Ask the Scholar
Page 7 of 10
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
EDITORIAL PAGE SO THE PEC
THE DENVER
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 1948
Speaking of DividedHouses
Look at Yours, Mr. Reece!
The Republican high command are either
whistling their spirits up or else they are re-
markably blind to certain portents of disaster in
the shaping of 1948 campaign issues. In their
chortling over the Wallace split in the Demo-
cratic party, they are overlooking a potentially
deep crack in the masonry of the G. O. P.
The superconfident Carroll Reese, chairman of
the Republican national committee, gloats that
the "Moscow wing of the Democratic party has
now parted company from the Pendergast wing.
The battle between the two factions will be
highly interesting and, possibly, entertaining to
the nation-and the nation will be the winner
when both gangs lose."
It may be evident from this that Chairman
Reece finds himself in strange company-with
the divisionary group of Wallace fellow-travelers
who look upon the Democratic split as a means
of electing an isolationist Republican. If it is
true that the Republican hierarchy believes it
can win the 1948 election regardless of its plat-
form and candidate-as Reece's remark indi-
cates-today's Gallup poll should come to it
as something of a jolt.
The survey shows that if the presidential elec-
tion were held today, and the contest was be-
tween President Truman and Senator Taft-
favorite of the Reece group of midwestern Little
Americans-President Truman would win in a
walk. The poll gives Truman 55 per cent, Taft
33 per cent and "No opinion" 12 per cent. Elim-
inating those with no opinion, the vote would
be Truman 63 per cent, Taft 37 per cent.
Even in the isolation belt of Ohio, Illinois,
Indiana and Michigan, where Taft's strength is
greatest, he would draw only forty votes to Tru-
man's fifty. The gap between Truman and Taft
is so great that it is manifestly absurd to hope
that the Wallace insurrection would affect the
outcome.
To be sure, the contest will not turn on the
foreign issue alone. But on the domestic front,
President Truman is in a very favorable stra-
tegic position. Inflation, housing, loyalty and
Jabor are paramount issues. Inflation and hous-
ing will remain sore spots for the year to come,
and the president-whatever the efficacy of his
own cures-will be able to point his finger at
the Republican congress. There is likely to be
little difference between the two parties on the
question of loyalty. On the chief labor issue,
the Taft-Hartley act, the president can count on
official union support because of his veto; and,
at the same time, he can appeal to the general
]
public by the just administration of the act.
Thus Mr. Truman is by no means to be counted
out at this stage of the game, despite the cocky
pronouncements of G. O. P. Chairman Reece. On
the contrary, the Republicans will be well ad-
vised to reflect upon the dangerous division in
their own ranks on the foreign policy issue.
If the G. O. P. leadership allows itself to be
carried away by middle western isolationism
during the coming debate on the Marshall plan,
it will be they, and not the Democrats, who will
suffer at the polls. For, in the east and the west,
they will lose the votes of thousands of inde-
pendent-minded Republicans who understand
the great issue of our time, which is the world
crisis.
Page data
- Page
- 7
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 73ef93f5a8de263e
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 498160185
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "498160185",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498160185",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Letter from Myra Hornbuckle to Harry S. Truman with Attached Newspaper Clippings",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498160185",
"collections": [
"Bess W. Truman Papers",
"Family Correspondence Files"
],
"subjects": [
"Truman, Mary Jane, 1889-1978",
"Truman, Margaret (Mary Margaret), 1924-2008"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-bwt/6171940/6283303/6283303-08-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-bwt/6171940/6283303/6283303-08-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-bwt/6171940/6283303/6283303-08-001.tif",
"imageCount": 10,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "498160185",
"label": "Letter from Myra Hornbuckle to Harry S. Truman with Attached Newspaper Clippings",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498160185"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "498160185",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498160185",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Letter from Myra Hornbuckle to Harry S. Truman with Attached Newspaper Clippings",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498160185",
"collections": [
"Bess W. Truman Papers",
"Family Correspondence Files"
],
"subjects": [
"Truman, Mary Jane, 1889-1978",
"Truman, Margaret (Mary Margaret), 1924-2008"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-bwt/6171940/6283303/6283303-08-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-bwt/6171940/6283303/6283303-08-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-bwt/6171940/6283303/6283303-08-001.tif",
"imageCount": 10,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498160185",
"naId": 498160185,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"logicalDate": "1947-01-01",
"year": 1947
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 7,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-bwt/6171940/6283303/6283303-08-007.tif",
"mediaId": "73ef93f5a8de263e",
"ocrText": "EDITORIAL PAGE SO THE PEC\nTHE DENVER\nSUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 1948\nSpeaking of DividedHouses\nLook at Yours, Mr. Reece!\nThe Republican high command are either\nwhistling their spirits up or else they are re-\nmarkably blind to certain portents of disaster in\nthe shaping of 1948 campaign issues. In their\nchortling over the Wallace split in the Demo-\ncratic party, they are overlooking a potentially\ndeep crack in the masonry of the G. O. P.\nThe superconfident Carroll Reese, chairman of\nthe Republican national committee, gloats that\nthe \"Moscow wing of the Democratic party has\nnow parted company from the Pendergast wing.\nThe battle between the two factions will be\nhighly interesting and, possibly, entertaining to\nthe nation-and the nation will be the winner\nwhen both gangs lose.\"\nIt may be evident from this that Chairman\nReece finds himself in strange company-with\nthe divisionary group of Wallace fellow-travelers\nwho look upon the Democratic split as a means\nof electing an isolationist Republican. If it is\ntrue that the Republican hierarchy believes it\ncan win the 1948 election regardless of its plat-\nform and candidate-as Reece's remark indi-\ncates-today's Gallup poll should come to it\nas something of a jolt.\nThe survey shows that if the presidential elec-\ntion were held today, and the contest was be-\ntween President Truman and Senator Taft-\nfavorite of the Reece group of midwestern Little\nAmericans-President Truman would win in a\nwalk. The poll gives Truman 55 per cent, Taft\n33 per cent and \"No opinion\" 12 per cent. Elim-\ninating those with no opinion, the vote would\nbe Truman 63 per cent, Taft 37 per cent.\nEven in the isolation belt of Ohio, Illinois,\nIndiana and Michigan, where Taft's strength is\ngreatest, he would draw only forty votes to Tru-\nman's fifty. The gap between Truman and Taft\nis so great that it is manifestly absurd to hope\nthat the Wallace insurrection would affect the\noutcome.\nTo be sure, the contest will not turn on the\nforeign issue alone. But on the domestic front,\nPresident Truman is in a very favorable stra-\ntegic position. Inflation, housing, loyalty and\nJabor are paramount issues. Inflation and hous-\ning will remain sore spots for the year to come,\nand the president-whatever the efficacy of his\nown cures-will be able to point his finger at\nthe Republican congress. There is likely to be\nlittle difference between the two parties on the\nquestion of loyalty. On the chief labor issue,\nthe Taft-Hartley act, the president can count on\nofficial union support because of his veto; and,\nat the same time, he can appeal to the general\n]\npublic by the just administration of the act.\nThus Mr. Truman is by no means to be counted\nout at this stage of the game, despite the cocky\npronouncements of G. O. P. Chairman Reece. On\nthe contrary, the Republicans will be well ad-\nvised to reflect upon the dangerous division in\ntheir own ranks on the foreign policy issue.\nIf the G. O. P. leadership allows itself to be\ncarried away by middle western isolationism\nduring the coming debate on the Marshall plan,\nit will be they, and not the Democrats, who will\nsuffer at the polls. For, in the east and the west,\nthey will lose the votes of thousands of inde-\npendent-minded Republicans who understand\nthe great issue of our time, which is the world\ncrisis."
}