Evening star., 1953-04-04
The Political Mill
Democrats Moy Hold
OH-Yeur Convention
Would Stimulate Interest
In Congressional Elections
By Gould Lincoln

In Congressional Elections
By Gould Lincoln
A Democratic conclave of consider
able proportions Is likely to come out
of the proposal for a 1854 Democratic
National Convention. 1t probably will
be held in, July, August or September
of next year Its purpose will be to
stimulate interest and enthusiasm in
the coming congressional campaign, to
state the issues as the Democrats see
them and to go over the record Of the
Republican administration with fine
tooth comb. Whether it will under
take to write statement of the prin-
cipleS of the Democratic Party--a kind
of platform on which Democratic can
didates for the Senate and House will
runs another matter. To do SO
might bring to life again in no uncer-
tain way the cleavage which exists be-
tween the Democrats of the South and
those of the North and West on civil
rights and States rights. This at q
time when strenuous efforts will be
under way to show a united front to
the Republican opposition.
Two Democratic Senators. one from
Minnesota and the other from Illinois,
believe national convention Of usual
proportions in presidential election
years should be staged. The first is
Senator Humphrey, who believes
intellectually in the advisability Of
holding Democratic National Conven-
tions every two years. He took the
matter up with former President Tru-
man and other party leaders two years
ago, and obtained sympathetic re-
SponSe from Mr.. Truman. The other
is Senator Douglas, who believes that
on the whole the plan for biennial ma
tional conventions is good.
Detailed Plan Offered.
The executive committee OF the
Democratic National Committee
started the ball rolling for a national
gathering of Democrats next year at
its recent meeting here. detailed
plan for national convention was
submitted by Paul M. Butler, national
committeeman for Indiana. The ex-
ecutive committee voted unanimously
to go thoroughly into the proposal. In
the end, it will be the part of the
Democratic National Committee itself
to decide whether a national conven-
ton or some other form of gathering
is to be held next year. National
Chairman Mitchell, who has expressed
his approval of the idea, will call a
meeting of the committee probably
later this year after the views of
Democratic leaders in Congress. Demo-
cratic Governors and other party
leaders have been canvaSsed.
Senator Douglas has warned against
having such convention turned into
forum for promotions of the poten-
tial candidates for the Democratic
presidential nomination of 1856. OBJ
viously it is danger. Presumably
Adlai Stevenson, the party's titular
leader growing out of his race for the
presidency last year, will be called upon
to address and play an important role
at such convention. If he does. the
supporters of Senator Kefauver Of
Tennessee, runner-up at the 1852
Democratic National Convention, of
Gov. Mennen Williams of Michigan, Of
w. Averell Hartman Of New York and
other presidential possibilities will de-
mand that their candidates be given
spots in the limelight.. With delegates
from every State present, lot of pre-
liminary campaigning for 1856 will be
the order of the day.
Seen as Aid to Cohesion.
The plan for biennial national con-
ventions of major political parties has
been approved by the American Politi-
cal Science Association. Arguments for
the plan are that it enables the parties
to state their positions on major issues
of the day and to keep abreast of new
developments, and that it will bring
greater cohesion in party organization.
Finally. that it will result in stronger
party discipline.
A weakness of national convention
prior to congressional elections is the
fact that such convention will have
no nominations to make, and that it
will be no more than sounding board.
If it should write a party platform
and seek to make all the party's candi-'
dates for Office subscribe to it, the fat
would really be in the fire. The Demo-
cratic National Convention of 1852
tried this out, but it failed miserably
to make it stick with the Southern
Democrats.
The Democrats, out of power for the
first time in 20 years, are facing the
need of funds. They will continue to
face that need next year. This makes
a national convention of major pro-
portions a hazardous risk because Of
it's large cost. They will need money
to propaganda the voters in big way.
With considerable naivete, the Demo-
cratic executive committee was told
that more, much more, funds would
now be needed by the Democrats to
spread their doctrines since the party
no longer had the publicity bureaus
in the Government departments and
agencies to do it for them. Republicans
complained bitterly during recent years
that the taxpayers money was being
used to build up and finance these
publicity bureaus to keep the Demo-
cratic Party in power. Perhaps they
had something. At any rate the boot
is now on the other foot. ..