Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-31
The Political Mil
Shivers Victory Blow
To Trumun Democrats
Proves Eisenhower Remains
Popular With Most Texuns
The Political Mil

Proves Eisenhower Remains
Popular With Most Texuns
By Gould Lincoln
Gov. Allan Shivers' denomination for
an unprecedented third term shows
that the Democrats Of Texas still have
mouse for the Truman Stevenson brand
of national Democratic Party leader
ship.
It's something the Democrats of the
North and West may tuck away for
future reference, particularly when the
time rolls around. as 1t will in 1856, for
another Democratic National Conven-
ton.
Obviously, the Democrats of Texas
refused to chastise Mr.. Shivers for his
support of Gen. Eisenhower against
Adlai Stevenson, the Governor of Illi-
nois. in 1852, when Mr.. Stevenson was
the nominee for President of the Tru-
man-Stevenson wing of the party. Gov.
Shivers' opponent in the run-off pri-
mary for the gubernatorial nomination,
Ralph Marlborough, charged that Mr..
Shivers had been traitor to the Demo-
cratic Party because of his support of
Gen. Eisenhower. The liberals in the
party went all out to help Mr.. Var
borough. Mr.. Shivers, during the cam
paign, pictured Mr. Marlborough as the
hand-picked candidate of the CIO-PAC
and the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
The success of Mr.. Shivers should
give Senator Price Daniel of Texas q
warm feeling about the heart. Senator
Daniel like the Governor, was an open
supporter OF Gen. Eisenhower. He was
elected to the Senate in 1852 without
opposition, while Gen. Eisenhower was
carrying the State. Senator Daniel does
not have to stand for reelection until
November, 1858. In the meantime, there
viii be another presidential election,
and Senator Daniel and Mr.. Shivers
will have to determine for themselves
in 1856 whether they will again support
Gen. Eisenhower he is candidate
to succeed himself in the White House.
Still Democrats.
The Democrats, of course, could nom
mate presidential candidate that year
more acceptable to Texas Democrats,
including the Governor and the Senator.
They would probably swing to such a
candidate, for they are Democrats. But
the question remains, will the next pres
idential candidate of the Democratic
Party be Mr.. Stevenson or another
representative of the New Deal-Fair
Deal wing of the party?
Democratic National Chairman Ste
phen A. Mitchell says he sees no
trend" in the Shivers' victory. The fact
remains. however, that this victory was
bitter pill for the Truman Stevenson
Democrats. They had seen Mr.. Shivers
forced into run-oh primary for the
gubernatorial nomination, for while Mr..
ShiverS led Mr.. Marlborough by %, 780
votes in the. first primary, he failed to
receive majority of all the votes cast.
Two other candidates rolled up about
$4,000 votes. The narrow margin of Mr..
ShiverS' lead over Mr.. Marlborough in
this primary encouraged the liberals to
believe that Mr.. Shivers could not win
in two-man race with Mr.. Var
borough. When the showdown came,
however, Mr.. Shivers was ahead by
more than $4,000 votes. Further, the
Shivers' victory will encourage other
Democrats in the South to be indie
pendent when it comes to the selection
Of Democratic presidential nominees
and the presidential elections.
Not an Eisenhower victory.
The denomination Of Mr.. Shivers
was not an Eisenhower victory-al-
though Shivers defeat at the polls
would have been interpreted by the
Truman-Stevenson Democrats as a
blow for the President and sure sign
that his popularity had shrunk ma
terially. Gen. Eisenhower, however, con-
graduated Mr.. Shivers. He necessarily
has friendly feeling for the Governor.
Further, it was the Eisenhower Texas
delegation at the 1852 Republican Ma
tional Convention who, in large part,
made possible the nomination of Gen.
Eisenhower over the late Senator Taft
of Ohio. The Eisenhower delegates were
seated in the convention after bitter
floor fight.
The Shivers victory may have an
other effect favorable to Gen. Eisen-
hover. 1t may encourage Democrats
4AOAA tAlC k9OuJIl w tOtC 1UI ATcll. GllScI-
hower's legislative proposals in the next
Congress, whether the Republicans re-
tain control of that body or it passes to
the Democrats as result of the No
yember elections. It looks as though
Democrats who voted for Gen. Eisen-
hover and who openly supported his
candidacy need not conceal or minimize
their actions in order to continue in
public life.
The chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, Mr.. Mitchell, cracked
down on Wright Morrow, a member Of
the Democratic National Committee,
who supported Gen. Eisenhower. He
insisted that Mr.. Morrow was no longer
a member of the national committee,
although the Democratic State Cen
trail Committee of Texas declined to
accept Mr.. Morrow's resignation.