Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-12-20
6. 0. P. Ranks Closed;
HowIers' Disappointed
Eisenhower Has Accepted
Taft as Senate Leader
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

Taft as Senate Leader
By Gould Lincoln
The Republican Party closed ranks
for the election when the calamity howl
ers asserted that that was an impos-
Sibility because of the Eisenhower
battle for the presidential nomination.
Now it is closing ranks for the "dura-
tion"-disappointing again the same
howlers, who had been licking their
chops over Senator Taft's denunciation
of the Eisenhower selection of Labor
Leader Durkin to be Secretary of Labor.
Senator Taft, without the slightest OPP
position from Eisenhower. is now to be-
come the Republican leader of the
Senate-with the title as well as the
fact. Indeed, the announcement of Sem
ator Carlson Of Kansas. close to the
general throughout the recent campaign,
that Taft should be the party leader
in the Senate, made last week after he
clear indication the President-elect was
satisfied with the choice.
Strong Leader.
The selection of Senator Taft gives
the G. Q. P. strong and outstanding
leader in the Upper House. The Ohio
Senator has, in effect. been the party
leader for number of years. He has
been prodigious worker with an ability
to analyze legislative proposals second
to none. Except for the two years Of
the 80th Congress, Senator Taft's ex-
perience has been that of an opposi-
ton leader in the Senate. He takes over
now as the leader of the administration
forces. 1t will be his duty to steer the
Republican legislative program through
the Senate, at time when the Republic
can majority is razor-edge thin
Senator Taft and Gen. Eisenhower
have conferred more than once on the
legislative program-and they have
found themselves in accord on much Of
it. On domestic issues they have seen
eye to eye'for the most part. In the field
of foreign affairs, the story has been
different-but even there, as Senator
Taft himself has put it, the differences
have been more of degree than of
principle The Ohio Senator is a Re-
publican and as such he is determined
to make the first Republican admins
tration in score of years a success.
He has said as much. The Ohio Senator
10 llo SCo man, buV ClAoC llC WAL NC d
rebel in the party leadership is in
credible.
Indeed. it becomes more and more
evident that the Eisenhower administra-
ton will be able to get along we'll with
the Republicans on Capitol Hill. This
is essential if there is to be constructive
government under Republican rule. If
ever Chief Executive has been given
mandate and strong approval by the
American people, it is Gen. Eisenhower.
This is fact which Republicans in Con-
gress understand fully.
Taft Welded Party.
The determination of President-elect
Eisenhower to accept Senator Taft as
party leader in the Senate is good sense.
Gen. Eisenhower has never shown any
inclination to inject himself into row
over party organization either in the
Senate or the House. The nearest he
has come to it was when he gave the
"go" sign to Taft through the announce
ment of Senator Carlson, favoring Sem
ator Taft for leader, if the Senator
wished the Office. From the first. the
Ohio Senator has asserted that the
leadership of the Senate would be set
ClSu dilICdUly. LII mas worked OUT CndG
way. 1t would have been the height Of
political folly for the new President to
have fought Senator Taft over the mat
ter of party leadership in the Upper
House. if he had ever wished to do So
which he did not.
The course of the President-elect, ever
since he became the Republican nominee
for President, has been to unite the Re-
publican Party For time, Immediately
after the knock-doWn, drag -out fight be-
tween the Eisenhower and Taft forces
in the Republican National Convention,
this appeared a herculean task. The
party had been seriously divided. The
success OF the drive for party unity was
greatly aided by Senator Taft himself,
and to him belongs much of the credit.
For Taft threw himself Fundamentally
into the campaign to elect his former
opponent-and he persuaded his fol-
lowers to go along with him. The Cas-
Sandras will continue to predict dire
things. with Eisenhower at one end of
Pennsylvania avenue and Taft at the
other. There will again be critics who
say that Eisenhower has sold out" to
Taft. The truth, however. is that there
has been mutually of accord.