Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 18, DeMotte, Jasper County, 1 April 1949 — Halleck Calls For Fight To Stop Truman [ARTICLE]

Halleck Calls For Fight To Stop Truman

Indiana Congressman Fires At Administration In Talk Before Editors Representative Charles A. Halleck, senior member of the Indiana delegation to Congress, exploded a bomb in Indianapolis Saturday when he declared: "I am proud to be a member of a coalition that is out to stop Truman.” The . fiery congressman from Rensselaer jarred GOP editors with his intense effort to initiate a move for party harmony at the Indiana -Republican Editoral Association’s 71st annual meeting in the Claypool' Hotel. Shouting, “Y T ou can’t have a strong, functioning economy under the Democratic program they are trying to shove down the throat of Congress,” Hajleck disclosed he was one of the few Republicans ’ who advised Dewey headquarters to “slug it out” during the last election. He explained New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey’s advisers were trying to decide whether I to coast to what they considered almost certain victory or put up a hammer and tongs fight “just in case” when he gave them the advice. By rallying to the standard of individual liberty, the Republican, Party can give the people of the nation what they want, Wheeler McMillen, editor of the Farm Journal and Pathfinder, told the editors. McMillen, who also is president of the National Chemurgic Council, declared: “Those who prefer the American principles that have produced ’unprecedented abundance have little choice at election time any more.” He said the omy way to get away from what he ferhied “Democratic stafism” is for the GOP to stop its “dispute with its opponents over who shall administer the decline of the nation and invite the people to a new century of expanding productivity and ever-increasing real well-be-ing.’’ United States Senator Homer E. Capehart, Indianapolis manufacturer. pictured the Hoosier editors as a sales force during his talk at last night’s banquet. As “their sales manager” he pleaded dramatically for them to bring the party together. “We must forget personalities and fight enthusiastically as an entity for victory in the next election,’’ he said. Earlier in the day during its business session the IREA resolved to strive for .party harmony and iestoration, t of confidence in party leadership. . a “We are not mad at anyone." the GOP editors 4 said. “Neither do we advocate, as some do, driv-.

ing anyone out of the party. We resent efforts to maneuver our association into any factional camp.” “We ask all loyal members of our party to join with us in demanding a unified program which will bring about a Republican victory in 1950 and 1952.” Following their noon luncheon yesterday the Hoosier editors lost the last election. Four Refairs to find out why the fparty combd through GOP party .afpublican politicians and four newspaper executives were heard from. The Hoosier Republican leaders unanimously agreed that their party lost because they Tailed to sell their program to the voters. Walter Helmke, Fort Wayne attorney and prominent party worker, outlined six reasons sor 1 the 1948 defeat. They were: 1. President Candidate Thomas Dewey failed to bring to the voters any distinguishable issues. 2. The party relied on polls instead of appraising the attitude of the voters. 3. The party failed to convince independent and doubtful voters it would serve their interests best, 4. It failed to enthuse workers or enter crusades. 5. The national chairman,, the presidential- candidate _andL-chase-GOP advisors acted as a closed corporation. » 6. No firm and positive stand was taken on any important issues. State Senator John VanNess, president pro tern of the Senate, Valparaiso, called for unification of party ranks, selection of strong candidates and starting to campaign now for’ the next election. He criticized Republican newspapers in the state for failure in the past to get behind the party. “Only with their help can we hope to win,” VanNess said. U. S. Sentor Homer Capehart, who came from Washington to attend the meeting, asserted: “We didn’t work hard enough; we didn’t say the right, things; we didn’t do the right things.” lie predicted that the salvation of the party would be to prove to . the nation that the 80th Congress “was the best in history” and to convince consumers they should “go back to the good days of 1947-48.”