Evening star., 1955-01-13
The Political Min
President Has Reason
For Not Revealing Plans
Any Announcement on 1856
Would Lessen His Influence


Any Announcement on 1856
Would Lessen His Influence }
By Gould Lincoln
Whether President Eisenhower de- I
sires to run for q second term or not.
political strategy requires he remain q 4
potential candidate. A statement now
or ct any time this year might greatly
lessen his influence and thereby ham,
string the progressive-moderate legisla-
tive program he has asked OF the saith
Congress. Nor would 1t be wise or IN
character for the President to announce
he win seek q second term-at this time.
As q consequence. the President faces
year Of evading run-again questions.
Early in 1856. however, presidential
preferential primaries, with the election
Of delegates pledged to specific presi-
dental candidates, will crop up-unless
State legislatures should change their
primary election laws. If the Demo-
cratic and Republican National Con-
ventions are set for August 81 and
date in September, the States may de-
eide to hold their primaries at later
dates than they did in 1852. New
Hampshire was the first to hold its
presidential primary election that year.
on March II.
A slate Of delegates pledging them
selves to Mr.. Eisenhower may file in
New Hampshire next year without OBJ
tanning the Presidents assent. But the
President, under the existing State law.
will have 10 days in which to withdraw
his name. Former President Truman
had an unpleasant experience in New
Hampshire in the 1852 primary. A slate
Of delegates. pledged to him, was put in
the field by the Democratic organization.
Won by Kefauver.
Mr.. Truman did not give his assent
but he did not Withdraw, either. The
upshot was, delegation pledged to
Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee
who campaigned the State-defeate
the Truman delegates. And 1t was in
New Hampshire's primary that Gen. ,
Eisenhower's presidential candidacy
got its first big boost that year.
The Eisenhower delegates defeated
states pledged to the late Senator Bob
Taft and Harold E. Stassen. Both Sem
ator Taft and Mr.. Stassen campaigned
in the State-while Gen. Eisenhower
was in Europe.
Whether Mr.. Eisenhower will specif.
ically authorize the use Of his name in
the early presidential primaries remains
to be seen. The preference primary in 4
Illinois does not require the assent Of
a presidential candidate to have the
candidates name on the ballot. The
same is true in Minnesota. In Nebraska,
delegate candidates may pledge them
selves to any presidential candidate
they desire-but the presidential cam
didate has 10 days In. which to get his
name on the ballot, as In New Hamp-
shire. wisconsin, another State with
an early presidential primary, permits
the filing OF states Of delegates pledged
to q presidential candidate, but the
consent of the candidate must be OBJ
tanned. A presidential candidate Is
not required to give his assent to have
his name on the primary ballot In
Oregon, Pennsylvania or Florida. In
Ohio. California, Massachusetts,, South
Dakota and West Virginia, however,
such consent is required. In New Jer-
sey. a presidential candidate has six
days in which to get his name of the
primary ballot.
Truman Delayed Statement.
Former President Truman kept the
public guessing about his plans in
1852 until after several of the primaries
for presidential preference had been
held. His II will not run" statement
came March 90. The late President
Franklin d. Roosevelt was more cagey.
though he never declined to run. He
kept his own counsel on this question
for q long time in 1870. when he de-
cided to run for third term. On the
other hand, the late President Cool
idge issued his famous II do not choose
to run" statement in the summer Of
1927--long before the Republican 1928
nominating convention.
The proposal for a late Republican
National Convention. probably in Sep
tember of 1866, advocated by Republi-
can National Chairman Hall and ap.
proved by Mr.. Eisenhower. is expected
to be adopted. The President has
denied emphatically, however, that his
assent to late convention date means
he Is going to run. He pointed out that
any candidate would be foolish to de-
sire q long -drawn-out campaign, and
would prefer . shorter one. II the
choice were his. Certainly, however.
Chairman Hall and the Republican
leaders generally are going ahead with
the late convention date in the full
expectation Mr.. Eisenhower will be
candidate.
Here and there is found q Republic
can leader who hesitates to go along
with the proposed September national
convention and much shorter cam
paign than usual. They say they will
not have time to print and distribute
their campaign literature as In the
past But the use Of television, radio
and air travel makes such methods less
necessary.