Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-12
What Are the Issues for 1850?
Political Leaders Give Views
BY ISABELLE SHELTON
star STAFF Writer

BY ISABELLE SHELTON
star STAFF Writer
What are the big political
issues, so far as women are
concerned, just a year before
the two national political
conventions get under way?
Fiscal integrity, as applied
to the market basket" says
Senator Thruston Morton,
chairman Of the Republican
National Committee, echoing
President Eisenhower'S Oft
expressed concern for a bal
anced budget.
This budget business"
says Mrs. Clare Williams,
assistant G. o. P. chairman,
hitting the same note.
"Inflation-the cost of liv-
ing-the effort of this ad-
ministration to increase the
interest rate on the public
debt" says Paul Butler,
chairman of the Democratic
National Committee.
1.-THE same issues that in
terest the men," says Mrs.
Katie Louchheim. vice chair
man of the Democrats.
Mrs. Williams suggests
that pocketbook issues are
the great common denomi-
nator that get through to
everyone, but particularly to
women.
THE amount you have to
spend for bread, milk and
children's shoes is not q mat
ter Of partisanship," she de-
clared. Everybody is inter-
ested, women especially, be-
cause they are the ones who
spend most of the paycheck
each week. I think the house.
wife has already gotten the
issues pretty well-the fact
that the cost of living went
up so per cent under PreSi-
dent Truman, and 8 per cent
under President Eisenhower"
Peace Stressed
Peace also was stressed by
both Republican leaders.
Women are awfully inter-
ested in anything hitting
their family" said Mrs. Will
liams. Certainly the queS-
ton Of boys going of to war
or not going off to war hits
awfully close to women. The
Presidents firm stand on
Berlin is another in his long
series Of not backing down
before the Communists"
Mr.. Morton put it this way:
I'VE are pursuing a course
which is intended to insure
peace. The three wars we
have fought in this century
were partly caused by mis-
calculations on the part of
the aggresSor. The President
and the Secretary of State
have tried to make our posi-
ton firm and clear so that
would not happen again."
Mrs. Williams lists several
other issues which she said
together form the pattern of
what the Eisenhower admin
istration has DONE" and
which will help the party
win again in 1860. They are:
Will Help Party
mo activity in Congress on
controlling union rackets;
concern of citizens about the
fact that States are going
broke: the refusal of Com
gress to approve Mrs. Clare
Boothe Luce as Ambassador
to Brazil and Lewis L. Strauss
as Secretary of Commerce;
the fact that this country
under Eisenhower has been
more prosperous than ever
before (the average factory
wage was $67-odd in 1852; it
is $90-odd now, with more
left over for the worker than
ever before): vibrant eco
nomic growth of the country,
which has led to construc-
ton Of more school class
rooms in the last six years
than in the preceding 20; the
Department Of Justice drive
against gangsters and the
Post Office Departments
drive against pornography."
Mr.. Butler puts his infla-
ton argument this way:
Anything concerning the
cost Of living is of particu-
lar interest to women. The
effort Of this administration
to increase the interest rate
on the public debt, which will
necessarily result in increased
interest rates on private and
individual debt, will add fur
Their to the inf1ationary
spiral"
Women will be particu-
larry interested, too, in what
is done about education, pub
lie health and public housing.
he suggested.
A Dissent
Mrs. Louchheim raises q
dissenting voice.
There are no special
'women's issues she says
fatty.
1T is time we stopped talk
ing about women as If they