Evening star., 1952-07-30
The Stevenson Story
By Roger F. Lone
Associated Press Staff Writer

By Roger F. Lone
Associated Press Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,. July 30
The striking fact about Adlai
Stevenson's election as Governor
in 1948 was that he polled 539, 900
more Illinois votes than President
Truman.
The President carried the State
by only 1852 of 4,075 900 votes
cast. Gov. Stevenson outdistanced
Paul H. Douglas. an easy Senate
winner, by 10000 votes.
Little less astonishing were two
other aspects of the landslide vic
tory: That such success crowned
his maiden political campaign and
that the Office he sought was his
second choice.
Gov. Stevenson had an eye on
q United States Senate seat when
his name was proposed by small
group of admirers to Jacob M.
Arvey and other Chicago Demo-
cratic leaders.
But Mr.. Arvey already was sold
on a man for that spot-Mr.
Douglas, then a University of
Chicago economics professor.
Preferred Senate Seat.
Mr.. Stevenson thought his ex-
perience in the State Department
and with the United Nations
better fitted him for the Senate.
Nevertheless. he was persuaded
to run for Governor against
Dwight H. Green, Republican in
cumbent, seeking third term.
IF it's true that politics is the
art of compromise" he once said.
"1've had a good start. My
mother was a Republican and a
Unitarian, my father a Demo-
crat and Presbyterian. I ended
up in his party and her church. >"
He campaigned f1ercely against
Gov. Green, denouncing what he
called his "scandalous and thrift
less administration, broken prom
1Ses and cynical sale of privilege"
After the election, he remarked
that he would have no say in
shaping Federal policies-"but I
can improve the probity, the eff
ciencyoand morality of State gov
eminent, or break my heart and
my head in the attempt"
Set up Police Merit System.
An early move toward this OBJ
Jectlve was to tighten law en-
forcement by legislation taking
the State police out of political
patronage and putting them under
q merit system.
The State police bill provided
for letting $50 policemen on the
solidly Republican. 500-man force
hold their jobs. Tradition called
for sweeping all out to reward
faithful of his own party.
This was hard to stomach for
legislators who owed their seats
to the efficiency of the Chicago
Democratic machine. Said one,
This Governor must have been
born in a political fairylarld."
However, the disgruntled law
maker conceded that the Governor
was courageous" and he voted
for the bill, along with a majority
Of colleagues.
State Police Rejuvenated.
The rejuvenated police force
was relieved of errand boy duties
like chauffeuring politicians and
soon compiled an enviable record
for driving overweight trucks off
the States crumbling highway
network and in enforcing traffic
and criminal laws.
Among other things, the police
smashed a big scale cigarette tax
comterfeiting operation and de-
stroyed about $500 illegal slot
machines.
With road-smaShing truckers
under control. Gov. Stevenson put
over on the second try a $100
million a year program for re-
building the State highway sys-
tenn. 1t is just now hitting its
stride.
Financing was the crucial prob
lem. and its core lay in settling a
rural-urban tug -of-war on shar-
ing receipts from 2-cent increase
in the State gasoline tax to a
nickel gallon. +
The Governor called in the
warning groups and induced agree
ment on a formula that unraveled
the snag.
Won Support of G. o. p.
To make headway on roads,
and in virtually every other field,
the Democratic Governor needed
support of Republicans who con-
trolled both legislative branches
in 1949 and the Senate in 1851.
He got it surprisingly often.
Gov. Stevenson wanted a re-
write job on the States 1870
Constitution. last amended in
1908. He called it "our ancient
Straightjacket."
His drive failed, but produced
a COP counteroffensive he joined
to liberalize the amending process
and pave the way for substantive
change.