Vice Presidents Days

The 1948 campaign began in earnest last week at Illinois' sprawling state fair. There Republicans ate high off the hog, while Democrats got sow belly.

Vice-Presidential Candidate Alben Barkley was the big attraction for Democratic Day. Illinois Democratic leaders hoped that Barkley would stand the farmers on their ears with a great speech--the way he had roused the convention at Philadelphia. But Barkley was a flop.

No Steers. During his 24 hours in Springfield and environs, he caused little stir, was not asked for a single autograph. At the reconstructed Lincoln village at New Salem, the head guide asked politely: "And where are you a Senator from, Mr.--er--Barkley, wasn't it?"

The Senator was rushed in & out of the fair grounds before he had a chance to admire a steer or sample a jar of piccalilli. He did visit a giveaway radio program, where he dutifully kissed the Toni (wave) Twins ("Which Twin Has the Toni?").

Barkley's speech was a long, careful review of the Democratic farm record. The Democrats, he told the farmers, were responsible for their 1948 prosperity, the Republicans for their 1932 misery. After 45 long minutes, the speech was over. The applause was perfunctory. Shortly thereafter, Barkley left for his home in Paducah, Ky. Scarcely anyone noticed that he was gone.

Boars & Lemonade. Hard on his heels, the Republicans' Earl Warren breezed into town followed by 6,000 whooping Republicans who had come down from Chicago in four special trains and twelve buses. Governor Dwight Green had the full treatment ready for Earl: a motorcade of 25 cars, a brass band, a platoon of state troopers, and aerial bombs. The grandstand was packed to overflowing. Warren spoke easily and informally--and for only 18 minutes. The crowd liked him fine.

Then he toured the fair the way a political candidate should. Escorted by Green and Illinois' Senator C. Wayland ("Curly") Brooks, he ate California grapes, munched a hamburger, downed chocolate milk and lemonade. He posed with, but refused to kiss, the Toni Twins. "That would be like Jim Folsom," he explained. He laid a hand on the back of a 1,500-lb. grand champion Hereford bull, awarded a silver platter to the owner of a prize boar, and shook 1,650 hands in 55 minutes. At every stop, he was mobbed by autograph seekers. Illinois Republicans could not have been more pleased.

Almost unnoticed at Springfield was Progressive Day. Vice-Presidential Candidate Glen Taylor drew a crowd of only 300 people, but they were enthusiastic. He assured them that the Russians "desperately crave peace," ended up by singing a duet with his wife. He sang It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary while she gave out with "What you gonna do when the rent comes 'round?" Witnesses declared it was more sensational than anything the fair could offer--the two cows made of butter, or even "Hitler's and Eva Braun's Love Car Worth $30,000 in Which They Intended to Escape."

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