Evening star., 1936-02-29
BITTER ORATORY
The Senate Votes mo" on Acrimony in Political
Campaign, but Not Unanimously and
Probably Without Broad Effect.
Bv Helen H. Elliott.

TINE Senate votes against an acri-
monious political campaign in
1886. Its verdict on the sub
ject is unofficial, of course.
Moreover, the feeling of the Senate
on the dement's of acrimony may have
absolutely no influence on the con-
duct of those who climb upon speakers
stands to exhort the American voters
this year. In fact, it is unlikely that
1t will.
Not even all the Senators will be
guided by any majority opinion on the
subject. Some of them feel that in
vective, even when they prefer to call
1t indignation" has its rightful place
in the political arena. They intimate
an intention to use it, regardless of
what their colleagues, or their enemies,
feel.
Party lines collapse when Senators.
individually, not collectively, strike
an attitude on the question: Is there
any advantage in acrimony in q
political campaign?
Democrats and Republicans alike
say there is not, while other Demo-
Gratis and other Republicans take a
firm stand with one foot on each side
Of the issue.
There is Senator Carter Glass, for
instance. Now Senator Glass, Vir-
ginia Democrat, is man whose vocal
chords have vibrated to some of the
strongest, albeit decorous, words in
the mother tongue. Where does he
stand on the advantage of acri-
mony?
II think" he says, there is such a
thing as righteous indignation" The
matter, as far as he is concerned,
rests there.
On the Republican side, but speak
ing for himself, as Senators do in
this sort of thing, Senator Gerald p.
Nye, North Dakota, questions the
value of acrimony.
Il don't think that manner of
thing helps the perpetrator of it," he
says. THE perpetrator may at mo-
ments be helped by it, but in the long
run it doesn't get the results"
THEN there is Senator j. Hamilton
Lewis, the perennial contribution
Of Democracy in Illinois to the north
wing of the Capitol. The vocal prow-
ess of the sartorially perfect Senator
Lewis has been recognized nationally
for decades. He has been the quip's
complete master throughout his long
public life; and that does not refer
merely to the merry quip, but to the
stinging one. But Lewis goes on record
against acrimony. He says:
"I've lived through many bitter
political campaign. I've been Demo-
crat in Republican precinct for many
years. I've never known calling peo-
pie names to win an election, nor has
acrir1ony ever made VOTE
There speaks the man who during
the course of the late Huey Longs
final f1lihuster nearly hoored the fiery
Louisianian.
Senator Smith of South Carolina
takes an altogether different atti-
tude toward acrimony. "Mud-sling-
ing" is his word for it. however, and
he regards mud-slinging as part of
the entertainment" of any political
campaign.
Senator Bennett Champ Clark, Mis-
souri, Democrat, looks upon acrimony
as one of the inevitabilities of the
rough and tumble of politics. More
over, he Is not one to say it does not
have value, even though his personal
preference Is that ''it always is to be
avoided if possible" He thinks,
though, that it makes votes, FIRST
and last"
Tartness of speech when the oc.
casion calls for it is one of the ideas
which newspaper readers associate
with the name of Senator Bilbo, Mis-
sissippis mouthpiece. OF acrimony
he says:
IF a man tells q lie about any issue
or any man, and you tell him he's a
Glldt 4Sli dCI Ao AOAAS oS
people lie, acrimony is unavoidable
The sole purpose of language is to
get the idea over to the public. Strong
Anglo-Saxon monosyllab bic words dc
that. They cut and rip"
Senator King Of Utah votes for rea-
son and serenity in political oratory
but he rather feels he is on the losing
side in so voting. "No campaign
where there are important issues al
stake was ever conducted without
acrimonious discussion. It is regret
table that political questions cannot
be discussed without bitterness" The
bitterness, he feels, obscures the truth
which the ballot marker needs for his
guidance.
CSENATOR BLACK of Alabama:
- Sometimes there is an advarl-
tage to the side that is being maligned,