 It's time for the Lawn Jean Chronoscope, a television journal of the important issues of the hour brought to you every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a presentation of the Lawn Jean Wittner Watch Company, maker of Lawn Jean, the world's most honored watch, and Wittner, distinguished companion to the world-honored Lawn Jean. Good evening. This is Frank Knight. May I introduce our co-editors for this edition of the Lawn Jean Chronoscope? Larry Lusser from the CBS television news staff and Lewis Banks, an associate editor of Time magazine. Our distinguished guest for this evening is Stephen A. Mitchell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Well, this is a time, as all good Americans know, when the straws whirl faster and faster in the political winds, a time when the chairman of both parties usually declare they can foresee a trend. So we'll ask our guest tonight, Mr. Mitchell, as chairman of the Democrats. Do you really foresee a trend? Yes, I think so. I've difficulty, as I see two trends. One of them is, I think, clearly definable, that favors the Democratic candidates in the Democratic Party over the Republican Party. But the other one disturbs me in that I keep hearing of apathy and of lower registration in some areas than we should like. Well, do you really think there is much excitement about this election and won't a low registration actually hurt you? I think that a high registration helps the Democratic Party. I think the people of this country are predominantly Democratic. I believe that the situation changes in part, to some degree, from one place to another. And it is pretty dangerous to generalize, I think, Mr. and the sir. Mr. Mitchell, what issues do you feel that have given you this kind of new strength that everybody is predicting for you? What particular issue? Anyone? Well, I think there are a number that weigh pretty heavily with people. One is, of course, the economic issue, whether people feel that they are better or worse off with the Republicans in power and most of them are satisfied that they are worse off or that they are uneasy, a little apprehensive about the future. I believe there is a basic issue as to whether people feel that they, our country is more or less secure at the present time than we were in 52. And I think that they are uneasy again, that we feel that they are less secure. There also has been a growing anxiety on the part of the many people of modest means or average means that there has been favoritism shown by the Republican Eisenhower administration to special groups, to big business. This was emphasized, I believe, very decidedly by the Secretary Wilson remarks, lately, by the Dixon Yates deal, by the tax bill, which favored people who received dividends as against those who earned their money by working in a factory or by wages or salaries. Well, now, you've made Dixon Yates pretty much your own trademark. That's regarding the TVA contracts. Pretty much by just asking questions. Are you ever going to be prepared to step up and offer testimony or facts in that case? Well, I've been prepared, and I suggest to you, I have been very direct and very positive and explicit in the statements that I have made, and they have been born out in every single instance. From the beginning by the testimony that has been given before the Anti-Monopoly Subcommittee under a Republican Senator Langer by the news that we've finally been able to get through leaks or by the activities of newspaper men about the various drafts of the contracts. And I, of course, said I was ready when Chairman Cole asked me to testify. I said, of course, I'll testify any time or any place. Mr. Mitchell, if you win control of the Congress in November, that bill, what will happen to it? The Atomic Energy Committee has never signed it, have they? No, they've finally established, they've set the hearing for November the 4th. I was going to say that they set the hearing for the end of early in September, and then they advanced it to August, and then they canceled it. Now they've put it beyond the election. I'm going up to Binghamton, New York, and make a speech which is in the town that Chairman Cole lives in. It's in his congressional district on Saturday night. I'll have some more to say about it. Well, I think an answer to your question, Mr. Lusser, I do not think that Dixon Yates is ever going to build that plan. Well, you know, here's something I don't understand. Senator Fulbright, who is certainly a good loyal Democrat, and with a great deal of integrity, has said that this is a very fine contract, and he's quite happy with it. I think he's misinformed. I think that you should also have in mind that any one who lives in Arkansas is not unaware of the fact that there are certain benefits to Arkansas from having the proposed plan built in that place. But I'm sure that Senator Fulbright is entitled to disagree with most of his colleagues, just as Senator Cooper, a Republican, disagrees with the Republicans. Senator Cooper is very anxious to align himself in opposition to the Dixon Yates contract. Mr. Mitchell, may I ask you a question about what you actually do? Now, a National Chairman masterminds a national campaign, because these are local campaigns. What else do you do besides make speeches as National Chairman? Well, it seems that I have a part of the responsibility for raising the money on which we carry on these activities of the party. It seems to me I'm on airplanes or speaking a good bit of the time. It's true, but actually the largest part of the work is in maintaining contact with candidates and with the leaders of the party and administrative work in the National Committee on this. You brought up a very interesting subject there. How's the money coming in for the Democratic Party? Coming in a little better. We're still a long way behind, and we, of course, will never match the Republicans. But we're doing a little better, and we've been very much heartened by the response that people have given us lately. That brings up another point, though, that illustrates the point I made to you about the favoritism of the Republican administration to big business. I got a letter today that was sent to us by a Democrat who had been solicited by some Republicans for a contribution to the Republican citizens for Eisenhower. And this letter came from Atlanta, says that businessmen are solidly behind our efforts to keep a Congress sympathetic and more favorable, maintain a more favorable atmosphere for business. And in it they had a little envelope that says the story in a nutshell. And in that they have a peanut. And then they say, the money we are asking from businessmen is just peanuts compared to what electing a Republican Congress can mean to business, your business. There's the, I'd say that's the, in a nutshell, is the philosophy of the Eisenhower Republican administration. Not thinking of the people as a whole, and their preference to business has served them, I think has put them under suspicion with the electorate generally. What about the popularity of the president himself, Mr. Mitchell? I think it's been affected too. I think it's been affected, I think generally that most of the people of the country who voted for him or who didn't vote for him wishing well, they'd like him to succeed. They'd like him to be president of all of the people. They sort of identify themselves and our country's well-being with having the president get along well. I don't think he's going to make much difference in this campaign. He hasn't so far and I don't think he will. I think he may get hurt if he gets into it a little deeper. Talking about the philosophy a moment ago, early in the campaign you disassociated the Democratic Party from the Americans for Democratic action. Do you think that that's given you an extra strong push in the campaign? No, I made it clear as I think I should and I think that they would wish to do that they are a separate organization that they're no part of the Democratic Party. I made it clear I thought that we're glad to have their support as that of any group of loyal Americans for our candidates or our principals whenever they agree with them. They're not running us and we're not running them. I don't think they've made any difference. Mr. Mitchell, if you do win in our activities... If you do win in November, what element of the party you expect will be in control of the conservatives or the liberals? Well, I don't think you can answer that question in those terms at all. I think that the Democratic Party essentially is a liberal and progressive political organization. I think there's a place in it for conservatives. Indeed, it wouldn't mount too much if there weren't people of differing points of view. Look at another way, do you think that a Democratic victory would mark an upsurge in the strength of the old God Republicans? I do, I do and I think that's a very important point. I think that there's a wide misconception that a Republican victory would somehow help President Eisenhower. Actually, the Republicans who are running for office whose names are on the ballot would say why this is a mandate for us. Why, see, this is the people like what we're doing and more than half of them are opposing the president. Well, if the Democrats do win in November, are you people going to be friendly to the Eisenhower program? Are you going to be hostile to them on the grounds that... Well, it depends on what part of the program you're talking about or he proposes. A great many of the parts of the congressional record received supportive Democratic votes that couldn't have been enacted without them. There are many on which they were opposed and I think that same thing will happen again. I certainly do not think that there will be a disposition to oppose for the sake of opposition. We, Speaker Rayburn and Mr. Senator Johnson made that clear that we reject the suggestion that there would be a cold war between the president and the Congress. It takes two to make a war and we don't propose to enter into one with the president of the United States on political matters at the expense of the American people, surely. Thank you very much, Mr. Mitchell. Very glad to hear what you had to say tonight. The opinions expressed on the Launcine Chronoscope were those of the speakers. The editorial board for this edition of the Launcine Chronoscope was Larry Leserre and Lewis Banks. Our distinguished guest was Stephen A. Mitchell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. To own a Launcine watch is to own one of the finest watches made anywhere in all the world and yet unbelievably, a Launcine watch is not expensive. There are many outstanding models of Launcine watches priced as low as 70-150. The choice of styles and of models is almost unlimited. For ladies, Launcine creates superb examples of the jewelers art, exquisite in taste and finish, perfect for every dress and for every occasion. 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