A Novel Invitation

Many campaign-hardened Illinois Democrats wagged their heads sadly four years ago when Adlai Ewing Stevenson was picked by their leaders as the party's candidate for governor. A socialite lawyer with a quiet conversational manner, Stevenson was an amateur in practical politics, and he seemed to have no promise as a colorful campaigner. Furthermore, he had been away from the state for nearly seven years on Federal Government jobs. Although five generations of Stevensons had lived in Illinois, he was sure to be labeled a striped-pants product of Washington. But he soon soothed the professionals' fears. He got folksy with the voters, slugged mightily at "corruption" in the administration of Republican Dwight H. Green, and won by the biggest majority ever given an Illinois candidate for governor.

Four years later, Illinois organization Democrats began to worry again. Their new fear: that Stevenson might not be their candidate. The governor, whose deepest interest has long been foreign affairs (he served with the U.S. delegation to the United Nations General Assembly and as a special assistant to the Secretary of State under Byrnes and Stettinius), seemed undecided whether he would seek a second term. The party leaders, expecting a strong Republican vote for President, were sure they would need him to win the statehouse. He has been one of the best governors in Illinois history, has slashed the Green-padded payroll, brought in able aides, begun rehabilitation of Illinois' potholed highway system, improved the schools, opened the way for city manager governments, started streamlining the state government.

Last week Stevenson once again quieted the Democratic quivers. He announced that he will run for governor again, and for good measure added a deft campaign statement: "I invite the Republican Party to nominate the best man it can find. It is of little importance whether the next governor of Illinois is named Adlai Stevenson, but it is of highest importance that we finish what we have started. No matter who loses then, the people will win."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.