Evening star., 1954-05-07

Johnson of Texas, party leader
in the Senate, carried much OF
the attack on the Republicans
Gov. Dennis j. Roberts of Rhode
Island and Miss Rosalind
Wiener, youthful Los Angeles
city councilman. completed the
list of speakers.
With expected unanimity. all
the speakers and Mr.. Stevenson
in his message predicted Demo-
cratic victory in. the November
congressional elections. Mr.
Stevenson wrote:
"The Democrats who have
been lucky enough to get to
Washington this week have bad
an unusual opportunity. They
have made an inspection trip,
so to speak, along the main
front in which the struggle for
sense and sanity in our national
policy is currently being con-
OuCteQ. ..
Our party in the past year
and a half has given this Ma
ton an enduring lesson on how
a responsible minority party
ought to behave
II can only hope that this
demonstration in responsible op-
position will have its due effect
on the other side of the aisle.
I say this because I have no
hesitation in predicting that the
Republicans will have consider
able experience as a minority
after November of 1854!
Seldom. I suspect, has the
Nation, needed more of this
kind of responsible. tough
minded and courageous opposi-
ton than it does today. And
seldom has it been more difficult
to sustain party equilibrium and
steady purpose in the face Of
the inceSsant barrage of false
hood and insult to all Demo-
Gratis which cannot hide the
confusion, contradiction and
impotence within the majority
party. q
I'm the months ahead, we
must resist more reSolutely than
ever policies and programs which
jeopardize our national eco
nomic stability and growth,
which construct the civil liber-
ties and traditional freedoms of
individual Americans, which
weaken our national defense
and which darken, confuse and
obscure a leadership abroad on
which the security of freedom
depends. Let us remember that
we are most true to ourselves
and to the Democratic Party
when we are most true to our
Nation and to the American
people,"
Party Stalwarts on Hand.
Nearly all the great and near
great of the Democratic Party
were present at this, the first
Jeferson-Jackson Dinner since
March, 1852, when Mr.. Truman
made his announcement he
wound not run again. The for
mer President recalled that in
1852 the Republicans were de-
manding a change"
do you like it." Mr.. Truman
asked. with an impish grin, "as
we'll as you thought you would?
/ had a bunch of cattle feeders
and farmers come to see me in
April last year. They were in
distress and wanted help, and
why they came to see me, I do
not know. I was out of office
and just a private citizen with
out a job. I asked them how
many had stayed with the party
that had made them prosperous
in their old age. They lowered
their heads and did not answer
me-"
The former President tried a
little history on his audience
He told them mot a single Re-
publican President ever finished
two terms except Gen. Grant, a
military President (Which drew
more laughter). I wonder how
many of you know that Abraham
Lincoln did not run for his Sec
ond term on the Republican
ticket. He ran on the American
Union ticket so as to give the
Democrats in the North a chance
to vote bit against George Nc
Clellan, which they did. Study
your history and keep the well
fare of the country in mind anC
remain loyal to the Democratic
Party and the country and the
world will be safe"
Senator johnson, hitting the
administrations foreign policy
said New York advertising