Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-01
The Political Mn
Republican Campaign
Geored to Eisenhower
Democrats Attempting
To Undermine President
The Political MIN

Democrats Attempting
To Undermine President
By Gould Lincoln
The Republican campaign Of 1855 Is
being geared to President Eisenhower.
More and more the Democrats are
coming around to an understanding
they must face Ike at the polls next
year. Hence the increasing attempts
to undermine both the President and
his program-one of the most recent
being the $40 income tax slash quickie.
The President was quick to go to the
mat on that, calling the action Of the
Democratic House leadership the height
Of responsibility.
How much Of an issue this proposed
Democratic tax cut will be and how
effective as vote-getting proposition
is problematical. In some measure this
will depend upon whether the tax cut is
actually carried into law. or whether 1t
remains just q Democratic gesture Of
good will to the small taxpayers. Not
all tax cuts have won elections. This
the Republicans understand quite well.
Back in 1913. the Republican Both
Congress put through q tax reduction
bill, notwithstanding the opposition Of
President Harry s. Truman. That
Republican measure, by raising the
personal exemption of income tax
payers from $500 to $500. knocked some
million low-bracket income taxpayers
of the taxpaying list entirely. The
same law gave double personal exemp-
ton to taxpayers IS years of age and
over which took more than million of,
provided for joint returns by husband
and wife and cut tax rates by 1875 per
cent to the lowest income brackets and
5 per cent to the highest. The pending
Democratic income tax cut will, it is
said, relieve AZ million taxpayers from
the payment Of income taxes, and cut
taxes for all the rest-$20 for each
taxpayer and each dependent.
Didn't Work in 1913.
What happened at the polls in 1913?
Did the voters rush to the support of
the Republican presidential candidate
and the Republican congressional
candidates? They did not. Not only
Wdo 4ACoAuCIG IEsClCCtEu over
Republican Thomas E. Dewey, but the
Democrats made rs net gain in House
seats. and a net gain of nine Senate
seats-taking over control of the 8lst
Congress. Nor did the Republican tax
bill of 1854, with its reductions, bring
G. o. P. victory in the congressional
elections last year.
Senator Goldwater Of Arizona, who
heads the Republican Senatorial Cam
paign Committee for the 1856 campaign,
is the latest party leader to go all out in
his prediction that President Eisen-
hover will run-and that he will win.
The Arizona Senator recently startled
some Of his colleagues by reporting to
the Republican National Committee
that ten of his Republican colleagues
up for reelection faced probable defeat
at the polls unless things picked I'D for
the G. o. p. The report was based on
statistics. giving the Republican voting
figures for 1850 as compared to those
for 1954-two "off year" elections, with
no presidential contest. Senator Gold
water; apparently. believes in being
realistic. OF course, he did not say
things would fail to pick up for the Re-
publicans next year. And obviously, the
fact that he expects Mr.. Eisenhower to
head the party ticket again Is the chief
reason he believes the chances of the
Republicans candidates will improve.
How Big an Issue?
While Senator Goldwater believes 1t
Is too early to say what will be the
major issues Of the 1856 campaign, he
is not inclined to give the present Dem
ocratic tax cut scramble too important
place. He does believe, however.
that peace and prosperity-if they
continue-will be dominant issues in
the coming campaign. To these he adds
the personal popularity of the President
to give what he considers an unbeatable
Republican recipe.
Meanwhile. the game of politics on
Capitol Hill goes merrily on. Unless
there should be a real split in the Re-
publicans of the Senate over the tax cut
offered by the Democrats. it may be ex-
pected the cut will fail to carry in the
upper house. Two powerful Democrats,
Byrd OF Virginia and George Of Georgia.
have lined up against 1t, and are ex-
pected to have several other Democrats
with them when the voting begins. The
Democrats look askance at the Presi-
dents school and road programs, and
at his health program. Not because
these programs are not needed. but
because. the Democrats say, they do
not 60 far enough. Here again, the
Democrats hope to make political hay.
They must watch their step, however.
for IT they carry opposition to a point
where all legislation fails, they will play
into the hands of the President and
Republicans-who predicted that the
election of Democratic Congress in
1854 would lead to stalemate and no
accomplishment.