Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-17
The Political Mn
President Leaves Door
Open for Nomination
Says Now Is Not the Time
To Be Thinking About 1856
The Political Min

Says Now Is Not the Time
To Be Thinking About 1856
BY Gould Lincoln
Sherman Adams, the assistant to the
President. stepped on the political gas
q few days ago when he told the Citi-
1ens for Eisenhower Congressional Com
mittee that President Eisenhower might
not run again in 1856 If q Democratic
Congress were elected next November.
Speculation that the President had be.
come disguised with the lack Of sup
port from some of the Republicans in
Congress: that he would welcome an OPP,
portunity to step aside and begin q
well-earned rest after many years in
the service Of his country; that he had
always been in his heart "one-termer"
sprang UP in the twinkling Of an eye.
The President himself declined to
give Mr.. Adams suggestion any sup
port whatever, when he was questioned
about it at his press conference yester-
day. He said with considerable empha-
sis he was not casting his mind to 1856;
that he was giving all his attention to
the critical problems before the Amer
lean people, and that to his knowledge
the question Of 1856 and his own polit-
ical plans for that year had never been
facetiously. What the President actu-
ally did was to leave the door wide
open for his denomination.
Allied, in the minds of some Of the
reporters, to this discussion Of 1856 by
the President was his comment when
asked if he had urged Gov. Thomas E.
Dewey Of New York to run for fourth
term. His reply was he had not dis
cussed the matter with Gov. Dewey
when the latter was in Washington
recently.
Up to Gov. Dewey.
But he left the impression he had
talked with Gov. Dewey earlier. How
ever, he insisted that the decision would
have to be made by Gov. Dewey him.
self; that he, the President, was not In
the habit of trying to influence any one
in such decisions. He pointed out that
Gov. Dewey has been for years in pub
lie service and that he had earned Q
right to decide whether he should be q
candidate again. He was asked If he
believed that Gov. Dewey. at the head
Of the Republican ticket. would
strengthen that ticket. His reply was
that obviously Gov Dewey's name at
the head Of the party ticket had been Of
value in the past.
Gov. Dewey has told his friends he
does not wish to run again, but the Re.
publican leaders in New York are de.
termined to renominate him, IL they
can. With special session Of the Leg.
iSlature now out of the way, he may
soon announce his plans.
The impression gained from the
Presidents remarks was that he scarce
ly expected Gov. Dewey to run. It
might be suggested that, since the Pres
1dent accords to Gov. Dewey the right
to decide, after long years of public
service. to step aside and into private
life. he might himself feel at liberty to
bow out after one term in the White
House. That. however, is obviously not
the way he is thinking, and would be
out OF character.
Presidency Sought Him.
The President did not in the first in
stance seek the presidency. It sought
him through the many leaders, Repub-
hcan, Democratic, and independent.
who urged him to run. He ran because
he believed that there was q job to be
done to get this country back on the
right track. It's inconceivable he would
decline to be q candidate for q second
term. with the job perhaps half done.
Certainly the failure of the Republicans
to elect the next Congress would not be
a reason. Nor would it necessarily mean
defeat for President Eisenhower in
1856.
Former President Truman, in 1916.
halfway through his first term in the
White House, saw the Republicans take
over both the House and the Senate.
Two years later, Mr.. Truman was re-
elected. Other Presidents have suffered
party reverSals in mid-term and have
run again.
Just where would the Republican
Party find itself in 1856 should Presi-
dent Eisenhower decline to run? Chief
Justice Earl Warren, former Governor
OF California, seems completely to have
removed himself from the presidential
race, despite the fact he might be q
strong candidate If nominated. He
would not treat the great ONCE he now
holds so shabbily as to quit it, for poll
tics. Gov. Dewey, twice the party'a
nominee for President, If he is re-
elected Governor, or If not, would have
much support but also strong opposition
particularly from the Midwest. Vice
President Nixon, Senator Knowland oil
California. Republican leader Of the
Senate, and Senator Dirksen of Illinois
might all enter the picture. And Sena-
tor Joe Mccarthy of Wisconsin ua-
doubtedly would be backed by q fol-
lowing. The Wisconsin Senator. how
ever. keeps his feet on the ground when
considering his chances for the presi-
dency, or for presidential nomination