Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-26
The Political Mill
Active Campaign Role
Ahead for Eisenhower
Sets Up Big Election Issue
In Proise for Congress

Sets Up Big Election Issue
In Proise for Congress
By Gould Lincoln
Any lingering doubt that President
Eisenhower will take part In the CAM
paign to elect the 84th Congress was
brushed aside by his Monday nights
address to his fellow citizens" The
President spoke both as Chief Execu-
tive and as head Of his political party
when he plainly urged the election Of
new Congress which would make pos
sible the completion of the Republican
program. put forward by the EiSen-
hover administration. a@
All along, the President has insisted
that this program, and the record OF
the Republican controlled SD Con-
gress on 1t. should be the great issue Of
the coming campaign. Certainly. he
stepped out to the fullest degree in his
own praise Of the work done by the
Congress, which has now completed it's
second session and will not return to
Washington unless an emergency arises
to demand its presence. In fact, rarely
has President given such praise to a
Congress.
Praises Instead Of Defends.
Every American" he said, "can be
proud Of the SD Congress" He hit q
strong political note when he went i'm
mediately, not to the defense Of the
record Of Congress, but to its praise.
The Democratic attack will come nee
essarily. against that record-and SO
the chant Of some of the Democratic
chieftains, that If the people want to
support the President they had better
elect Democratic Congress, will be
voided. Only political neophite could
contend. without tongue in cheek, that
a Democratic Congress will help to
build up Republican President who
will, in all likelihood. be candidate
for reelection in 1856.
So the issue for the election Of a
Republican-eontrolled 84th Congress
has been made effectually by the Pres
ident. 1t Is wise politically. The Pres
ident's emphasis was placed rather on
the good work of the Republicans in
Congress, particularly the Republican
leadership there, rather than on his
own work as an administrator.
He did, however, lay emphasis on his
statement that his is q fair play"
administration. AS he put it, at the
outset of his administration there was
the feeling that it was time for a new
era of fair play, to treat everybody
alike, to have no favored classes" The
administration, he continued, was
pledged to do everything it could for
the benefit of the 100 million Amer
leans. and not for any single group, any
single area, or any single geographic
section. The President maintained that
the program that has been put through
by Congress is designed along those
lines, too. So the "fair play" admins
tration succeeds the New Deal and the
Fair Deal of the Roosevelt and Truman
administrations.
Sincerity Of Purpose Shows.
The President is a persuasive figure.
His presentation Of the case for the
election of Congress which will make
possible the completion of the program
advanced by him and the Republican
administration. carried by radio and
television to millions of voters, was ef-
fective. It was reminiscent of the
Presidents campaigning in 1852. His
sincerity Of purpose in the interest of
all the people came across as it did
two years ago. If the people want him
to carry on, and are satisfied with con-
ditions under which they have lived
and gone forward during the first 10
months Of the Eisenhower administra-
ton, they will register that satisfaction
next November 2.
I Also, the President had a real record
of accomplishment to talk about. He
did not attempt to go into detailed
discussion of the important measures
enacted by Congress--except in the case
OF the monumental tax revision act.
But he was able to paint with broad
strokes the picture of extension of the
social security laws for the people, the
improvements which may be expected
for the people, and the farmers them
selves, arising from the flexible price
supports system, the fact that the
people will have 81 billion of their own
money to spend as they wish to spend
1t. growing out of tax and expenditure
reductions made by Congress. In fact,
the Democrats have quite job on their
hands to convince the people they
suffer under the Eisenhower admins
tration.