Evening star., 1953-11-08
BY Gould Lincoln

himself free to support or oppose
for reelection Republicans in
Congress who decline to go along
with his program. The pinch
and the decision will come when
the 83d Congress is completing
it's second session.
The President was asked spe-
cifically at his most recent press
conference whether he would
support Republicans who did not
support him. The Chief Execu-
tive suggested the question be
raised at another time: that he
did not think he was prepared to
give a good answer to the ques-
ton.
For the President to announce
now he will support for re-elec-
ton Republican members of Con-
gress who go against the pro-
gram of the Eisenhower Admin
istration would be a strange way
of seeking-and winning-the
votes of members of the House
and Senate who must pass upon
the program, Republican leaders
admitted yesterday. They point
ed out the President will need
desperately all the Republican
support for the program he can
get.
TwO-Way Street.
While the President has never
set himself up as a dictator to
Congress or to individual con-
gressmen, he believes that party
loyalty is a tWo-Way street-that
there is as much reason for a
Republican congressman to sup
port the program of the party'S
leader as there is for a Repub-
lican President to support a Re-
publican seeking reelection to
Congress.
President Eisenhower is setting
great store on the program which
is being prepared for submission
to Congress, covering tax. labor,
farm, social security, spending
and national defense legislation.
He hopes that it will be adopted
and that it will so strongly ap-
peal to the American people they
will return a Republican Con-
greSS in 1854 elections. Repub-
licans in Congress who oppose
the program, or oppose impor-
tant items in it, will not be re-
garded with favor by the Presi-
dent.
The late President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, when confronted with
opposition by Democratic sena-
tors and representatives not only
declined to support some of the
recalcitrants for denomination,
but actually sought to purge"
them-to beat them with other
candidates. He was not sue
ceSsful in his purge efforts, ex-
cept in a case or two. He never
grieved, however, over the de-
feat of his congressional oppo-
nentS.
Self-PreservatiOn First.
Much will depend, it is be-
lieved, on both the content and
the manner of presentation OF
the Presidents program. Self
preservation is the first law o1
politics for many members OF
CongreSs-of both parties. They
figure for themselves what will
aid them in their congressional
districts and States. And sc
they vote. on many occasions
A recent survey and analysis
by Congressional Quarterly ot
votes cast in the last session
of Congress shows how the Re-
publicans and Democrats voted
collectively and individually or
issues advocated or opposed by
the administration. On this
record, if the President is to
support for reelection all Re-
publican members of Congress
and is to oppose all Democrats
as has been suggested-then
he will be supporting Republi-
cans who have placed them
selves squarely in the anti
Eisenhower class.
He will also be opposing
Democrats who strongly backed
his legislative program. Fol
example, he would favor the
reelection of Representative
Mason, Republican of Illinois
who supported the administra-
ton on only "a per cent of the
first-session Eisenhower Issue
roll calls. He would be oppos-
ing Representative King, Demo
crat Of California. who sup