Evening star., 1953-12-15
The Political Mill
Democrats Gluttons
For Silver Tongues
Cundidutes in This Century
All Known for EIoquence
By Gould Lincoln


By Gould Lincoln
The Democrats are gluttons for ora
tory. Nearly so years ago they nori-
mated for President Silver-tongued Will
liam Jennings Bryan, who advocated
free silver. Today they have as their
titular party leader Adlai (the Joker
Stevenson. dealing presently in "fear."
In between Bryan, who ran three times
for President without success, and Ste
venson the Democrats picked as their
presidential candidates three of the
most eloquent of long line, Woodrow
Wilson, Alfred E. Smith and Franklin
D. Roosevelt, two of whom they elected
Wilson twice and Roosevelt four
times.
Mr.. Stevenson. as Of today, is the ex-
pected Democratic presidential nominee
of 1856. During the hectic campaign
of 1852, the former Governor of Illinois
won to his support large personal fol-
lowing. For while he was losing to
Dwight D. Eisenhower by nearly 65 mil
lion votes, Mr.. Stevenson received more
than 81 million votes. These votes con-
stitute a great following, particularly
among the liberals. so-called, including
the "eggheads." Mr.. Stevenson's ap-
peal, aside from the policies he espoused
rested largely on his ability to write
and deliver the most polished, the most
witty speeches that the American peo-
pie had heard on the campaign stump
for many day. His followers loved his
visecracks and epigrams. They learned
to laugh with him, and to repeat the
barbed remarks he directed against
the Republican opposition. The times
were serious then, as they are now. 1t
began to dawn toward the end of the
campaign, and certainly since then, on
the Stevenson high command that it
might be dangerous for presidential
candidate to be too funny, even at the
expense of his opposition.
Wit Appreciated.
It's a difficult job, however, for a
man prominent in public life as is Mr..
Stevenson to change his spots. Demo-
Gratis have loved him for his witticisms.
So, when Mr.. Stevenson returned from
his around-the-wo trip last August
and a few weeks later delivered seri-
Gus and well-rounded address on the
world situation and Americas part in
it, the amazed Democrats sat on their
hands. They were polite, but they
didn't enjoy any belly-laughS, and
their applause was somewhat re-
strained. His homecoming welcome
and address to the Nation occurred in
Chicago in the midst of a Democratic
Midwest conference and meeting of the
Democratic National Committee. Now
Mr.. Stevenson is just through address,
ing another similar Democratic gather
ing, this time for the Middle Atlantic
States at Philadelphia. There again.
Mr.. Stevenson was serious. Indeed, it
is understood that a number of his
amusing and clever wiSecrackS were
eliminated from his written address be-
fore it was distributed, particularly on
the inSiStence of those aides who do
not like the idea of his being known
to the public as funny man. What
ever happened, the result was a seri-
Gus speech, seriously delivered listened
to with interest but uninterrupted by
great applause.
The main theme of Mr.. StevenSon's s
address in Philadelphia was devoted
to "fear"-four fears, which he said
have taken the place of the -four free
doms" proclaimed a dozen years ago
by the late Franklin D. Roosevelt. The
fears which he insisted have been
brought home to the American people
by the Eisenhower administration and
the Republicans are ID fear of Clepres-
sion, (2) fear of communism, CD fear
of ourselves and "a fear of freedom
itself. It's nothing new for a politician
to view with alarm. It's been done a
long time. But when politician,
particularly leader of a great party.
begins telling the American people
they'd better get scared because a de-
preston is in the making, it looks like
the wrong way to go about getting
votes. The people don't look with
favor on depressions, nor are they
likely to look with favor on any one
who by his very predictions, direct or
implied, that a depression is on the
way, appears to foster a depression.
Blames Republicans.
Mr.. Stevenson did say he didn't know
whether a depression was really COM
ing or not, although he seemed to
think that what the Republicans have
been doing has created such a fear
He even said he did not know whether
we can talk ourselves into a "busi-
ness recession" which is milder term
for depression. But if the Democrats
are to follow Mr.. Stevenson's line of
political comment. they will certainly
do their part toward stimulating that
fear. Further, Mr.. Stevenson pointed
with pride to the fact that the Demo-
cratic Party can be relied on in the
future to get the American people out
of a depression. This rather in
creases suspicion that Democratic
hope is for at least a little depression
before the coming elections, the kind
of depression that might be relied upon
to put the Democrats back into con-
troll of the Government.