Evening star., 1952-10-21
The Political Mill
Morse and Byrd Shifts
In Election Compared
Whether Moves Will Affect
States Remoins to Be Seen
By Gould Lincoln


INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 21.-Senator
Wayne Morse of Oregon Republican.
sir) has come out against the preSiden-
tial nominee of his party, Gen. Eisen-
hover; Senator Harry F. Byrd of Vir-
ginia Democrat. sir) a day earlier an
nounced his opposition to the presiden-
tial nominee of his party, Gov. Stevenson
of Illinois. The Oregon Senator doesn't
like Eisenhower because the general
has associated himself with Senator
Taft of Ohio. The Virginia Senator has
no use for Stevenson because the Gov
ernor has swallowed Trumanism. hook
line and sinker.
How much effect either Senator will
have on the vote cast in his own State
in the presidential election remains to
be seen. Oregon is Republican State.
according to both Democrats and Re-
publicanS there. Virginia, by Inherit
ance and tradition. is Democratic. In
cidentally. Oregon has six electoral
votes and Virginia twelve.
The Independents Must Decide.
Senator Morse, in boiling his party's
ticket, is following in the footsteps Of
the late Senator George Norris of Ne
braska. Norris was considered-in some
quarters-a great liberal It looks as
though the Oregon Senator were aiming
to step into the Norris shoes and repu-
tation. Norris. elected again and again
to Congress, ran as q Republican. His
last effort was as an independent-and
he was defeated. He commented Bit
terly that the people had let him down.
What Morse will do in the future, if
he runs again, he will have to decide.
He has had strong personal following
among the voters. running as
Republican.
The Democrats are hoping that the
remuneration of Eisenhower by Morse
will help to bring independent voters
all over the country into the Steven
son camp. Presumably Mr.. Morse hopes
the same thing. His desertion of the Re-
publican ticket has been received with
handsome comments from Gov. Steven
son, and quite naturally pleases Presi-
dent Truman whose efforts to discredit
Gen. Eisenhower have reached the state
of complete mudslinging.
Independent voters, great many Of
whom after viewing the mess in Wash
ington and the mess in the Far East
decided early this year they wanted
Change" must now make up their
minds If the need for change is still
existent-or whether the Trumans, the
StevenSons and the Morses have oblit-
Grated that need. The messes are still
therein both areas. The personal am
bitions of MeSsrS. Truman, Stevenson
and Morse haven't changed the sit
uation one iota.
The independents, II they still be-
lieve the country needs something new
in the administration of government
and foreign affairs. must decide
whether Eisenhower or Stevenson is the
better man for the job. There is vast
difference here. Eisenhower will be
cleaning out the Democratic Fair Deal
ers, to whom he owes nothing-f he is
elected and tackles these messes-and
changing their policies. Stevenson. on
the other hand, will be asked to clean
out the Fair Dealers to whom he will
owe everything, particularly his elec-
tion. He will certainly not change the
present policies-in Washington or in
Korea-unless he stultifies himself. He
has already accepted them all. Only by
accepting them. could he hope for elec-
ton. The only change will be new
front for q Fair Deal administration.
Eisenhower Popular in virginia.
Senator Byrd, Governor and Senator
for years, has for the first time pub
licly turned his back on his partys ma
tional ticket. Governor Battle and Sen
ator Robertson of Virginia have both
swallowed the Stevenson ticket. The
Byrd influence is great and the Byrd
organization both efficient and pow
erful. 1t would not take a great deal
to switch the State to Eisenhower, who
is personally popular with many
Virginians.
President Truman only carried Vir-
ginia by a plurality in 1948-for the
combined Republican and States Rights
Democratic vote exceeded the Truman
total. This time the TrumanS Stevenson
opposition will not be divided. Also.
the Byrd opposition to Stevenson may
have an impact on conservative Demo-
Gratis in both the North and the South
outside of Virginia.