Evening star., 1952-07-27
Stevenson and Sporkmon

The nomination of Alabama's Senator Spark
man as running mate to Adlai Stevenson rounds
out Democratic presidential ticket that is we'll
balanced and campaign worthy.
The two men, each in their early ffties,
represent moderately liberal philosophy in
todayS political atmosphere. AS Governor of
Illinois and a relative newcomer to elective
Office, Mr.. Stevenson has given his State nearly
four years of better than usual administration,
characterized generally as businesslike and
scandal free His past record and his address
of welcome to the Democratic convention which
finally selected him reveal clearly that basic
pride and devotion to genuine liberalism are not
carried to point of unqualified Fair Dealism or
the mistaken notion that Democratic office
holder can make no mistakes. His extraordinary
popularity at the polls in Illinois in 1948-his
winning margin of more than a half million
votes was the greatest ever given gubernatorial
candidate in that State-and the appealing
quality OF his two convention speeches during
the past week prove beyond doubt that he will
be strong campaigner.
The conventions decision to turn to the
South for it's vice presidential candidate has
particular logic for the Democrats this year and
the choice of Senator Sparkman, repeatedly sug-
geSted by Mr.. Stevenson, seems to add merit to
the judgment.
With the party already divided on North
and South lines over the civil rights issue-even
though the 1852 platform plank on this subject
has been accepted without violent dispute-and
with the Eisenhower Nixon Republican ticket
believed to carry greater than usual appeal for
the Dixie voters, the Democrats need more than
the party label to hold their strength in that
area. Senator Sparkman is calculated to provide
that required extra margin.
A lawyer by profession, the Alabaman
entered political life with his election to Congress
in 1885. Ten years later he was elected to the
Senate to fill the unexpired term of the late
Senator Bankhead and was reelected in 1948
for full term Like Governor Stevenson, Sem
ator Sparkman is internationally minded as
against orthodox isolationism and he has served
as an American delegate to the United Nations.
He is a member of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations, we'll as Banking and Cur
rency and is chairman of the Select Committee
On Small Business. To his qualifications in the
fields of foreign affairs and economics, he adds
the practical political experience of having been
majority whip while member of the House.
On civil rights, the Senator takes the conven-
tional Southern position in behalf of State
autonomy. He is not, however, demagogic in his
approach to this problem and appears to provide
a reasonable balance to the relatively moderate
posture taken on the matter by Governor Steven
son. The Senator has sort of homespun, down.
to-earth speaking style that should contrast
effectively with the highly literary and cultural
qualities to be found in the Stevenson type of
forensic delivery.
In short, the two candidates should compile
ment each other in all essential political respects
and provide the party with strong campaign
team.