| Show I GRASSROOTS Republicans Ignored Nations Nation's Town Home Voters By Wright A. A Patterson I I IN N THE 1948 political campaign Herbert Brownell of N New w York a 4 t the manager of the Warren Dewey campaign was so confident his candidates candidates can can- would receive the farm vote that h he entirely ignored the media of f greatest influence with the farmr farm r vote the town home newspapers He co confined ed hl his bis efforts to secure secure secure se se- cure votes to the m metropolitan centers As a result the v votes les of the farm states turned to the President and that vote reel reelected reelected re- re el elected President Truman by a small margin Dewey and Warren Warren Warren War War- ren were deprived of a victory that they might easily have had hadas hadas as a result of either Ignorance or gross mismanagement on the part of Herbert Brownell The farm vote can never be beO counted O ted in the ballot boxes for tor Republican Republican Republican Re Re- I publican candidates r regardless e That vote lust be sought and the theone theone theone one most influential media through which to seek it is tb the farmers farmer's town home newspaper He knows Ie the town home editor and has Implicit implicit Im im- Im- Im confidence in his political judgment He looks to that hometown paper as his source of political leadership When it is silent the farmer must turn to other sources for political Information and leadership In many manye e cases ses the town home-town paper editor Is sufficiently interested in the reo result re re- 1 0 o suit sult of an election to take lake an active J part in a campaign without any urging but in many hundreds o of cases they do not do so unless the k party asks for tor his s local s support and indicates that he has a local in in- fluence Brownell did not nol ask for lor support from rom these local papers or indicate that hat he ho thought of them as having local ocal influence The Th confidently expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex victory on the part parI of the Republica Republican Republican Re Re- publican candidates was turned into defeat deleal by the farm vote vole in the farm states slates Normally the farmer does not read or follow the political leadershIp leadership leadership leader leader- ship of the newspapers from rom the metropolitan centers The farmer does not know nor has he that same degree of confidence in the thee e editor of the city as is true of that of the home paper whose leadership leadership leadership leader leader- ship he will follow I American farmers as a class do donot donot donot not believe in socialism as an American Am policy They are not willing willingto to divide their two goats or two cows or acres for which they have worked and thriftily saved but they can take the socialistic medicine with less of ot a grimace grimac than they can take being ignored The farm voter believes his vote is Is wanted wanted when those opposing socialism by any name or in any form m. are supported supported supported sup sup- ported by the home town home to rn papers Such support was not asked for by Brownell In the 1948 1916 campaign campaign campaign cam cam- and the electoral vote of the farm states l largely went to the President on his personal appeal to the farmers and his promise of of continued continued con COD subsidies Will the Republicans and the opponents opponents opponents op op- of socialism make the misI misI mis- mis I take ake made in 1948 by again Ignoring the town home papers through which to appeal to the farm vote Should they do so I am placing my money on the President as the victor in his race for a third term If It those in charge of the Republican Republican Republican lican campaign invite support for their candidates the chances for success will be much improved and the chances for the President again succeeding himself greatly lessened Should that be done socialism as a apolitical apolitical apolitical political issue will vill be dead Candidates seeking the nomination nomination nomination nomina nomina- tion of either or both parties will do well to realize that the hometown hometown home home- town papers can materially aid in securing delegates to the nominating nominating nominating ing conventions as well as in providing providing providing pro pro- viding votes at the November elec elec- tion tio-n. In the towns and on 01 the farms the town home newspaper exerts a powerful influence as a collective media The answer Is up to the candidates and to whoever may be named to conduct their campaigns Birds of a feather feather It It would not be fair to indicate that President President dent Truman Is lacking In n integrity and honesty because some of his cronies of former years whom he appointed to government jobs proved themselves to be crooks 1 The army of ot bureaucrats continues contin contin- ues to grow and will until the votes are cast next November Senator Taft proposes to fight for forthe forthe forthe the electoral votes of some of the southern states if U he wins the Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican nomination |
