Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-05-18
Platforms
They Can Be Smooth
But Must Be Broad
BY J. A. O'Leoy

By }. A. 0'Leoy
The Republicans and Democrats
are getting ready to put the cart
before the horse again this year.
Both parties are arranging to fol-
low the quadrennial custom of draft
ing platforms before they nominate
the candidates who will have to
stand on them. Soon the literary
carpenters of the two sides will be-
gin to assemble the planks they
expect to use this year. The planks
are the issues. and their selection is
comparatively easy.
The real trick consists in planning
the planks down. shading the words
to achieve as much unity as possible
in party ranks and to attract as
many votes as possible in November.
When a party is fairly certain
in advance who its nominee will be,
the platform probably can be built
as smoothly before the convention
meets as it could after nomination.
But this year neither the Republicans
nor the Democrats know who their
oIdAudIu UcdIeIS Will De.
6. o. P. Problem
Therefore, the Republican Resolu-
tions Committee will have to build a
platform broad enough for either
Senator Taft or Gen. Eisenhower to
stand on. At this writing each of
these front runners has between 300
and 400 delegates, with 604 required
to nominate. There is even a remote
possibility that the Republican plat
form may have to hold dark horse.
While that is possible. it is not prob
able.
Events of the past week continued
to foreshadow a close race between
Gen. Eisenhower and Senator Taft
on the Republican side, while Sem
ator kefauVer of Tennessee made
further Roadway among the Demo-
cratic aspirants.
Senator Taft made almost a clean
sweep of the West Virginia delega-
ton. while Gen. Eisenhower ap-
peared to be taking most of the Ore
gon bloc. Senator Taft picked up
eight in North Dakota and two in
Missouri, while two others in North
Dakota were leaning toward the
general. Ike got IL in Vermont.
Not counting yesterdays returns
from Oregon, the count gave Senator
Taft 374 and Gen. Eisenhower 3l8
delegates to date. The Oregon returns
are sure to narrow this gap. Hawaii
also began picking delegates yesterday.
Democrats Problem
The Democratic platform builders
will have to be even more skillful
carpenters AS of now they have at
least half dozen presidential
aspirants, no one of whom has
commanding lead. These include
Senators Kefauver of Tennessee.
Russell of Georgia, Kerr of Okla
homa, Mcmahon of Connecticut,
Mutual Security Director Hartman
OF New York and Gov. Stevenson of
Illinois. Gov. Stevenson'S name keeps
bobbing up despite his announced de-
sire to run only for his present job.
Writing platform for one of a
wide field Of candidates is an expert
ence the Democrats have almost for
gotten. For Is years they have gone
into each national convention with
an incumbent in the White House
who was willing to seek denomination.
-Four years ago there were rumblings
OF contest against President Tru-
man, but it failed to materialize.
Civil Rights Issue
The civil rights plank probably will
be the most difficult for the Demo-
cratic platform builders this year, as
it was foHr years ago. There are
definite indications that the Demo-
cratic Party leaders will make every
effort to achieve unity this year.
But within the past few days the
South's most militant spokesman,
Gov. Byrnes of South Carolina, re-
neWed the suggestion for a third
party movement If Dixie does not get
what he called sympathetic con-
sideration" from the Democrats or
Republicans.
The crux of the civil rights fight in
recent years has been over whether
there should be a compulsory Fed
eral fair employment practices law
to prevent racial discrimination in
filling jobs. Some lawmakers in both
parties prefer voluntary FEPC. and
1t is conceivable the Republican plat
form builders also could run into
some discussion over the wording Of
their civil rights plank.
1t is known that some influential
Democrats are considering going
back to simple declaration, like the
one the party adopted in 1882, which
promised equal rights for all and
special privileges to none?" 1t was not
labeled as civil rights plank, but
was the closing line in an exception
ally concise platform.
Foreign Policy Plank
In the Republican platform COM
mittee. foreign policy could be as
much of headache as civil rights is
for the Democrats. In 1910 the Re-
publican convention met just after
Hitler had overrun France, and the
platform committee went through a
stiff battle over how far the party
should go in promising aid to peoples
fighting for liberty.
The Democrats also had some
difficulty agreeing on foreign policy
statement in those troubled days Of
1870 Both parties finally came out
with declarations against involvement
in foreign wars. The Republicans
promised aid within international law
to people fighting for liberty, and the
Democrats said they would not send
armed forces to fight overseas except