Evening star., 1954-10-31

shelter his party from an election-day
soaking.
Stumpine Begins
When Congress went home the for
NAL Stun1ping began The President
scheduled four ''nonpartisan" speeches
in which he was to urge support OF
! Congressmen who supported his pro-
gram. &
But in September Republicans began
to panic. They could detect no ground
swell Of enthusiasm for their candidates
or for the Presidents program. Vice
President Nixon put their fears into
words at a closed Cincinnati party
meeting in which he said the G. o. P.
was losing the House and was in danger
in the Senate. He advised the party
to run scared"
Mr.. Nixon'S gloomy analysis seemed
confirmed soon thereafter when Re-
publican votes fell off drastically in
Maine. Minnesota and Wisconsin elec-
tions. Democrats we're talking of WIN
ming 13 Senate seats and whopping
LOG in the House.
President Eisenhower began to get
closer to the campaign. He added
speeches to his schedule and, for the
first time in a Far West swing, ham
mered at the theme that the voters
had to elect Republicans. not just sup
porters of his program. He even men,
toned some Republican candidates by
name in his speeches.
Portisonship Grows
His speeches-which finally totaled
more than 25-became more and more
partisan in October. As the campaign
drew to, close he went all the way.
During two whirlwind days he stumped
New York, even touring the city with
Republican candidates and talking with
individual voters.
The President-or, probably more ac-
curately, his publicistS-invented a new
political gimmick, one that may some
day become as great an institution as
the fireside chat. It was a public cabi-
net meeting. The voters were shown
through their TV sets that the Repu-
lican administration was an alert,
pleasantly relaxed, harmonious and
forward-looking team. And the foreign
policy accomplishments outlined at the
meeting helped undercut the Democrats
foreign issue, such as it was.
Mr.. Eisenhower wound up the last
campaign week with one-day airport
jump through four Eastern States where
Republicans need help. In ClevelarN.
Detroit, Louisville and Wilmington he
appealed for big vote-for Republicans.
He even used the issue he said year
ago he hoped would be forgotten-com-
muniSm. He threw the old Truman "red
herring" statement back at the Demo-
Gratis and compared it with the spot
less integrity of his administration.
Back in the White House Saturday
Mr.. Eisenhower continued to campaign.
G. O. P. idea men had given a new
twist to the standard practice Of round
ing up the favorable vote by telephone.
and they got the President to launch
the stunt. He called 10 carefully Sc
lected plain, ordinary" Republicans,
urged them to vote and asked each
to call 10 more with the same mes
sage.
It was the old chain letter technique.
II the chain was not broken, the whole
national q. o. P. electorate could be
alerted in few hours.
Nixon
# 1t was true that President Eisen-
hover held the center-ring spotlight
in the @. O. P. circus, then his Vice
President could have been billed as
ringmaster. For the President was not
running the campaign. As he put 1t
in his press conference last week:
As far as he acas concerned, none OF
these (cnDl11niOaagrsl hnd come fn him
about the details OF their talks. They