committee, "The
reason got beat so bad was the
Democrats and working people
didn't get out and vote"
THE trouble was" he continued.
that the working people have had
their bellies full since Roosevelt
was in the White House and they
don't bother to get out and pro-
tect their rights.
Maybe if they went out and
voted I might have been beaten
worse, but we always have the
consolation of thinking other
wise"
Questioned by Senator Smith,
Mr.. Ferguson admitted he had
said on the platform that he was
for the Truman program" He
denied, however. that he had ever
said he was for the Brannan farm
plan or that he had supported
"socialized medicine"
An Independent Official.
When asked if the Brannan
plan was not part of the Truman
program, Mr.. Ferguson reiterated:
Il never said I was for the Bran
nan plan" and he added, II
wasn't for all the Truman pro-
gram. I'm probably the most in
dependent public official in the
United States. Anybody knows
that in Ohio"
Pressed further by Mrs. Smith.
Mr.. Ferguson said: I've never
seen all of the Truman plan.
Maybe I didn't know what was in
the Truman plan"
you made statements when
you didn't know what you were
talking about" asked Mrs. Smith.
Are you making them now?"
Considerably ruffled, Mr.. Fergu-
son said:
Senator, are we discussing
campaign expenditures or some
thing else?"
Would Read Bills.
Can you be for a program and
don't know what's in it?" per-
sisted Mrs. Smith.
II can tell you this" replied Mr..
Ferguson, Il would read a bill be-
fore I voted for it and I UNDER
stand some of them don't"
Mrs. Smith asked Mr.. Ferguson
if he had seen literature sent out
in his behalf by the CIO and the
AFL committees supporting him.
He said that he had not seen all
of it. I
did you ever disapprove of
any of it?"
NO" said Ferguson.
Commenting on the obligation
of citizens to vote, Mr.. Ferguson
said he would not allow anybody
to work for the United States
Government if they didn't get
out and vote.
Laying heavy stress on the
newspaper support he said Taft
received in Ohio, Mr.. Ferguson
told the committee. IF was the
(See OHIO, Page A-14)