Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-30
The Political Mill

Gird for Kentucky Fight
Odds Favor BorkIey Now,
But It's Still EorIy in Race
By Gould Lincoln
When former Vice President Alben
w. Barley announced on Saturday he
would run In the coming congressional
elections for his old seat in the Senate,
the battle lines for that contest were
finally drawn. Incumbent Senator John
Sherman Cooper, Republican, will go
to the mat for the Eisenhower admins
tration, and Mr.. Barley has no alter
native but to support the Truman
administration. That will be the issue
Of the campaign. The veteran Barley
was Vice President during the Truman
administration. Senator Cooper does
not believe the people of Kentucky liked
the Truman administration. Adlai
Stevenson, the Democratic presidential
by some 700 votes, and Kentucky is
normally Democratic State, certainly
in presidential elections. It Is by no
means sure that Mr.. Truman, had he
been the presidential candidate two
years ago, could have had Kentucky's
electoral votes against President Eisen-
hover.
Former Vice President Barley has
been greatly popular in his own State.
It's likely he will need that personal
popularity in his race against Senator
Cooper, who has quite following of
his own, when the votes are cast next
November. Mr.. Barley has been out
of office two years.
Tough Campaigner.
He is 76 years old. He will be up
against much younger, aggressive
candidate who is preparing for the po-
litical battle of his life. Senator Cooper
has twice been elected Senator'S rec
ord for Republican in Kentucky. The
first time was in 1916, when he was
chosen to fill the unexpired term Of
former Senator Happy" Chandler The
second time was in 1852. when he was
sent back to the Senate to fill the un-
expired term of the late Senator Chap
man, Democrat.
Two years ago. Senator Cooper de-
feated his Democratic opponent, for
mer Representative Underwood, by 29,-
900 votes. Obviously, he had support Of
many independent and Democratic
voters. In 1913. when Mr.. Cooper was
seeking reelection, he was defeated by
less than $4,000 votes. In all three of
his tries for the Senate-two of which
he won-Senator Cooper has carried
Louisville. the States largest city. Out
in his own old district, the eighth, a
Republican stronghold of the State,
Cooper has been stronger than horse
radish.
The odds at this writing favor the
weep" 1t could be that the odds may
increase in his favor. Much will de-
pend upon the economic situation in
the country and in Kentucky when
election day rolls around. If the
country has done well under the Eisen-
hover administration, and proved the
Democratic prophets of gloom wrong,
however, the Weep" will need all his
personal strength to be a winner.
No MudsIinging.
Senator Cooper has great respect for
Mr.. Barley. and he also realizes Mr..
Barkley's hold on the Kentucky voters.
That, however will not interfere with
his making strenuous campaign for
reelection. Indeed, he is planning to
carry the fight into every corner of the
State. One thing about the coming con-
test-it will be free of mudslinging.
Neither Mr.. Barley nor Senator Cooper
is the caliber of man who takes to that
kind of campaign. But that does not
exclude a brisk fight over issues. Mr..
Barley campaigned in Kentucky, as he
did all over the country in more recent
years, against the Hoover administra-
ton and its attendant depression. How
effective such a campaign will be in
1854 remains to be seen. 1t did not work
in 1852, when the Democrats told the
voters they never had it so good" as
under the Truman administration, and
warned against depression if the Re-
publicans should come into power again.
The Democrats continue to chant that
refrain. If they don't get depression
or major recession" they may be
politically out Of luck next November.
Democrats Strongest.
Senator Cooper is convinced that a
great many people in Kentucky want to
see the Eisenhower administration sue
ceed-and no depression. He believes
that under the Eisenhower administra-
ton the people are getting better gov
eminent, Sounder financially, sounder
in foreign policy, and both sounder and
stronger in the matter of national de-
Tense. OF the last he is certain. He is
veteran of the Second World War, in
which he served with distinction. and
member of the Senate AIMED Services
Committee, which deals particularly
with national defense legislation He has
been a strong supporter Of the Eisen-
hover administration and the Presi-
dents program.
The Democrats have picked their
strongest candidate to run against
Cooper. They may need him.