Evening star., 1952-08-16
The Political Min
Stevenson Just Goinq
Along for the Ride
Democratic Campaign Begins
With Sweetness and Liqht
By Gould Lincoln

HYANNIS, Mass, Aug. 16.-The Dem.
ocrats, from President Truman and Gov.
Stevenson on down the line, appear to
be exuding sweetness and light in these
early days of the 1852 campaign. A
strange, but at the same time under.
standable effort. First, it has been nee
essary for the Democrats to bind up
the wounds caused at their national
convention in Chicago and to heal as
far as possible the breach in their ranks
growing out Of the leftist Fair Deal pro-
gram and the civil rights program of
Mr.. Truman, and caused by the unwill-
ingness of the Democratic bosses to heed
the popular demand for crime-prober
Estes Kefauver to head the Democratic
national ticket.
President Truman. presumably with
the acquiescence of the party's new
standard bearer, Gov. Adlai Stevenson
of Illinois, has carried the sweetness
and-light attitude to q far degree. He
offered to take Gen. Eisenhower. the
Republican nominee for President. right
into the bosom of the Truman cabinet
for briefing on the world situation.
The Republican nominee, however, did
not swallow the bait. Indeed, he had
vigorously criticized Gov. Stevenson and
his acceptance of such an invitation as
conclusive that Stevenson is bound hand
and foot to the Truman administration.
The Republicans charged that Mr.. Tru-
man and Democrats were trying to get
OF the hook by offering to Gen. Eisen.
hover the same courtesies extended to
Gov. Stevenson-plus briefing on mil
tary matters by the general staff.
Will Follow Truman Line.
Gov. Stevenson, plaintively if with a
note of humor. complains that his Re
publican opponents picture him as the
captive" Of the Truman administration,
the captive" Of the city bosses, the
Captive" Of the ADA, the captive" Of
the CIO, and the captive" of Wall
Street. Captive or no. Gov. Stevenson Is
finding 1t impossible to get away from
the Truman administration and all its
works. In the end, he will be found
campaigning, as the President wishes
him to do, for the entire Truman pro-
gram. He has already accepted the
Democratic national platform, written in
Chicago just before his nomination for
the presidency. In the end he will be
going hell bent for election right along
the path which the CIO wishes him to
take. The Democratic city bosses will
be pointing out to him that with them
goes the big city vote and that they are
a sine qua non.
The CIO has taken up this captive"
refrain-which seems to mark this 1852
campaign. 1t is picturing Gen. Eisen-
hover as the Captive" of the Republic
can Old Guard. Since it was the Repub-
lican Old Guard which did its best to pre-
vent the nomination of Gen. Eisenhower
in Chicago last rnonth-and all the
country saw and heard what the Old
Guard was doing via the television and
radio. not to mention the preSs-the
country may indulge in a sly chuckle
over this effort on the part of the CIO
leaders. Are they growing naive, too?
Already it Is becoming apparent that
Gov. Stevenson. who willy-nilly must
be the champion Of the Truman ad-
ministration, will be running against
former President Herbert Hoover and
the conditions which existed 20 years
ago. rather than against Gen. Eisen-
hover and the hope he holds out to
the American people for a change from
corruption, waste and bungling. if the
Democratic leaders can have their way.
6AA1O again, IL Vi1S OCAiON1dVo NdA A1dNV
their way, Gen. Eisenhower will be run
ming against holier- -than-thou candi-
date, who floats in the air with the great
est of ease entirely free of any mud that
may be attached to the present admin
istration. It's nice thought. but with
a few difficulties attached. The realities
of the situation will be pictured by
the Republican presidential candidate.
The friends of Gov. Stevenson con-
tinue to cry aloud and beat their breasts
that their candidate is candidate in
his own right, that he will run the
campaign as he sees At. Yet when the
rub comes, as it did when Gov Steven.
son met with the President in Washing
ton, the contrary bobs UP. The question
was-should President Truman 60 right
ahead and speak on Labor Day, kind
Of opening speech of the campaign. or
should Gov. Stevenson get the big play
with speech on that day. It turned
out that the President is to speak, and
also Gov. Stevenson, on that same day.
Does any one think that the two
speeches will strike discordant notes?
That they will show any differences
between the beliefs of Mr.. Truman and
the beliefs of Gov. Stevenson? OF course
they won't show any such differences.
Gov. Stevenson is not a captive-he is
just going along for the ride.