Evening star., 1953-10-04
Novelist BromfieId
May Succeed Taft
Writer Sees Gov. Luusche
Fuvoring Personal Friend
By Frank R. Kent

BY Fronk R. Kent
With the Taft-Hartley amendments
supported by the Eisenhower admin
istration due among the first of the
controversial questions in the next
session of Congress, interest is accel-
Grated concerning the successor to the
late Senator Taft. The Senate is so
evenly divided that if this issue is
settled on strictly party lines there
would seem slight chance of the
Eisenhower pledges being fully re-
deemed. Thus the character of the
man soon to be named by Gov.
Lausche would appear fairly decisive.
1t may be that before this appears
in print his selection will have been an
nounced. Hence, it is somewhat dam
gerous to predict, though several
things are reasonably sure. One is that
the new Senator will be a Democrat.
Being Democrat himself, it is politi-
cally inconceivable that Gov. Lausche
would appoint Republican. But
this by no means insureS the kind
of Democrat whom the labor bosses
and the present Democratic manage
ment want. One reason is that Gov.
Lausche is by no means that kind
of Democrat himself.
1t will be recalled that in 1850 when
the labor bosses "ganged up" on Sena-
tor Taft with the avowed purpose
of driving him out of public life,
Gov. Lausche was openly and very
helpfully on his side. He did not
Join the labor politicians and the Tru-
man administration in denounclng the
Taft-Hartley Act nor in opposing
Senator Taft-quite the reverse. Un-
doubtedly, his attitude had much to do
with the great majority by which Mr..
Taft defeated the formidable combi-
nation against him. There has been
much speculation about whom he will
appoint but well-informed Ohio friends
of the Governor are now Of the opin-
ion that his choice will be Louis Brom-
field, distinguished author and farmer
of Mansfield Ohio. Though he has
written much on international politics,
agricultural and other subjects, able
Mr.. Bromfield has never been a candi-
date for public office.
Early in the Roosevelt regime he
was an ardent New Dealer, but 1t did
not take him long to see through the
follies of that doctrine and, though re-
naming a Democrat, he became an
even stronger anti-New Dealer. Gov.
Lausche's intimateS say he and Mr..
Bromfield are warm friends and the
Governor believes he would be a credit
to the State in the Senate. Should he
name Mr.. Bromf1eld to serve until
November, 1854, it would not be with
the idea of himself running for the
full term. On the contrary, there is
every expectation that Mr.. Bromtield
would be the candidate to succeed him
self and that Gov. Lausche would run
again for Governor. Concededly he
would win and certainly another re-
election would make him an outStand-
ing figure in the 1856 convention where,
despite the Stevenson propaganda,
almost anything may happen.
However, though the appointment Of
Mr.. Bromfield, or any other Democrat.
would divide the Senate as follows:
48 Democrats, At Republicans and l
Independent, it will not really be de-
ciSive because the administration will
have real Democratic support-par-
ticularly in the South. 1t will be re-
called that in 1949 the Taft-Hartley
bill was passed over the Truman veto,
although both branches of Congress
were then Democratic and Mr.. Tru-
man used his full strength against the
measure. Considering these things, the
Republican management is not de-
pressed about the outlook. Nor has the
sagging effort of the labor politicians
and the Democratic National Commit
tee to magnify the Durkin charge that
the President broke faith with him
altered this situation.
For one thing, only the personal and
political enemies of Gen. Ike (and not
ali of them believe he broke an agree
ment with ME-. Durkin. That just does
not make sense. For another it is now
accepted that Mr.. Durkin had other
and perSonal-reasons for his reSigna-
ton. One was uneasinesS about the
opposition building up against him in
his own union, to which he always eX-
pected to return as it's well-paid head.
A third is the fact that Mr.. Durkin
made no charge in his letter of reSig-
nation that an agreement had been
broken. Nor did he mention any such
subject at his following press confer
ence. 1t was not until he got to the
AFL convention in st. Louis and after
conversations there with it's leaders that
he made this charge. Conceding that
Mr.. Durkin is an honest man. most per-
sons seem willing to accept the explana-
ton that the President and he had a
misunderstanding.
Certainly, the effort to make an issue
out of it has Topped. Insistence that it
has hurt the President with organized
labor seems ridiculous for several rea-
sons: One, that organized labor, so far
as it could be influenced by its leaders,
was opposed to Mr. Eisenhower from
the start of his candidacy. Mr.. Steven
son, who opposed the Taft-Hartley Act.
after having first favored it, was the
choice of the labor bosses; two, they
could not be more against the PreSi-
dent than they were; three, they ex-
hibited in the last election a significant
inability to deliver. Altogether, it does
seem the prospects for satisfactory
amendment of the act have not
diminished.
Lo - ol