Evening star., 1952-03-16
Southern 6. 0. P. Bosses
Not Committed to Toft
Writer Suys Leaders in Dixie y
Will Keep Minds Open
By Fronk R. Kent

u i f.
One Of the arguments repeatedly
made these days by the anti-Taftites Is
that the Taft strategists already have
tightly ''tied up" the Southern delegates
to the Republican Convention; that this
gives Senator Taft an unshakable bloc
Of approximately l40 votes from I3
States: that this constitutes the de- ,
pendable core Of Taft's convention
strength.
Invariably It is inferred that there
Is something deeply sinister IN the way
Senator Taft and his managers have
gathered these Southern delegates: that
the men who barter them away to Mr..
Taft are very low grade, indeed. COM
pletely Indifferent to party success. con-
temptuous Of public sentiment, con-
cerned only with their personal, political
loot. With no desire to defend either
the character or the methods of the
professional politicians who control the
Republican organization in the South.
1t nevertheless seems worth while to
point out some Of the fallacieS In this
argument.
For example, there is basic contra
diction between the assertion that while
Gen. Eisenhower Is the only Republican
IIOUllklSG WklU COkkCCQCu1y WVul0 C01Iy -
number Of Southern States in the gem
eral election, and that beyond question
he is the man the Republicans most
surely can elect, nevertheless the Re-
publican bosses in these States already
have gone over for Taft, about whose
ability to win there Is much more doubt.
That makes no sense. Aside from any
question Of the political and personal
vxnoa,of;frr S,f niflna. ithaca GfaYt1aarYf Re-. +
publican bosses or OF Senator Taft and
his managers, there are extremely prae-
tical reasons why neither could-nor
should a. deal at this time. Dis
tinctly 1t would not be to the self
interest Of either.
Take FIRST the men who control the
Republican machines in the South
concede that they are In politics for
what they can get out Of it. Unless
they are personally bought with money
like so much merchandise they can
get nothing at all out Of 1t except
through the party success to which the
anti-Taft journalists strangely say they
are Indifferent. Clearly in States that
invariably elect Democratic Governors.
Mayors and all other local officials, they
are completely futile unless there Is Q
Republican President In the White
House. Then and then only - they
come into their own. Then they not
only are rewarded with well-paying
Federal jobs for themselves. but they
have a great deal of Federal patronage
and Federal favors to distribute. Then
they become men Of influence and
power.
It has been 20 years since they had
either. Clearly to greater extent than
any other class of politicians their self !.
interest is to nominate winner. More
than any other class, they want q man
who will be elected. There Is no nourish-
ment for them In the nomination Of Q
loser. II these facts mean anything.
they mean that in party situation
such as now exists it Is to their interest
to bring their delegations to the con-
vention uncommitted and In position to
swing to what seems the winning side.
And that is the way most Of them will
be brought, too. Most Of these Republi-
can bosses are going to keep what they
call "open minds" s.ss
All this means that the only effective
way for Mr.. Taft to get those delegates
is to persuade their owners that he Is
the most likely man to be elected. That
isn't easy to do at this stage of the
game-particularly as those who assert
he is tying up the delegates now also
assert that he is the least likely to be
elected. II Mr.. Taft looks to these
Southern Republicans as the easiest
man to elect, he can get their conven-
ton vote practically without effort. II
they cannot be persuaded Of his
strength as candidate, there are just
two other ways to get their support
one is through cash In the hand; the
other by concrete promises Of patron
age. sa
Both these methods have been scan
dalously used in the past. They are
extremely unlikely to be used in this
campaign. One reason is that this sort
Of unsavory politics has become much
more dangerous and easier to detect
than 1t used to be. However. the main
reason is the. personality and character
Of Senator Taft. This form Of bribery
is not only illegal but dishonorable. It
could not be done for Mr.. Taft without
MIR. Taft's knowledge and consent. Many,
persons disagree with Mr.. Taft on mat
ters Of policy. but his bitterest enemy
never accused him Of dishonorable or
crooked action. No one who knows him
needs be told that he is incapable of !,
sanctioning bribery. Thus, 1t follows the
only way he can tie these delegates up
is to convince them he Is sure to win
II nominated.
L..