Evening star., 1951-11-27
The Political Mill
Big-Lie Technique Used
By Labor Chiefs in Ohio
Taft Testimony Shows How
He Was Misrepresented
The Political Min
By Gould Lincoln


By Gould Lincoln
The big-lie technique, harshly criticized
by President Truman and by him at
tributed to the Republicans who are ver-
bally roasting his administration follow
ing the various scandal revelations, was
used in superlative degree by labor lead
ers and the Democratic national organi-
zation in their futile effort to defeat
Senator Taft of Ohio last year. How it
was used. in detail. was given by Sem
ator Taft himself in day-long appear
ance before the Senate Campaign In
vestigating Committee yesterday.
The Ohio Senator pinned the lie on
literature and speeches used against
him. He showed how this literature
misrepresented his votes on legislation
when his opponents must have known
the truth. He showed the use of sour
rilous literature to greater degree than
IN any other ampaign-directed against
him and his family. And he indicated
that millions of dollars were used in the
campaign against him-a great part of
which does not show in the reported
campaign expenditures. In fact. he
estimated that his opposition expended
So for every 81 spent by the Taft people.
Senator Taft was quick to lock horns
with President Truman, who last week
SAID speaking before the Democratic
WomenS Club here. I'VE saw how the
special interests poured money into
ONO last year to elect a Republican
Senator CTafD. Now they will be think
ing that if money can win an election
hn
tional election" Senator Taft told the
Senate committee he was certain that it
was his own appeal to the voters of
Ollio-not money which won him the
election.
Seen as EARLY Punch"
Since Taft is an avowed candidate for
the Republican presidential nomination
and is given an excellent chance to win
1t, President Truman's attack on him
just prior to the opening of the Senate
committee hearings can only be con-
strued as an early punch in an attempt
to dlscredit the man who may become
his, Truman'S, own opponent next year.
Senator Taft expressed entire confidence
that the committee would not permit
outsiders. even the President. to use the
committee as smear weapon" Con-
sidering the Taft testimony and it's
merit, there seems no likelihood the COM
mittee will back up Mr.. Trumans
charge.
Senator Taft freely admitted that
large expenditures had been made in
his behalf in the Ohio campaign-but
he pointed out that he and his sup
porters were forced to meet Smear
campaign. engineered by labor leaders,
who were sending large funds into Ohio
to defeat him, and by the Democratic
national organization and the admin
istration itself. The last sent long
list of speakers into the State, headed by
Vice President Barkley But Senator
Taft insisted that every dollar was
spent legitimately by his supporters.
Today Joseph T. Ferguson, Taft's
Democratic opponent last year, was to
lake the stand and leaf from President
Truman's book-criticiZing excessive ex-
penditureS in behalf of Senator Taft. He
has estimated the total at SIS million. He
has. however, no figures to prove this
expenditure. He predicts that this
hearing will bring out the need for
legislation that will prevent huge slush
funds that permit the purchase of pub
lie office"
Plurality Recalled.
1t is worthwhile to recall that Senator
Taft won the 1850 election with a plu-
rality of 49,. .184 votes. He won it despite
all the efforts of the principal labor
leaders in the country who hate him
because of his authorship of the Taft
Hartley Act, despite the scurrilous state
ments and lies that were circulated
against him in millions of pamphlets
and other publications. He won it by his
own tremendous personal campaigning.
During two years. he delivered 873
speeches in Ohio and spoke lat times on
the radio. He toured 334 plants and ap-
peared several times on TV. He esti-
mated that all told he spoke personally
to 100000 people in the State.
He is certain that the people of Ohio
resented the ''carpetbagging" of the
union leaders and the Democratic ma
tional organization. and that many Dem
ocrats voted for him because they did
not like the idea of having their party
taken over by the labor bosses.
One thing is certain about the Taft
Ferguson campaign-greater efforts and
greater publicity to give the voters the
arguments pro and con the two candi-
dates were made in Ohio than in any
other similar campaign at any time.
Certainly the people reacted and-as
usual, when they have complete infor-
mation-they were right And the crack
that President Truman delivered against
Senator Taft-that his election was
bought is not going to help Mr..
Truman.