Evening star., 1952-01-22
The Political Min
Supporters View Tuft
AS Lost Hope of Party
Funotieol Devotion Crops Out
At Every 6. Q. P. Gathering
The Political Min
By Gould Lincoln

~~'~~~NS@As
MFR. Republican" is the last great hope
of the Republican Party in the eyes Of
his supporters for the presidential NOM
nation. Their fanatical devotion crops
out IN every Republican gathering
and that goes particularly for the San
Francisco meeting of the Republican
National Committee just closed Some
OF them would cut the political throat
Of any one who stands Ia the way Of
Taft nomination In the Chicago con-
vention next July.
There are several reasons for this
attitude and two Of them stand out.
First. they believe Senator Taft stands
for the kind of Government and the
kind Of policies they want--the policies
which they insist are the policies of the
Republican Party. BY inference and
declaration-theSe are not the policies
advocated by the last three presidential
nominees Of the party-Landon, Willkie
and Dewey-all Of whom the Taftites
refer to as "me-tooers"
The hard core of the Taft support
goes back to Coolidge and Harding and
to less degree to Hoover. who had
more progressive ideas than his two
predecessors.
Believe Taft Sure Winner.
The second reason is that they firmly
believe that Senator Taft is q sure
winner-the sureSt winner of any OF
the proposed candidates for the presi-
Dental nomination. They believe he
can do In the Nation what he has done
in his home State Of Ohio-beat the
New Dealers and the Fair Dealers when
ever he has. come to grips with them
at the polls.
They realize the toughest hurdle they
have in the race to nominate Taft Is
to overcome q belief that has been
widely spread "he can't win." II NOM
mated. This "can't-win tag" has been
placed on Taft on the theory that he
is too conservative, that labor and
great mass Of independent voters will
never 60 along with him. Their job
to overcome this tag-is the more dim
cult because the conservative leaders Of
the party are almost all In Taft's corner.
The Taft leaders have come out Of
their corner swinging. They are basing
their fight on Taft's record In the Sen
ate as Republican leader and effective
opponent of the Truman program which
Republicans have labelled Socialism
with few exceptions. And particularly
are they basing their argument that
Taft Is q sure winner on his success
record before the voters.
Thirty Years in once.
For more than thirty years. Senator
Taft has won political ONCE, first as
member OF the Ohio House, second as
State Senator and finally as Senator Of
the United States. He never has been
defeated. His first election to the United
States Senate came In 1888, when
Franklin Roosevelt was in the White
House and supreme in political power.
Roosevelt threw the whole strength Of
his administration back of Taft'S op-
ponent, Senator Bulkley, an incumbent
Democrat. Senator Taft challenged SEN
ator Buckley to series Of joint debates,
and spoke from the same platform
with him across the State. When the
votes were counted. Senator Taft had
won by 10000 votes. Six years later.
while Mr.. Roosevelt himself was carry
ing the country. in the midst OF war,
Senator Taft was reelected with lead
Of $4,000 votes But the Taft victory on
which his supporters set their cniet
argument was that Of 1850.
They point out. and correctly, that
President Truman and his whole ad-
ministration and the national leaders
of organized labor did their utmost to
defeat Taft-and yet Senator Taft won
with lead of 431, 900 votes. an amazing
victory.
Carried "a Of SO Counties.
In that race Taft carried "a Of the SO
counties of the State. including all OF
the big industrial counties. The argyll
ment is that if Senator Taft can do this
in a great industrial State like Ohio, he
can do the same in New York, Penn
sylvania and Illinois and in other States
necessary to Republican victory.
During the last 20 years, the Demo-
Gratis have been In control Of the Ma
tional Government 28 years, and the
Republicans II years. Wilson, r. D. r.
and Truman have been the Democratic
Presidents, and Harding. Coolidge and
Hoover the Republican.
The contention Of the Taft followers
is that 1t Is time once again to give the
voters Of the country q chance to decide
between Democrat and real Republi-
can. They can't see 1t any other way.
They tie to Senator Taft, too. because OF
his courage, ability and integrity. They
insist the ground swell, the grass roots
vote, Is really for their man. Try to
convince them otherwise.