Letter from Eleanor Roosevelt to Harry S. Truman

APARTMENT 15-A as WASHINGITON SQUARE, WEST NEW YORK 11. N. Y. FILLING October 6, 1949 Dear Mr. President: From what I hear I am getting rather anxious about the way the campaign is going here for both Governor Lehman and Mayor O'Dwyer. It is quite evident that the Catholic Church is showing no great backing for Governor Lehman and with Mr. Dubinsky anxious to stress the Liberal Party and not anxious to stress the Mayor, I feel that perhaps it would be very advisable if you could combine a big meeting, spon- sored by the other labor groups, in Madison Square Garden, for both the Governor and the Mayor. My chief concern 1s the good of the Party in the future. If in this state, it 1s evident that there has been deffection desertion is in concerned, the from I the am Democratic afraid it will Party by Catholic vote where Governor Lehman mean a a great many of the Jews, some Protestants and some liberals - all of whom will Join the Liberal Party which will weaken the Democratic Party. This kind of thing is bad for our demo- cratic system which should if possible, primarily remain a two-party system. I feel a little responsible for the situation here because undoubtedly Governor Lehman's statement against the Cardinal's letter to me is one of the things influenc- ing the Catholic hierarchy and there are always some Catholics who can be influenced by a word passed down to the priests. I do not k row whether you are being urged to make other speeches here for the two candicates or not, but I do not feel the campaign is going any too well and up-