Evening star., 1960-04-13
That Man Is Back Aqoin

The Democratic Party'S most eIu-
quent spokesman returned to the hust-
ingS last night. He returned refreshed
by nearly four years Of relative with
drawal from the political stage, and by
a juSt-completed nine-week tour of the
reStleSSly Seething southern half of our
Western Hemisphere. He returned with
questions, with pronouncements and
with challenges pertaining to the state
OF aftairS-domeStic and world-wide-in
this quadrennial year of great debate. He
returned in the manner, and with the
words, OF one who is available" for the
highest honor political party of our
Nation may beStow-itS nomination to
be the President of the United States
Adlai Stevenson, twice defeated for
the presidency but still the titular leader
of the Democratic Party, delivered the
Founders Day address last night at the
University OF Virginia. For good reason,
in the light of the occasion, he paid
generous tribute to Thomas Jefferson
and quoted often and meaningfully
from the spoken and written words of
that great statesman.
If Jefferson were alive TODAY. Mr..
Stevenson said, he would be IAN egg
head, and proud of it." He would be an
advocate, and indeed figure, of vigor-
Gus eaderShip-believing in "the good
sense of the people" and determined to
keep alive their attention ;. by en-
tightening them" This, in Mr.. Steven
sons opinion, has not been done through
seven years of Republican administra-
ton, and he asked of the party in power
to explain:
Why we have lost our once unques-
toned military superiority; why we have
repeatedly allowed the SovietS to seize the
diplomatic initiative why we have fall
tered in the fight for disarmament; why
we are not providing our children with
education to which they are entitled:
why :. all Of our citizens have still not
been guaranteed the right to vote; why
we spend billions of dollars storing sur
plus food when one third of humanity
goes to bed hungry; why we have not
formulated an economic development
program geared to the worldwide passion
Tor economic growth; why we have failed
to win the confidence and respect of the
billions OF impatient people in Asia, Africa
and Latin America; why millions of
<AIHeI4CdIS ledQ DllSnGeQ lives IN our
spreading urban sums why we have
fewer doctors per capita than we did fifty
years ago and pay more for our medical
care than ever before; why we spent more
money last year on tranquiliZerS than
on space exploration. and more on leisure
than on learning; why the richest nation
in the history of the world cannot sup
port the public services and facilities we
must have not only for world power but
for national growth and opportunity.
In the workings of our politics, these
questions may or may not be answered
In the months to come Mr.. Stevenson
himself did not answer them, he only
asked them. But if their asking poses
dilemma to the Republicans, it poses
one also to the Democrats. For the
questioner in this instance not only is
IAN egghead, and proud of it," He is
also the man who drew more than 26
million votes in each of two national
elections, who has carefully cultivated
his stature as thoughtful student of
domestic and world affairs, who is able
this year to remain completely secure
from the risks of preconvention in
fighting, and who is comfortably relaxed
In his availability. 1t may indeed, be
Democrats, more than Republicans, who
will read carefully Mr. Stevenson's words
at Charlottesville and be increasingly
attentive to his well-ordered speaking
schedule of the next few weeks.