Rules & Raving

The Eisenhower forces had another occasion last week to raise their voices in pain and anger. From Washington, the Republican National Committee sent eleven disputes over delegates back to Republican state committees for decision. Basis for the action: a party rule which says that arguments about district seats must be settled by state conventions or committees, and that only delegate-at-large contests can be considered at the national level. The horrified Ikemen pointed out that their complaint, in practically all cases, has been that Old Guard Taftmen controlling state organizations are trying to freeze out Eisenhower delegates. The committee's action, they said, was letting the accused judge their own crime.

Glee & Pain. In high glee, Taft & Co. promptly brought up a fact which only intensified the Ikemen's pain: the rule under which the committee acted was adopted in 1944 and indorsed in 1948 when the Dewey forces, now backing Ike, controlled the party machinery. If the Dewey rule holds, the number of contests the Ikemen can bring before the convention itself will be greatly decreased.

One reason for the Eisenhower forces' anger was quickly demonstrated. A day after the national committee's announcement, the Louisiana State Committee met in Shreveport to settle the seven cases the committee sent back to it. There to hold the Taft fort was John E. Jackson Sr., who for 23 years has bossed the Republican party in Louisiana, quietly keeping it small so he could hold control until the day when there would be some patronage to pass around.* On hand to plead the Ike cause was John Minor Wisdom, a fiery New Orleans lawyer, who has been trying to enlarge the party and wrest control from Jackson.

The old Jackson-Wisdom feud became a Taft-Ike battle early in 1951, when Wisdom started persuading Democrats who liked Ike to switch their registration to Republican so they could take part in party caucuses and conventions. Said he: "Your vote might decide the next President."

Taftman Jackson saw what was going on, and began wooing Democrats, too, but Ikeman Wisdom had a head start. When it was time for this year's party meetings, Wisdom had the upper hand. But whenever Jackson's faction were outvoted, they bolted, held their own rump sessions. Result: contesting Jackson & Wisdom delegations to Chicago.

Last week, when the Jackson-controlled state central committee met to consider the seven contests sent back to it, Wisdom & Co. knew they were fighting a losing battle, but they tried. Wisdom was on his feet during most of the session, objecting to everything, including the fact that the meeting was being held in Shreveport instead of New Orleans. At that, Shreveport's fiery Judson M. Grimmet (who at one point threatened to hit an Eisenhower man) brandished his walking stick and shouted: "You would think we were on Koje Island." Replied Wisdom: "That's right. It is like Koje Island. We are prisoners of the state machine."

Two New Ones. The committee did not get around to settling the seven contests. Instead, it created two more. It decided that one previously uncontested district convention was illegal because it had not been advertised properly. On that basis, it unseated the two Wisdom-Eisenhower delegates, named Jackson-Taftmen in their place. Next week the committee is to meet again to act on the seven contests. No one in Louisiana has any doubt about the outcome: in all cases, it will decide for the Taft delegates.

After all last week's furor about the contests, Bob Taft came forward with a bit of his philosophy about such cases. Said he: "I may say that as far as ruthless treatment in conventions is concerned, where the Eisenhower people had the power, they have used [it]. I see no reason why, if the Taft people are in control, they should not do the same."

* Ikemen pointed out that New Orleans, with a population of 600,000, had only 309 registered Republicans in 1950 compared to about 12,400 when Jackson took over. In all Louisiana there are only about 2,000 Republicans.

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