The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1952-12-26
Bv LEONARD KENFIELD,
Great Falls


dent of the United States with the
greatest number of votes ever cast
for any American-nearly 34,000,-
600. The people voted for a change,
it is said, but what kind of change
nobody knows for sure. The great
crusade was against spending, cor
rr1ption and communism. The Korean
issue was thrown in at the last min
ute and the General polled lot of
votes when he said he would go to
Korea, firing the hopes of millions
for an end to that heroic but unfor-
tunate conflict.
ANYWAY, the Democrats had been
in power for twenty years accumu-
lating aches and pains and hadn't
reckoned with the millions of new
voters many of whom had been quiet
lv registered and mustered out to
vote by the business elements in the
towns and cities all over the nation.
Undoubtedly the personal popular
ity of the General was powerful
factor in his election.
T he get-out-the-vote campaign
spanked by the business people was
effective. Automobile dealers all over
the nation offered free transporta-
ton to help voters reach the polls.
While the rides were available to
anyone, it is certain the rides brought
out a proportionately higher number
of conservative voters. For once a
big vote registered conservative
swing rather than a liberal one.
Eisenhower's total vote looks i'm
pressive, but F. ID. r. got SO per
cent of the votes in 1882 and 62 per
cent in 1886 1t must be remembered
that the u. S. population is well
over $50 millions today-many mil
lions more than in the days of F. ID.
rand that accounts in part for
likes large total.
What many are missing is the
significance of Gov. Stevenson's
vote. Although defeated candi-
date, the Governor polled more
votes than any winning presidential
candidate except in the years of
F. D. r. in 1886 and 1910 and Ike
in 1852. Adlai's 27,300,000 votes
greatly exceeded the number of
votes of even F. ID. r. in 1882 and
1914 and Harry Truman's vote in
194s.
In talking sense" to the American
people Governor Stevenson faced the
issues squarely in all sections of the
nation thus doing something that
few politicians ever do. He told the
American Legion not to come to him
for special legislation if he were
elected president. He called for re-
peal of Hartley and new APP
proach to employer-labor relations.
He talked for FPC and federal con-
troll of the off-shore oil (so-calle i
tdelands) to the voters in the South.
He stood firm on farm price sup
ports of at least 90 per cent on per-
ishables as we'll as basics and plugged
for co-operatives free of punitive
taxes. At San Francisco he outlined
realistic u. S. foreign policy en-
bracing a stronger United Nations,
extension of Point Four and envisag-
ed greater use of negotiation in world
disputes. He spoke for resource de-
velopment and public power in the
Northwest states. He lost the election,
but 27311,316 Americans backed him
up on his stand That appears to be
a pretty solid liberal body of opinion
in the nation.
The makeup of the new congress
does not reveal landslide for either
party. The Senate has 40 Republicans
with Wayne Morris apparently de-
Gliding to go along in organizing.
Democrats number AT in the Senate
with the Texan Price Daniel pos |
Observation-Disclosures Observation-Disclosures