Evening star., 1940-08-07

would not be at all surprising if he
repeated that performance this
month.
The reason is simple-Hiram
johnson is the greatest liberal in
American public life today. No man
can match his record. His career as
Governor of California as a foe of
the political machines and bosses
has been followed by % years in the
United States Senate, during which
he has supported liberal legislation
irrespective of which party spon-
sored it.
Specifically under the New Deal
regime, the California Senator voted
for the social security law, the Sc
curities and exchange laws, and the
Wagner labor relations law, as well
as for lot of minor measures of a
progressive nature sponsored by the
administration. The greatest act of
liberalism, however, to the Senator's
credit was his refusal to vote for a
bill that would have permitted the
President to pack the Supreme
Court of the United States in the
year 1887. 1t turned out that Mr.
Roosevelt was able in subsequent
years by means of vacancies to place
five men on the Supreme Bench, but
as for the court bill itself Hiram
Johnson's record is as clear-cut as
any progressive could wish.
Isolationist Attitude.
The President may have been
thinking about Mr.. Johnson's
vigorous opposition to the court bill
because of which other Senators
were designated for purge" in the
1888 primaries by the New Dealers,
or he may have been thinking about
the CaLfornians well-known isola-
zionist attitude
This correspondent has never
agreed with Senator Johnson's views
on foreign policy and has written
again and again that the johnson
Act, ferbidding credits to foreign
countries defaulting on war debts
was a mistaken piece of legisla-
ton, but differences of opinion on
foreign questions are by no means
determinative of whether man is
a conservative or liberal or
whether he is friend of the COM
mon people or of the seekers after
special privilege.
Senator Johnson has maintained
his convictions and his principles
against any and all overtures from
pressure groups. The Senator takes
his stand and fights honorably for
his views. He is highly regarded
by his colleagues in the Senate be-
cause of his fearlessness and his
independence of spirit. 1t would be
a drab world if everybody in Wash
ington agreed on everything and
1t would hardly be a liberal Gov
ernment If the legislators were
picked for public Office through the
influence of the Chief Executive,
the retention of whose favor alone
would then be factor in the op-
portunity Of public man to win
reelection.
A Fixture in Senate.
Senator Johnson is as much fix
ture in the United States Senate
as anybody who has been there in
the last so years. He can be count
ed on to fight against tyranny or
despotism whether it arises from
the political bosses or the Govern
ment bosses. He is alert at 73-
just as much if not more so than
the present Secretary of War re-
Gently appointed who is 72.
The test of a statesman is not
whether he originates a lot of laws
or puts into effect the bills of special
groups, however benevolent their
purposes. 1t is whether legislator
stands on guard against the in
fiuences, benefcient or otherwise,
which sap the economic vitality Of
the Nation and the integrity of gov
ernment itself.
Senator johnson is one of those
watchdogs of human liberty, who
can be counted on to put aside the
plaudits of the moment for what he
believes in the long run Is for the
best interests of his country. My
own prediction is that the people of
California will repudiate the idea
that Senator johnson isn't liberal
by renominating and re-electing him
for another six years. Therell be
neither Fascism or Communism in
the American Government so long
as Hiram johnson can raise his
powerful voice in the United States
Senate.
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