Evening star., 1942-11-05
End Of the Road

6b0 VI NItS u\OSO
There is an element of real person.
al tragedy in the fact that defeat
should have come to Senator George
w. Norris at the very end of his dis
tinguished career.
Well into his eighty first year, the
"good gray Senator" from Nebraska
has served in Congress since 1903,
and it is not likely that he really
wanted to make this last race. Had
he held fast to his expressed desire
not to run, he could have retired with
record which few men have been
able to equal. AS it is, he has come
to the end OF the road"-an unhappy
and disillusioned man.
It is difficult to believe, however,
that his defeat involves the personal
reputation which Senator Norris has
read into it. With tears in his eyes,
he told reporters that he viewed the
vote against him as a reputation of
40 years of service. "The most i'm
portant thing from my viewpoint,
he said, lis that righteousness has
been crucified and the people I love
have condemned the things I held
most sacred" If this be the correct
view, then his defeat is indeed
tragedy-not only for Senator Nor
ris but for the United States as well.
But there are other considerations
which offer more probable ex-
PLANTATION.
Senator Norris was beaten in
three-way race, his successful Re-
publican opponent apparently fail
ing to poll clear majority. But the
same thing happened in Nebraska
six years ago, except that Senator
Norris on that occasion was the bene-
f1ciary rather than the victim of
split vote. Another important con-
sideration Is the fact that he was
bucking a strong Republican trend
in his home State. In 1886 President
Roosevelt carried Nebraska by near
ly 100000 votes. But in 1910, al
though Senator Norris was actively
supporting him, he lost the State to
Wendell Willkie by $4,000 votes. And
this trend undoubtedly carried over
into Tuesdays balloting Finally, in
a statement year ago, Senator Nor
ris took himself out of the 1943 race.
II do not feel" he declared, "that
would be doing justice to my State
by trying to hold office after my use
fulness has disappeared. A man
reaches the age when he is unable
to do the work of the Senate. I feel
that I have reached that period in
my life"
It was after this disavowal of de-
sire for reelection that the Demo-
crat, Foster May, entered the contest,
and 1t must be assumed that this
statement of last November operated
to the detriment of Senator Norris on
Tuesday, despite his outstanding
record, his Endorsement by the Presi-
dent and the fervent appeals made
in his behalf on the Senate floor by
several Of his colleagues .,.s..-
But, whatever may be the expla-
nation of the result, there is small
likelihood that this first and last de-
feat can rob Senator Norris Of the
distinction which is justly his. To
greater extent, perhaps, than any
other individual, he has personified
the rise Of the American people to-
ward political maturity. Occasion
ally he has been inconsistent. At
times he has been wrong and short
OF vision. But these were the ex-
ceptions. When the balance is struck
it will be found that he was generally
In the right-an able and often sue
cessful champion of any cause which
he believed to be just.
His defeat, as he expressed it, has
brought him to the end of the DO
litical road But no defeat can rub
out the record that he has made.