Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-17
The Political Min

Jill - IOutISuI MOutS
Eisenhower's Program
Called G. O. P. Advantage
By Gould Lincoln
The congressional campaign Of 1854
Is still in the making and much viii
depend, first. upon these final weeks
Of the present session Of the $50 Con-
gress and, second. on what the next
three months hold for the country's
economy.
Governors from across the country,
during their recent three-day confer
eflces at Lake George. were clear In
their minds about only one or two
things regarding the immediate politi-
cal future. One Of these things is that
President Eisenhower still stands well
withthe American people, who pay less
attention to what New Deal critics and
writers say than to the fact that the
country is at peace and Is still able
to function without increasing taxes.
Gov. Meyner Of New Jersey, Demo.
crat who won election In his State last
November the first Democrat 10 hold
Cnat ONCE In yearS-inSiStS that the
results OF the congressional elections
VIII depend upon the individual popu-
larity Of the candidates, rather than
upon national issues. To bolster that
view, he pointed to the fact that in
1852, with the country swinging sharply
to Gen. Eisenhower for President, the
Democrats were able to obtain almost
an even break in the congressional
elections.
Small Change Seen.
If the New Jersey Governor is cor.
rect in his estimate, the change in the
political makeup of the new Congress
Will pc mighty small. AS a matter Of
TACT. many OF these races for Congress
are likely to be settled on personalities,
as Gov. Meyner suggests. His own vic
tory last year had virtually nothing to
90 with national politics. He won be-
cause Of gambling scandals which broke
and smeared Republican officials and
political leaders.
another reason why the change In
the political makeup Of the new Com
greSS may be small lies in the fact that
the Democrats, in their 1852 showing.
garnered as many seats in the House
and Senate as their party strength en-
Titled. In other words, II the Democrats
were 80 or 40 seats behind the Repub-
IlcanS in the present House of Repre-
sentatives, the probability Of their max
ing considerable gains would be much
larger.
BY no means all the Governors
agreed with Gov. Meyner that national
issues would not be decisive in the
congressional battle. And of one thing
most OF them were positive-that the
state of employment and business next
october. and of the voters pocketbooks,
would settle many of the contests for
senator and Representative. Nor, APP
parently. does Gen. Eisenhower 20
along with the New Jersey Governor
in his prediction that national issues
Will not materially affect results of the
coming election.
The President is pinning his hope for
Republican victory on the Eisenhower
program Of legislation and administra-
ton. BY the time Congress adjourns. a
major portion of this program will have
been put into effect. Enough of the
program, however, will still require ac-
ton. The President in his campaign.
ing will point to what has already been
done-and call for election of a new
Congress to complete the job.
No More Socialism.
The Eisenhower program, as a mat
ter OF fact, looks to the interests of
the people, without seeking to set I'D
more socialisic government. It has gen.
orally been well received-despite the
tact that some Old Guard Republicans
paint 1t as too liberal, and the New
Deal Democrats say it is not liberal
enough.
Gov. Byrnes of South Carolina, who
led the revolt in the South against Adlai
Stevenson and supported Gen. Eisen-
mower two years ago, declined to be
stampeded into an attack upon Gen.
Eisenhower because Chief Justice Earl
Warren, an appointee of the President,
wrote and handed down an opinion
which sounds the death knell of Segre-
cation in the Nations schools. He
pointed out that eight other members
OF the Supreme Court-all appointed
bWRoosevelt and Humankind joined
in that opinion
One Cnlng CnaC worries Democrats
from the North and West. however, is
the fact that this anti-segregation deci-
sion has come during Republican adj
ministration, and at the hands of
Republican Chief Justice. They have
not yet been able to determine for
themselves whether the Negro voting
population in States of the North and
West will feel an urge to return again
to the political party which gave their
race freedom in this country. The Negro
vote is the balance of power in many
of the districts and States. This vote
has gone Democratic for the most part
during the Roosevelt Truman 20 years.
Decidedly, next November's political
riddle still remains to be solved.