Evening star., 1954-11-04
The Political Mil
Democrats FuiIed to Do
As Well as Expected
Porty's Predicted Sweep
In off-Yeur Fell THROUGH
The Political Mil
BY Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
The 1854 election win 60 down In
history as weird affair. The much.
touted Democratic sweep in the con.
gressional elections did not come on.
But States which have had Republican
regimes for years-New York, Penn
sylvania, Minnesota and Maine (the
Maine election was held In September)
turned the Republicans out and SUBJ
stituted Democrats in their statehouses.
It is difficult to observe any real pattern
in the results.
However. it is possible to make a
number Of observations about the re-
suits, and the campaign which preceded
the election. President Eisenhower's
appeal to the Nation to elect Repub-
lican Congress had its effect. checking
Democratic gains in some cases and
bringing Republican victories. The
Democrats viii control the House of
Representatives. but by a margin far
narrower than the Democratic leaders
had prophesied and narrower than Is
the average for minority party gains in
"off year" elections of the past Control
Of the Senate goes to the Democrats by
virtue Of the vote Of Senator Wayne
Morse. Oregon, independent, who hates
the Eisenhower administration. In the
New Jersey race Clifford T. Case,
Republican, has run Representative
Howell, Democrat, to standstill. Gen.
Eisenhower did everything in his power
to help Mr.. Case win, and Mr.. Case
came from behind to top Mr.. Howell's
vote. Further, Gen. Eisenhower's in
fluence in Colorado. where the President
had his summer capital, aided 1t. Gov.
Allott in his drive for senatorial VIC
tory over former Representative John
Carroll, Democrat. who was widely ex-
pected to win. Apparently. indeed, the
Presidents personal popularity, which
has not been challenged even by Demo-
Gratis, was able to rub of on some of
the Republican candidates for whom
Gen. Eisenhower campaigned. In the
final days Of the campaign, the Pres
ident-who always fights to win-,-put
on real effort and it paid off,
Hopes Not Bright.
If the Democrats have hopes Of dis
lodging Gen. Eisenhower in 1856. pro-
vided he runs again. the hopes do not
appear bright. Further, the President
has two years more to put through his
program, and to administer the Gov
ernment, two years which may bring
increasing prosperity and peace. If they
do. it will be virtually impossible for
the Democrats to take over the White
House, particularly If the President is
a candidate to succeed himself. 1t is
noteworthy, also, that the Republicans
who ran as strong supporters of the
President, and whose records showed
them in that role, were in many cases
successful.
The elections did not reveal the
American farmers as strongly hostile to
the Presidents farm program. or the
voters of the great Western States as
hostile to his water-power policy The
Republican candidates in the Midwest
who went along with the Eisenhower
Benson flexible price supports for basic
crops were able to win-for example,
Representative Martin in Iowa who de-
feated Senator Guy Gillette, veteran
Democrat.
Once again. the voters in the rural
sections of the country showed them
selves predominantly Republican. not
withstanding the efforts of the Demo-
cratic spellbinders to convince them
that the farmers would be far better
off with Democratic Congress. OF all
the Midwest States, Michigan alone
turned a Republican Senator out Of
off3oo aIaofino Dofr;oz " kRoNfa y,aaro IL,
place of Senator Homer Ferguson, chair
man of the Republican Policy Commit
tee of the Senate. It was the heavy
Democratic vote in Detroit and other
industrial centers, however, which cut
Senator Ferguson down.
Labor Helps Out.
The Democratic argument that labor
is worse of under Republican adj
ministration was, indeed, more effective.
It was responsible for the reelection
of Democratic Senator Frear in Della
ware, of Democratic Senator Paul Doug.
las in Illinois, in the defeat Of Republi-
can Senator Ferguson in Michigan, and
to considerable degree for the victory
of Averell Hartman for Governor Of
New York over Senator Ives, Republic
can, and of former Representative Ribi-
coff, Democrat, in his successful race
against Governor John Lodge of Con.
necticut. Organized labor leaders put
on a tremendous drive to elect Demo-
cratic Congressman and Governors, al-
though there was less fanfare about it
than in 1850 and 1852. Further, the
contributions to Democratic campaigns
by the labor organizations were heavy.
The wisdom Of the New York Demo-
cratic leaders. who insisted upon the
of Mr.. Hartman for Gov
ernor, rather than Representative
Franklin D. Roosevelt, jr., seems to
have been demonstrated. Mr.. Harri-
man Is winner, while Mr.. Roosevelt,
in another Statewide contest for at
torney general, was defeated by Re-
publican colleague In the House, Jacob
Javits. The hope of the Roosevelt New
Dealers that Mr. Roosevelt would make
a better showing in this election than
Mr.. Hartman received jolt. Further.
the political aspirations Of Mr.. Roose-
velt are now under dark cloud. It
does not appear likely now he could
persuade the Democrats to nominate
him for Senator in 1856, If Senator
Lehman, Democratic veteran, decides
not to run for reelection. Mr.. Roose-
velt has lost his seat in the House from
a safe Democratic district, too, for he
gave up the nomination he had won in
the primaries when he became candi-
date for attorney general. Another
Democrat was elected in his place.