Evening star., 1953-10-15
The Political Mil
The Political Mill
Republicans Had Best
Look Again at 1854
Wisconsin Vote Seen
As Upsetting Party Plans
By Gould Lincoln

Wisconsin congressional district, and
are taking another look at the pros
poets for the 1854 elections. Their
candidate in the 9th district of Wis
consln, Arthur L. Padrutt, ran as an
out-and-out supporter of President Eli
SenhoWer and his program. He was beat
en- deciSively by his Democratic oppo-
nent, Lester r. Johnson, the first Demo-
crat ever to carry this congressional
district.
The Johnson victory is interpreted
particularly as revolt of the Midwest
farmers against Secretary of Agriculture
Benson and the way in which the Els
enhower administration has been ham
ding farm problems. For months, now,
the Farmers Union and members of
Congress from agricultural States have
been firing at Secretary Benson. The
farmers have been told that Benson
would do away with farm price sup
ports as they, the farmers, have known
them. The truth of the matter is.
however, that Secretary Benson has
continued to operate under the exist
ing farm laws, and he and the admins.
tratlon have not yet come up with their
farm program, upon which they are
now working. Farmers, however. have
seen further falling-off in farm prices.
The pocketbook nerve plays an i'm
portant part in political elections. and
apparently it did in the 9th Wisconsin
district.
1t may be expected that pressures
will build up for the elimination of Mr..
Benson as Secretary of Agriculture.
The Farmers Union and the Democrats
have been screaming for his scalp for
sometime. Some of the Republican
members OF Congress have, in more
quiet manner, urged that Mr.. Benson
pe replaced with another man. Some
even feel that if Mr.. Benson comes for
ward with farm program now. even
though it is fair one, it will be
damned because of the opposition which
has built up against him personally.
Benson May Stay.
Frankly, however, Republican leaders
do not expect Gen. Eisenhower to elm
mate Mr.. Benson. They regard the
Secretary of Agriculture as a fine, sim
cere man, and they believe he should
be given real chance to work out a
farm program which will be satisfac-
tory. The House and Senate Commit
tees on Agriculture are now working
on the problem and it is expected that
Secretary Benson will give serious con-
Slderatlon to any proposals which
come from the committees. The next
session OF Congress will have to deal
with farm legislation, and when it is
through, the issue, as presented to the
farmers in the 9th Wisconsin District
may be very different, depending on
how the farmers regard the Eisen-
hoWer-congressional program as writ
ten into law.
The farm vote is of vital importance
to the Republican Party. 1t was the
adverse farm vote, indeed, which caused
the defeat of Gov. Dewey of New York
IN his race for the Presidency against
former President Truman. To predict
the results of a national election on
the outcome of by-election in single
congressional district is to take large
chances, particularly as the Repub-
hcans have an opportunity in the COM
ing year to win the confidence of many
of the farm voters who are now in
cl1ned to go along with the Democrats.
Certainly, the Republicans have had
their warning.
The 9th Wisconsin district has been
widely publicized as a strong Repub-
lican district, district that has never
gone Democratic. 1t is a fact, how
ever, that this district, which the late
Representative Hull represented for
19 years, has always been strongly lib
eral. Mr.. Hull carried the district
time after time as a La Toilette pro-
greSsive. In most of his elections he
ran as La Toilette Progressive, not
as Republican, In 1916, however, he
ran as Republican candidate for the
House and was reelected. That was
the year when the late Senator Bob La
Toilette, jr., diSbanded the Progressive
Party and himself sought Republican
senatorial nomination and was defeated
by Joseph Mccarthy.
Backed by G. O.P.
In the recent campaign in the 9th
district, Mr.. Padrutt, the Republican
candidate, ran with the backing of
the regular Republican organization.
He was labeled the candidate of the
Republican stalwarts. His Democratic
opponent, on the other hand, ran with
promise to vote as Mr.. Hull had
voted-which was always progressive.
Indeed, Mr. Hull's record in the present
Congress showed him supporting the
Eisenhower administration only about
II per cent of the time-in his votes.
The Congressional, Quarterly records
him as voting once for Eisenhower pro-
posals and five times against such
proposals.
The vote in the 9th district has done
quite a bit of f1uctuating in recent
years. For example, in 1948. when the
farmers were off Dewey the Repub-
lican candidate for President received
45.1 per cent of the vote cast. In
1850, Senator Wiley, Republican, had
52.3 per cent of the districts vote.
Last year. Gen. Eisenhower received
GA per cent of the vote, and Hull.
65.2 per cent of the vote Padrutt had
43.6 per cent Of the vote cast last
Tuesday.
The district is strongly Scandinavian
in population. said to be as high as
80 per cent-an ideal district for a
johnson to run in. Padrutt is of Sw.ss
extraction. There were other local
factors involved in the election, includ-
ing letter sent out by a concern 20
1000 workers who had been laid off
that it was due to the policies of De-
tense Secretary Wilson.
Nevertheless, the result was an un-
expected and obvious defeat for the
Republicans and the Eisenhower ad-
ministration, and must be taken into
consideration in Republican plans for
the campaign next year.