Evening star., 1952-04-10
The Political Mill
Fourth Victory in q Row
Hung Up by Kefouver
Tennesseun Has Proved Himself
Good Guesser on Trumun Moves
By Gould Lincoln

BY GOULD Lincoln
That faSt-fying, early-bird candidate
for the Democratic presidential nomina-
ton, Senator Kefauver of Tennessee.
this week hung up his fourth successive
victory in presidential primary States
Illinois. The first to enter the lists, long
before President Truman bowed out.
Senator Kefauver proved himself q good
guesser. He tossed his hat in the ring.
believing that Mr.. Truman would not
run. At the same time he had the temer-
ity to announce he would be candidate
whether the President ran or not. He
neither pussyfooted nor hung back.
No one believed that the Tennessee
Senator would defeat President Truman
himself in the first primary held, in
New Hampshire. The belief was, as ex.
pressed by some of the Truman sup
porterS, that the President in that
contest would cut Mr.. Kefauver down
to size" The blow that followed was as
unexpected as it was bitter, for the
President and for other potential Demo-
cratic candidates.
The Senator followed this up with
victories in Nebraska and Wisconsin,
where he defeated Senator Kerr of
Oklahoma and couple of favorite-son
candidates pledged to Truman. Then
came Illinois. Mr.. Kefauver was the
sole entry in the Democratic presidential
primary there. In this he was lucky,
for had Gov Adlai Stevenson of that
State entered that contest, Mr.. Steven
son might easily have defeated the
TenneSSeean. The Governor was on the
primary ballot as candidate for re-
nomlnation-and he was unopposed
there. The Stevenson vote for Governor
ran well ahead numerically of that cast
In the presidential primary for Kefauver.
Got 10000 Write-Ins.
Some of Stevensons friends tried an
abortive Write-in drive for the Governor
IN the presidential preference race. but
it was clear that the voters could not
be expected to vote for Stevenson for
two offices on the same ballot He re-
celved, even under these conditions.
around 10000 write-in votes.
The $64 question now is when and by
whom will Senator Kefauver be stopped
IN his race toward a Democratic presi-
dental nomination. He is entered in the
New Jersey preference primary next
Tuesday. and again he is a lone entry
there, as he is in the Maryland primary
May 5. His expected victories in those
States will get him further psychological
advantage. and perhaps some delegate
support.
He will face real test, however, in
the Ohio primary May g. There he will
be running against favorite-son candi-
GATE, former Senator Bulkley, who
started out as a Truman stand-in. Since
Mr.. Truman pulled the rug from under
MIR. BulkleyS feet, it has become ques-
tlon whether the Democratic organiza-
ton OF Ohio and Mr.. Bulkley can stave
OIL the acquisitive Mr.. Kefauver.
Open entry of Gov. Stevenson of Illi-
nois and of Vice President Barkley into
the free-for-all for the Democratic presi-
Dental nomination. if made soon, may
put a road block in the way of Mr.. Ke-
1auver. Also. the Tennessee Senator is to
race Senator Russell of Georgia, who
has been called the first choice of South
ern Democrats. in the presidential pri-
mary in Florida. This may be a difficult
hurdle for him, too.
Greater Boost Given Taft.
The Illinois primary gave Senator Taft
OF OHIO an even greater boost than it
old Senator Kefauver. The Ohio Repub-
llcan ran true to expected form, winning
the preference vote Overwhelmingly and
almost all OF the States so district dele.
gates to the Republican National Con.
Vention.
1t is entirely understandable that the
Taft forces, including the Senator him.
self, are claiming great significance from
THIS primary result. But in their claims
they have gone far afield. Senator Taft
has referred to the primary elections in
Illinois, Wisconsin and Nebraska, and
commented:
1T Is not an easy task to defeat a
popular wartime general in successive
elections
AS 1t happens. Gen. Eisenhower was
not entered in any of these primaries.
His friends in Illinois and Nebraska
staged Write-in campaigns for him. In
Wisconsin there was no write-in for
eisenhower, nor were there any delegate
candidates pledged to him on the ballot.
In all three of these States, the Repub-
lican organizations were working at top
speed to get votes for Taft. The Taft
claim that "even Stassen" had defeated
EISENHOWER tWice-in Minnesota and in
lIllnols-was at least an exaggeration.
because in neither of those primaries
was ElsenhoWer's name on the ballot.
while IN both. Stassens was printed for
all to see and to vote.