Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-16

Republican defeat Just suffered
the toy produced by one of the
the conference table toward thu
President, suddenly gave poin
and direction to the whole pom
derous hindsight discussion.
The background of the Stor!
begins in the weeks before Mr.
Eisenhower's Inauguration il
1858. Even then he was preoc'
cupied with the need to win thu
1954Selections. His aim was tt
provide legislative program 81
acceptable to the country tina
it would furnish a political UNI
brella over Republican candi.
dates for Congress in 1854.
By the time Congress had gont
into its second session in 1854
Mr.. Eisenhower had considerably
stiffened his attitude toward thai
body. For he was now fighting
for his program. And since this
was largely a middle of -the-roao
program. as he liked to call it
it was being roughly jostled by
both Democratic and Republican
congressional traffic moving in
both directions. Those on the
right were complaining that il
went too far and those on the
left were crying that It did moi
60 far enough.
But when this very point was
made to Mr.. Eisenhower at q
legislative leaders meeting or
May 10, he answered:
i feel pretty good when I'm
attacked from both sides. L
makes me more certain that In
on the right track"
Tots Up Batting Average
BY the summer of 1854, ad.
ministration leaders felt theil
big trouble was that up to ther
none of the issues raised Offered
Republican congressional can.
didates really successful substi.
tute for Mr.. Eisenhower's per.
sonal popularity. Yet, despite
enormous pressure brought OF
him to agree to campaign per.
sonally, he resisted for l,hat
he felt were reasons of proprl .ty
What changed his mind va.
the eventual enactment by &C /.
gress of substantial part of IL |
Eisenhower program. In fact
the President jubilantly figured
s his batting average for the ses.
sion turned out to be 800, al.
though a more detailed tabula,
ton by Congressional Quarterly
put 1t at .646. In any case, Mr.
Eisenhower now felt he haC
something big to talk about, anc
when campaign time came h,
threw himself into what tn,
most active role any Presidenr
has ever undertaken in an of,
year election. And Vice Presi.
dent Nixon put his shoulder t.
the wheel with 204 speeches il
IS cities.
by golly." the President sale
to James Hagerty. his press sec.
rotary, after the strenuous cam.
paign was over with a fina
election-eve television broadcas
by Mr.. Eisenhower, sometime.
you get tired of all this clackety.
clack."
Republicans Suffer Jolt
Though the Democrats wor
the Congress. the Republican!
showed surprising power in al
extremely close election. They
had expected to lose strength il
both houses. AS it turned out
the Democrats barely won con.
troll OF the Senate through a mel
gam OF two seats, and their mar.
gin in the House was 30 seats
Yet this modest victory in term,
OF total gains was highly i'm,
portant one in terms of morale
prestige, power and promise o.
a comeback from their 1852 de.
feat. 1t was a Jolt to the Re.
publicans.
And now the cabinet was hold.
ing its post-mortem on the cleo.
tions.
The President began by say.
ing a great deal Of thought
would have to be given to specific
means Of corporation with Tho
new Democratic majority. Unit
the administration had time tC
consider the various suggestion,
being made, he said, the bes,
f. course would be TO refrain from
public discussion, except to in.
dorse bipartisanship in foreign
policy.
He told the cabinet he was
planning 10 announce almost