Evening star., 1952-10-16
The Political Mill:
Two-Porty tySystem Could
Flourish in exus
COP. Ranks Would Swell
With Eisenhower Victory
By Gould Lincoln

HOUSTON, Tex, Oct. 16.-Election
of Gen. Eisenhower. Republican can
didate for President will go far, in
the opinion of both Democrats and
Republicans, to aid in building up a
two-party system in this southern Sec
ton of the country. The Democrats
who admit this are Democrats who sup
port Gen. Eisenhower
Those who are sticking to Gov. Ste
venson contend that an Ike victory.
like that of Herbert Hoover against AL
Smith in 1928, would be only flash
political storm, and that the Southern
Democrats who vote for him here will
all slip back into the Democratic Party
fold.
The signs point, however to
strengthening of the Republican Party
in Texas, should Gen. Eisenhower carry
this State-and even if he should be
elected President and fail to get ma
jority of the vote in this State. Gen.
Eisenhower has promised the South a
square deal and sympathetic consid-
Grafton of its problems. If he makes
good on these pledges, it is bound to
have effect on the political thinking
and the party alignment in this and
other States of the South.
Different in 1928.
The revolt here among the Democrats
against the New Deal-Fair Deal wing
of the party has been gathering strength
for years. 1t presents situation
vastly different from that OF 1928. Then
the victory was not Republican vic
tory at all-although when Texas and
four other Southern States gave their
electoral votes to Mr.. Hoover, they
helped to swell his total. 1t was Prot
estant victory against Gov. Smith OF
New York, q Catholic-a religious con-
test, not a political one, so far as the
five Southern States were concerned.
Gov. Shivers and Attorney General
Price Daniel, both of whom have an
nounced their intention to vote for
Gen. Eisenhower and have urged their
followers to forget party lines and vote
for the Republican presidential candi-
date, would never admit they are not
Democrats-or that they are joining the
Republican Party. The same is true Of
a large number of Democrats who def
nitely will vote for Ike on November 4.
With an Eisenhower victory however.
a considerable number of Democrats
will move permanently into the Re-
publican Party.
Influx of People.
There are a number of reasons. In
the first place, Texas in recent years has
had tremendous influx of new popu-
lation. Many of the newcomers have
joined the Democratic Party simply be-
cause it was the dominant party locally
and Statewide. If they wanted to have
a voice in the nomination and election
of officials, or voice in local programs,
they had to work within the Democratic
ranks. They haven't the feeling Of
those Texans who were born into the
Democratic fold.
Also, some of the native Texans who
have been Democrats all their lives are
fed up with the radical policies which
the New Dealers have forced on the
country. Some of them will help in
crease the ranks, therefore, of the OPP
position party. A third reason for an
increase of strength in the two-party
system lies in the recently adopted
cross-filing system. which permits a
party to give it's nomination for Office
to the candidate of the other party.
and which, as in California, will per-
NIT eventually candidates of one party
to file for the nomination of the other
party.
Difference in Nominations.
Republican nominations for office in
Texas are made in party conventions.
while Democrats use the primary sys-
tenn. Under the election laws here.
when a party has cast 100000 votes
in a gubernatorial election, then the
party will hold primaries to nominate it's
candidates thereafter.
If the Republicans, who have not
given their nomination for Governor to
Gov Shivers, are able to roll up 200, 900
or more votes on the Republican line
in the coming election, they will be
entitled to nominate their candidates
in primaries. It seems likely this will
come about. Then the crosS-filing Sys-
tenn will be in full operation. 1t should
go far toward strengthening the Re-
publican Party-and bring about the
election of Republicans to Office, thereby
furthering the development of the two
party system.
One sound effect, if this happens.
will be the elimination of a small, boss
ridden Republican organization. The
selfishness of these bosses has helped to
retard growth of the Republican Party.
They have been content to keep the
party, such as it was, in their vest pock-
cts. so that when Republican admin
istration takes over in Washington, they
will be in position to handle all the
Federal patronage in the State.