Evening star., 1954-10-19
The Political Mil
The Political Mill
Democrats Seen Ready
TO Sabotage President
6. O. P. Gets Some BIome
For Picking Inferior Entries
By Gould Lincoln

For Picking Inferior Entries
By Gould Lincoln
CHICAGO. III, Oct. 1.-TWO weeks
from today the voters 60 to the polls
to elect the 84th Congress, Congress
to back President Eisenhower's pro-
gram and administration or to ham,
string 1t.
To put 1t another way, Republican
Congress or Democratic Congress.
The Democratic talk that Democrats
in Congress will give the President the
backing he needs is laugh. With the
1856 presidential election coming UP.
a Democratic controlled Congress viii
cut Gen. Eisenhower's political throat
just as Democratic controlled House
of Representatives, elected in 1880,
cut former President Herbert Hoover's.
All the surface signs-or nearly all
indicate Democratic gains. They indi-
cate that the Republicans have q hard
fight on their hands to retain their
razorlike edge in the Senate and that
they will lose control Of the House.
The one thing that could save the
G. o. P. in this contest would be q re-
Surgence of the strong sentiment for
Gen. Eisenhower and his leadership
which swept the President into office
in 1852. That sentiment could be under
the surface and manifest itself on elec-
tion day. Some of the Republican cam
paigners-among them Vice President
Nixon-insiSt it Is there and will win
for many of the Republican candidates
for Senate and House.
Interest Lacking.
AS I have travelled the States west
of the Mississippi, interest in the con-
greSsional campaign. except in a few
places. has been lacking. The political
leaders have complained of apathy on
the part of voters. and they are doing
all they can to stir them up. Lack of
interest, however. has been the rule
in "off year" elections, when no Presi-
dent is chosen. Occasionally, the voters
have risen on their hind legs to vote
in these congressional elections in order
to show their displeasure with condi-
tionS and the party in control Of Gov
ernment. This happened in 1918, when
this country was just winning the First
World War. 1t happened in 1880, after
the depression had struck in the fall Of
1929. and it happened again in 1946--
the year after the close of the Second
World War.
This year, however. no one hates
Gen. Eisenhower or his administration
except those who are out of Office and
want to get back into power. The peo-
pie like Ike and his progressive pro-
gram. They like the peace he has
brought They like his cutting Govern
ment expenditures and reducing taxes.
They like his extension Of social Sc
curity and increase of benefits. They
like steps he is taking to rid the Gov
ernment Of fellow travellers, Of the Reds
and of other Subversives. Yet, largely
through inertia, the millions Of voters
who came out for Gen. Eisenhower two
years ago seem to have little interest
in giving him the Congress he needs
to complete his program.
Without the support of millions of
independent voters. the Republicans
cannot hope to win in this country
Impelling iSSueS-Such as they had
in 1852, which were to end the Korean
war and to get rid of party which
had been too long in power, got the
G.. o. P. this support. Unless the need
of an Eisenhower Congress is really
dramatized. the COP. will lose the
coming election. The Democrats have
done real job in soaring the farmers.
trying to convince them their prices
will 60 lower and lower If the Republi-
cans are continued in control of Gov
ernment. They have told labor that
Jobs will be fewer and fewer and that
Ht1N nray irSf fcfv iR vAAk
friendly. with considerable effect. SO
far they have not been able to con-
vince industry itself that the country
is on the toboggan, though they have
tried. AS matter of fact. the country
take 1t by and large, Is prosperous and
. the people have money and jobs to
greater degree than in any year
except the war years - since the
Democrats took over the Government
in 1888.
What are the Democrats Offering
beyond the Eisenhower program excep
more and more spending of the tax.
payers money! Democratic habit
Their inefficiency as administrators
followed by waste and corruption. was
what finally turned them out Of Office
Now they want to get back.
In some of the States. the Republi.
cans themselves are to blame for moi
nominating more qualified candidates
for Senate and House. to run against
Democrats Of higher caliber. That
however, is water over the dam, ane
something the voters will overlook, il
they really wish to give Gen. Eisen.
hover Congress to back him up.