Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-10-13
The Political Mill
The Political Mill
9. O. P. Hopes in 1854
Pegged on Eisenhower
Dirksen Is Confident
Republicans Will Gain
By Gould Lincoln

ny SOuIu IIHCOIH
Eisenhower and his administration
re the issues on which the G. o. p.
nigh command is framing it's campaign
to carry the 1854 congressional election.
In the opinion of Senator Dirksen of
illinois, chairman of the Republican
Senatorial Campaign Committee, they
re mighty good and mighty winning
SSueS.
The Illinois Senator has travelled
Extensively since the close of Congress
asst August. He has been around among
he farmers, particularly those of his
>wn State. He is convinced that the
farmers are taking price changes in
their stride; that they realize when YOU
have. built price level attuned to war
and war production and then you have
real hope OF peace, there must be an
adjustment OF the price scale, and that
the scaling down of prices will not long
continue. He is not worried he saws
about the Republican farmers or the
farm vote. He bases his belief on the
intelligence, of the farmers and their
approach to the economic problems of
he country and of agriculture.
Nor is he worried either over the
2harge brought by the Democrats. and
particularly by his Democratic COL
league in the Senate, Senator Douglas
that the Eisenhower administration
means big business in Government. He
oeIleves that the country is entitled to
the pest brains and the best qualified
administrators it can have. and he
believes that Gen. Eisenhower has
brought them into the Government
service. Referring to the Democratic
taunts that the President has eight
mllllonalres in his cabinet, the Sena-
TOR dryly commented: "They were mil
honalreS before they got in the Cow
eminent, weren't they?"
Eisenhower Is Key,
Senator DirkSens evident intent of
making the President the big asset of
the Republican campaign next wear is
merely further confirmation of q feel
ing the Republicans have that thew
must i've politically or fall politically
on the reputation of the President with
the people. Senator Dirksen believes
mat the Chief Executive is stronger
To-Day IMAM when he was elected in
november last year-with the people.
AS lar as possible, the Republican lead
erS nope to use the President in the
coming campaign. Always a friendly
figure, inspiring confidence through his
manifest sincerity and his basic
strength, the President has gained in
polSe and in his knowledge of politics.
And since the President is the biz
issue, the chief slogan of the Repub-
ncan campaignerS will be: ELECT a
congress to uphold EiSenhower's hands
and enable him to put through his
program of administration and legisla-
ton" The election of a Democratic
Congress, Senator Dirksen feels. would
be disastrous, both for the Eisenhower
administration and for the country.
He recalls the fiat refusal of the then
Democratic leader of the House, Henry
L. Ralney OF Illinois, to go along with
PRESIDENT Herbert Hoover's program
When the country was engulfed in a
great depression, and the letter which
representative HaWley wrote to Mr..
hoover saying that Rainey had told
MIN he would do his best to defeat that
program. The Democrats, in President
mowers mldterm, took over control of
the House. Senator DirkSen insists that
kind of thing must not be allowed to
happen again with the country facing
many vital problems.
DirkSen Confident.
The Illinois Senator is confident that
the Republicans will be able next wear
TO elect enough Senators to place con-
troll OF the upper house securely. in
their hands. At present the count is
AZ Republicans, 48 Democrats and l
independent. The Taft vacancy has
just been filled by Democrat, through
appointment of Mayor Tom Burke of
cleveland by Gov. Lausche of Ohio.
himself Democrat. Senator Dirksen
looks upon Illinois, Iowa. Delaware and
wyoming as excellent fields for Re-
publican gains-all have Democratic
Senators up for reelection. He includes
Oklahoma and New Mexico in his eSti-
mate of territory where Republicans
have chances for victory in Senate
races - and Minnesota, particularly
should it be possible to persuade former
Gov. Luther w. Youngdahl, now a Judge
OF the U. S. District Court for the
District of Columbia, to become a can
dldate for the Senate. Senator DirkSen
says, too, he believes the Republicans
will be able to hold almost all, and
probably all, the Senate seats they now
have.
The Democrats have claimed good
chances of taking Republican Senate
seats in Kentucky, Michigan and sew
eral other States. In Michigan, how
ever, the Republicans are we'll in
trenched. Senator Homer Ferguson is
veteran of many successful campaigns
and a difficult man to defeat. The
Democrats sole chance appears to be
to nominate Gov. Mennen Williams to
run against Ferguson-and Gov. Will
liams may decide-aS Gov. Lausche has
apparently done in Ohio-that he will
be better off running again for Cover
nor than for the Senate.
The fact that Eisenhower is to be
made the issue by the Republicans-if
the President retains his present great
popularity-may have something to do
with the decisions of such Democrats
las Williams of Michigan and Lausche
of Ohio on running for the Senate.
Both have had Republican support for
Governor-but that support might fly
from them in q Senate race.
The Old Man