Evening star., 1952-11-16
Stevenson 1856 Boom
Seen Facing Trouble
Writer Says Democrat Chiefs
Are Lacking Enthusiasm
By Fronk R. Kent

There are several things that make
it little difficult to get the boom for
Gov. Stevenson as the 1856 Democratic
presider tiai candidate of the ground.
At TINS time it is easy to understand
the lack Of enthusiasm among Demo-
cratic politicians.
This is not in the least to disparage
Mr. Stevenson. He went into the cam
paign practically unknown nationally.
battled against a great national hero
and, despite overwhelming defeat,
emerged a bigger figure with a real
personal following in the country. No
one could have done better--if as well
though it is disillusioning to know
that those polished periods in his ex-
tremely good speeches were not his own
but came from the brilliant group" Of
left-wing writer's who gathered around
him. This. we are told by the veracious
James Reston of the New York Times.
who travelled with him, and who states
that the "noblest document of the whole
campaign" delivered by Mr.. Stevenson
in Salt Lake City (and which caused
rare literary quality, actually was writ
ten by Herbert Agar. formerly editor Of
the Louisville Courier-J journal and now
living in England.
Also, Mr. Reston asserts that the
"very moving address" of Mr.. Steven
son in Richmond was entirely the work
of David Cohn, the free-lance writer
from Mississippi. OF course Gen. Eisen-
hover had his writing group, almost as
large though nothing like as brilliant.
as tire Stevenson stable. Nor did the
general write his own speeches or con-
tribute much to them even at the be-
ginning. This is not to the discredit
of either candidate but was made in
evitable by the vast number of speeches
that had to be made and the utter
phys inability to find time to do the
job themselves. Perhaps this is minor
point new, but as much of the Steven
son reputation rests. upon the high
character o. those speeches the fact that
they were largely not his own seems
timely-if the Stevenson 1856 boom Is
to oe properly evaluated.
Mr.. Stevenson is now the titular lead
er Of his party, but that is long way
from making him its choice four years
hence. In the first place, his 1856 spon-
sors are Wilson Wyatt of Kentucky and
STEPHEN Mitchell, chairman of the
national committee. These are two Of
Mr. Stevenson's left-wing personal
frierds. Mr. Wyatt is one Of the
founders of Americans for Democratic
Acticn. Mr. Stevenson put the Messrs.
Wyatt and Mitchell in charge Of his
campaign but they have no real stand
ing or influence in the Democratic
Party In the second place. the crushing
nature of the Eisenhower landslide does
not make Mr.. Stevenson look like 1856
winner.
He not only lost his own State Of
Illinois by nearly 100000 votes, but he
carried only Of the 48 States and
the popular majority against him was
6.5 million. Under such circumstances
the party disposition to renominate SO
heavy loser could hardly be pronounced
and certainly there will be no draft"
of Mr.. Stevenson next time. On the
contrary. there is every reason to beheve
there will be real competition. Certainly
Senator Estes Kefauver, who has four
more years to serve in the Senate, has
by no means banished his White House
dreams. And there are others.
....-... ...
In addition, Mr.. Stevenson, no longer
in public office, will find it hard to keep
in the public eye. Barring some unfore-
seen misfortune such as depression,
the normal expectation is that the Re-
publicanS will renominate Gen. Ike. In
that event unless the Democrats should
have successfully smeared his admin
istration in the way the RaSkob- Michel
son combination smeared Mr.. Hoover.
probably he will be reelected. Perhaps
it does him an injustice but many think
Chairman Mitchell had some such thing
as the Raskob- Nicholson four-year
smear in view when he suggested that
what his committee needs is an expanded
research service" and a permanent
publicity director. -..
Concerning this situation, James A.
Farley. himself professional politician,
but also a genuinely patriotic citizen.
urges both Republicans and Democrats
to give President-elect Eisenhower "a
chance to make good" II hope" he
said "our men in the Senate do not
start off by needing him-or being mean
and petty" This is good advice. It will
have no effect, of course, on such Sena-
tors as the soured and twisted Wayne
Morse Of Oregon or the garrulous Hubert
Humphrey of Minnesota. And it won't
appeal to Mr.. Wyatt. Chairman Mitchell
or the embittered labor bosses, all Of
whom are anxious to seize on Ike's in
evitable mistakes, big and little, to
sustain their view Of his unf1tness. But
it will appeal to the many millions who
voted for him and to the other millions
who didn't but who dislike blows below
the belt. Anyhow, Mr.. Mitchell need
not worry about providing committee
smears along the Raskob- Nicholson
lines. There are plenty of professional
liberal" columnists and commentators
eager to do that without recompense or
reward.