Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1941-07-31
Might Be
|Wrong-BUT|
by p. G. Stromberg;

Inc not WORDS USED last week
by Secretary of War Stimson
and the fiippant retort of Sena-
tor Wheeler are overshadowed
by this weeks developments.
With the statement on the Sem
ate floor by Senator Wheeler
that there was no intent to send
postcards to soldiers and the
War Departments investigation
showing that not more than
two hundred cards had p ached
soldiers, Secretary Stimson gave
out a statement 'regretting"
his remarks and thirteen Sena-
tors delivered themselves of
orations condemning Mr.. Slim
sons effort to "smear Senator
Wheeler" So far as official
Washington is concerned the
affair is probably considered
closed. Not SO, however, with
the American public. The use
Of the Senatorial franking privi-
lege for purposes of propaganda
sponsored by any group of citi-
zens for any purpose should be
prohibited. Extreme cases al
ways bring imperfections to
light. Also the abuse of any
privilege always tends to create
a demand for restriction of the
privilege. An analysis of Sena-
tor Wheeler permitting the
mailing of A MILLION CARDS
under his franking privilege will
show that the Post Office De-
partment (already burdened)
was required to handle approx
mately three tons of mail FREE
which should have provided
$4,000 or possibly $4,000. To
carry the uses Cor misnse1 Of
the franking privilege to an
extreme let's suppose that every,
U. S. Senator permitted his
name to be used similarly. We
would then have NINETY-SIX
MILLION PIECES OF MAIL.
or nearly THREE HUNDRED
TONS. And if every Congress
man in turn permitted his
franking privilege to be used
IN like manner FOUR HUN
DRIED AND THIRTY-FIvE
MILLION MORE ARDS
would clutter up our mails.
This, added to the Senatorial
bulk, would weigh almost
TWO THOUSAND TONS
and would represent loss to
the Post Office Department of
not less than FIVE MILLION
DOLLARS. 1t would also mean
that every man or woman who
voted in 1910 would receive an
average of eight to ten of these
pieces Of mail.
The argument in support of
such use of the Thanking priv
lege defeats itself. 1t is pre-
posterous to stamp such prac-
tice as within the rights of
Senators.
In all his efforts to change
the attitude of the American
people, Senator Wheeler has
used every means at his COM
mand to becloud the issue and
ignore the facts. He had his
day in court and he ably pre-
scented his case. He was among
the very small minority. He
should accept the verdict of our
chosen representatives and prove
his claim to championship of
democratic principles by actions
NOT by words. To have his
patriotism a subject of discus
sion among his contemporaries
is in itself sufficient to cause
him to ponder the wisdom of
his course. In our courts the
fact that a mans character has
never been discussed is in itself
evidence favorable to the sub
ject.
Russia-with all her crimes
against religion and her efforts
to overthrow other governments
by revolutions-is today playing
the unwilling role of fighting
the battle of Christianity and
democracy. There are many who
do not conceive this to be true,
but any thoughtful analysis can
lead to no other conclusion.
Nazism and Hitler are the pres
ent foes. Stain and Communism
are far the lesser evil.