Evening star., 1955-04-12
The.Politicoi Min
Tennessee Wants Spot
On Democratic Ticket
State Con Offer Party
Kefuuver or Clement
BY GOULD LINCOLN

and the bushes-for a place on the
Democratic national ticket of 1856. It:
has two potential candidates Ter such
honors. its senior Senator. Estes Ke..
fauver, and its youthful Governor,
Frank g. Clement. Senator Kefauver
was rupner-up for the Democratic
presidential nomination In 1852. He is
widely known throughout the country
and has many friends. His political
influence nationally Is far greater today
than that of Gov. Clement Gov.
Clement. however, was Overwhelmingly.
reelected last year for the first four
year term under the States amended
constitution. The 34-year-old Clement
he will be 35 June 2-is the country's
youngest Governor. Senator Kefauver,
too, won an overwhelming victory for
denomination and for reelection last
year. .
The Star poll of Democratic State
chairmen and members of the Demo-
cratic National Committee on presiden-
tial and vice presidential preferences,
published last Sunday. shows Senator
Kefauver as one of the leading con-
tenders for the presidential nomination
next year, whether Adlai Stevenson
seeks denomination or does not. It
shows. too, that Senator Kefauver
would have considerable support for a
vice presidential nomination, also
whether Mr.. Stevenson is the party
nominee for President or not. Gov.
Clement. however, had his share of
support for both nominations.
No Open Break
Up to date. Senator Kefauver and
Gov. Clement have had no open break.
What will happen when it comes time
to pick delegates to the 1856 Democratic
National Convention, and decide
whether those delegates are to be in
structed to support Senator Kefauver
for the presidential nomination, to
support Gov. Clement, or just to go
uninstructed, is still matter of con-,
lecture, There could be real political
war within Tennessee which would
shake the Democratic Party of the
State to its foundations-not that that
would be anything particularly new.
The Governor is rated an eloquent
speaker who quotes the Bible ad in
f1nitum. He has been described as an
old-fashioned Methodist as well as a
vigorous. fighting Democrat. He carries
his religion into his politics. One OF
his frequent statements Is, IF you can't
mix your religion and your politics, :
then there is something wrong with
your politics" The Governor is for
mer State commander of the American
Legion. He got an early start-doing
a lot of things. He passed his State bar
examinations while he was q second
year law student. After graduation he
was accepted as special agent Of the
FBI, although he was under the mini ;!
mum age requirement. In 1943, he
resigned to enter the Army as private. :
He was discharged from the Army as a.
lieutenant in 1916. Almost Immediately :
he entered the political fleld-first as
a 26-year-old appointee to the offlce Of
chief counsel Of the Tennessee Railroad
and Public Utilities Commission.
Age Factor
The Clement supporters have one
definite ainl-to nominate the Cover
nor for Vice President next year. ;
whether with Mr.. Stevenson or some
other Democrat as head of the ticket. /;
They apparently DO not seriously be- Z
lieve he would be Sconsidered for the {.
presidential nomination. largely on ac- :,
count of his age. Indeed. his age may :.
be drag on him for the vice presiden- !.
tial nomination. Under the Constitu-
ton, man must be at least IS years
old to hold the Office of President
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest
man to become President-he was 42
when he entered the White House fol-.
lowing the assassination of President
Mckinley Roosevelt had been Gov
ernor Of New York and then Vice Pres
ident New Yorks Thomas E. Dewey
made his first try for "a presidential
nomination in 1940 when he, Dewey,
was 38. He lost to the late Wendell
Willkie.
The Kefauver people, on the other
hand. are going right ahead on the
theory they have a candidate for the
presidency. If they fall In their OBJ
jective they may find themselves in -,
a good spot to win vice presidential
nomination for the Senator. The two
Tennesseans, Senator Kefauver and
Gov. Clement, are both aggressive de-
tenders Of iva and public power. It
was not so long ago. either, that SEN
ator Kefauver was one Of the very
young men in politics-he Is only 81
now. He was As when he first came
to the Senate. and he had been mem-
ber of the House for 10 years before
that. .
nu@exs>n. l A.>..~..