Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-09-23
The Political Mill

SV0AtIObu VVtS 00IubUtS
Democratic Nominee coIIed
Expert on Soft Soop'
By Gould Lincoln
Gov. Adlai Stevenson, Democratic
presidential candidate. is taking the
gamble that the South will take him.
even II he is for the Truman civil rights
program, including compulsory federal
FEPC law; and for the Truman Fair
Deal program, including repeal of the
Taft-Hartley labor law. He may be
right, but not If many Southern Demo-
Gratis follow the lead of Governors
Byrnes of South Carolina. Shivers Of
Texas and Kennon of Louisiana, all Of
whom have declared they will not vote
for Gov. Stevenson. Gov. Byrnes has
stated explicitly why he will vote for
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Repub.
lican candidate for Chief Executive.
II shall not vote for q label" said
Gov. Byrnes. He meant the Democratic
label. II shall do what have hitherto
urged others to do. I shall place 10y
atty to my country above loyalty to a
political party. and shall vote for Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower"
Gov. Stevenson has gone to the South
with soothing words. He admits he Is
for the Truman civil rights program and
haStenS to say he cannot stand for
such a program in the North and oppose
1t in the South. That is quite obvious, in
the light of television, radio and the
press and their power to tell the world
what Mr.. Stevenson says wherever he
says it.
Thought to Calm Feelings.
IT shall not go anywhere with be-
quilting serpent words" the Governor told
an audience in Richmond. after having
said he stands on the civil rights plank
of the Democratic national platform,
which calls specifically for Federal FEPC
legislation. The Governor, however.
sought to calm any Southern feelings
that might be ruffled, with words Of
praise for the South. with reminders Of
what the Republican North did to the
South in reconstruction days, and
finally with declaration that the spirit
of Gen. Robert E. Lee is needed these
days The Governor is an expert in the
soft-soap technique.
Gov. Byrnes rudely called attention in
his statement on Gov. Stevenson to the
fact that the Democratic nominee for
President has shifted his position, in
the course of the campaign, on impor-
tant issues. For example. the Taft
Hartley labor law. Gov. Byrnes said he
had pointed, at the South Carolina DEM
ocratic Convention. to the fact that Gov.
Stevenson had said he was opposed to
repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act. ION
Labor Day." Gov. Byrnes continued.
Gov. Stevenson changed his position
and Joined President Truman in advo-
eating repeal" Gov. ByrneS also accused
Gov. Stevenson of having first given
Southern leaders the impression that
FEPC was matter for the States and
not for the Federal Government, and
then turning around and declaring for
compulsory Federal legislation which
would compel the Southern States to
adopt FEPC laws or have the Federal
Government force its own brand OF
FEPC on them.
Gov. Byrnes said. too. that Gov. Ste
venson did an about face on the pro-
posal to change Senate rules so that
debate would be curtailed and f1libus-
tiers prevented. He said the Democratic
candidate had first said the matter of its
rules should be left to the Senate, and
more recently had declared he would
use whatever influence he had as Presi-
dent to see that the rule was amended
so as to kill of hlibusters against FEPC
or any other legislation, And finally.
Gov. Byrnes showed that Gov. Stevenson.
having sought at first to show himself
an independent candidate. had yielded
completely to President Truman.
Called Image Of Truman.
Whatever he may say. in the opinion
of Gov. ByrneS, Mr.. Stevenson Is today
in the image of Mr.. Truman. He is not
only running on the Truman record; he
has swallowed the Truman recommen.
dations, hook, line and sinker.
Not only has the Truman label been
fastened on Gov. Stevenson, but also
that of the Go and the AFL. Two
Presidents of the United States, Frank
lin D. Roosevelt and Harry s. Truman,
have given the leaders Of organized labor
whatever they asked-aS far as they
could give. Mr.. Stevenson appears to be
a candidate in the same tradition, and II
he becomes President, ready to carry out
their wishes.
Gov. Stevenson's gamble in the South
is made in the face Of strong hatred Tor
President Truman and his programs. It
Is made in the hope that Democrats will
not vote the Republican ticket for Presi-
dent no matter what the provocation:
that they will step up to the polls and
vote traditionally-or not vote at all.
Gen. Eisenhowers campaign already.
however, has made an impression IN the
south. where he is regarded as a ma
tional figure rather than as Yankee
and a Republican. It will be recalled
too that four Southern States in 1948
declined to give President Truman their
electoral votes, and three other Southern
states were carried by Mr.. Truman with
a plurality of the vote cast, not a ma
iority. The three were Virginia. Florida
and tennessee. In each of these States
there is a substantial Republican vote.
so substantial that relatively small
OBJECTIONS - against Stevenson - could
throw the State to the Republican Essen
hover.
N.~.x:~s. .,nl Anewape