Evening star., 1952-10-22
The Silent Governor

There is ample room for legitimate curiosity
as to what Governor Stevenson really thinks,
and what If anything he intends to say, about
the Slanderous campaign that President Truman
is conducting in his behalf.
Much has been said, with Governor Steven
son joining in the chorus, about the alleged
iniquity Of General Eisenhowers Endorsement Of
such G. o. p. politicians as Senators Mccarthy
and Jenner. The basic theme has been that
General Eisenhower should have denounced and
repudiated these Senators for their slanderous
attacks on General Marshall.
AS one newspaper which has not taken this
too seriously, feeling that it political attack
on political tactic, both of which are inevitable
in a heated political campaign, The Star neither
expects that Governor Stevenson will repudate
Mr.. Truman nor presunes to condemn him for
not doing so. Nevertheless, for the benefit of
those who seem to think that Governor Steven
son has a monopoly on political virtue, while
General Eisenhower is the inheritor of all that
is evil in politics, it may be worth while to call
attention to the real position in which Mr..
Truman's structures leave the Democratic
candidate.
The Presidents low-level attack of last week
on the general can be put aside for the moment
For he is trying to say now that he didn't really
not going to deny the contents of his latest
statement In that statement the President
renews his attack on General Eisenhower for
indorsing Republican Senators who voted to over
ride his veto of the McCarran immigration BILL
If the general Is going to do this, the President
continued, then he must explain to the public
whether he accepts the practices OF the men he
supports or whether, by some political dis
claimer he disassociates himself from their
practices. The practices Of those Senators-the
practices of the Big Lie and of character
assassination-are identified with the so-called
master race theory and no amount OF distortion
can change that fact. know that the Repubi-
can candidate for President is neither anti
Jewish nor anti-Catholic, but why does he give
his Endorsement to such men?" So much for
Mr.. Truman's reckless brand of demagoguery,
with its own application of the technique OF the
Big Lie and character assassination. But the
question he puts to General Eisenhower can just
as properly be asked of Governor Stevenson.
Mr.. Truman has consistently tried to conceal
the facts regarding the overriding Of his McCar-
ran bill veto. He has always tried to picture 1t
as wicked Republican deed, while miSrepresent-
ing the Democratic role in the vote. Governor
Stevenson knows the truth, however He knows
that the vote was overriden by combination OF
81 Republican and Is Democratic votes in the
Senate. The great majority Of these Democratic
Senators are supporting Governor Stevenson
and some are very active in his behalf. The
Governor has not repudiated one of them-not
even Senator McCarran. He has given tacit, If
not outright, Endorsement to all of them with
the exception Of Senator Byrd, and some Of them
are up for reelection. So it might be asked OF
Governor Stevenson, as Mr.. Truman asks OF
General Eisenhower: Why does he give his in
dorsement to such men?
+ The question, Of course, is not q valid one,
since it is based on the same violent distortion
of fact that Mr.. Truman employs. It is not a
distortion, however, to point out that Governor
Stevenson is doing much the same thing that
General Eisenhower has been doing. He is not
a political knight in shining armor. He, too, is
political candidate trying to win an election.