The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-07-01
Brilliant Record OF Public Seruice Stamps
 Sen. Lonergan As Outstanding Statesman
Opposes Tax Exempt Se- curities, Pollution; For
 Social Security

The little schcool boy who was asked by his teacher to define the word statesman" and to name someone as an example, probably had much less difficulty than the average adult who has visited Washington in the past year, and in the light Of reflection on his- tory endeavored to identify statesman" in the halls of Con- gress.
 The sfsadeS of Webster, of Cal foun and Clay, and many others distinguished Tn their day in the House and Senate, remain to mould a standard for comparison, which, too often, leaves the ob- server confounded if not an out right critic of what he sees.
 The wide variety of pcrsonall- ties, and Of issues and objectiVeS, which has prevailed in recent years to create this confusion, is a result of tremendous econom- ic and social upheavals in the Ma ton which sent to Congress men of such widely different views that their alignments changed overnight from one classification to another. A modern legislator may be a conservative today, and a liberal tomorrow; indeed he may even change positions over night on the same issue and boast that inconsistency is a jewel
 Real Statesmen
 In all this confusion an able writer has described the Seventy fifth Congress, just ended, as having as many, if not more, real statesmen" than any other Con gress in the Nations history, and asserts that the statesman Of to- day must be measured by the way he intcrprets and expresses the will of the people who have elec- ted him, and how he balances their desires in the interest ol the Nation as a whole, more than by any other characteristics by which he may be judged. The longer the period of service the more accurate the measurement.
 Based upon this standard of comparison, Connecticut has been represented in the House of Rep resentatives and in the United States Senate over a period o1 thirteen years, by a legislator whose interpretations Of public opinion in his state, as reflected by his votes, have been so uncan- nily accurate that he definitely can be classified as statesman of the first rank. Augustine Lon organ not only has the bearing and personality of a statesman, Lut is one by every fair test that may be applied
 A product of Yale an able lawyer, of Hartford, Connecticut, and now the senior Senator from that State, Senator Lonergan served eight years in the House ef Representatives, usually being Grafted by his party to run, and always making a name Tor hlm- self on all important issues af- fecting his State and the Nation. While in the House he was a member of the Banking and Cur rency and Interstate Commerce Committees, and rendered im- portant service.
 Record Outstanding
 Elected to the Senate in 1852, Senator Lonergan became the first Democrat from the nutmeg" state so honored in over fifty years. He is a member of the im- portant Senate Steering Commit tee the Senate Finance Commit tee, the Senate Interstate Com merce Committee and the Thom- as Jefferson Memorial Commis- sion, an honorary post. He was chairman of Special InveStigat- ing Committee during the cam paign of 1886, and has record as a hard worker and a close stu dent of government who has eS- tablished high reputation Tor fidelity to duty and efficient ser vice. He has an unbroken record for attending legislative sessions and voting on all bills.
 As a member Of the War Con- gress the Senator, then a Repre- sentative, initiated several mea- sures of benefit to the service men and their families and fol- lowing the close of the war took an active part in the reconstruc- ton program. He was an impor- tant factor in establishing the probation system in the Federal Courts.
 After voluntarily retiring from Congress in 1921, Senator Loner- gan returned to his law practice for ten years. He was elected to the House in l930 and during the Seventy second Congress worked for relief measures. One of his measures provided for the distrl- button by the American Red Cross of government-oWned wheat, pro- cessed into flour, to the needy of the Nation. The plan also includ- cd distribution of cotton gar ments.
 During his five years in the Senate he has worked effectively for a passage of constitutional -