Evening star., 1942-10-17

Henry McLemors. my solemn woro
Of honor that -"
Wouldn't it be great if the Amer
ican people knew that when Demo-
crat Jones and Republican Smith
pledged their solemn words Of hon
or that they really meant it, and
would carry their high-soundlng
pledge of the stump into the halls
of Congress?
Wouldn't it be great to know that
they were running on the ticket
because they were the best men in
their districts, not necessarily the
best vote-getters, and that those
who put them on the ticket did so
because they felt in their hearts
that their election would best serve
the country, not the party?
Wouldn't it be great to know that
they weren't on the ticket because
of favors rendered in the past, or
because they held the best chance
to swing various kinds of votes?
In other words, wouldn't 1t be
great to know that during the time
when the United States faces its
greatest ordeal that the men who
run it's politics were as clean. as
willing, as anxious to serve, come
what may, as the soldiers who bear
its guns?
Il Il
| What a blessing it would be to
know, deep down, that every Rep
resentative, every Senator, was as
willing to forget self as is the ma
rine in the Solomons, the pilot in
Fortress over France, the Watchout
on a tanker, the commander of a
submarine, the scout in the jungles
of Australia.
listened to talks the other night
by high Republican and Demo-
cratic leaders. Each spoke, and
glowingly, of what the election OF
a Congress made up Of his party
would mean. A Republican Con-
gress would do this, and Demo-
cratic Congress would do that.
The Republican argued that
Republican victory in November
would shorten the war by days,
weeks, even years. So did the
Democrat.
They spoke the same old junk
that Republicans and Democrats
have spoken for years They sound
ed like paid parrots tperhaps they
were) who had listened to all the
party speeches for so years. To
hear them you wouldn't believe
that there had ever been a Re-
publican or a Democrat who had
failed his trust.
AS I listened to them, their voice
carried to the 48 States by radio,
wondered why neither ever spoke of
an American Congress instead of a
Republican Congress or a Demo-
cratic Congress.
J There must be somewhere in this
country a man big enough to stand
before a microphone, or before
reporters, and express the convic-
ton that what is needed now is an
American Congress. There must be
at least one man who is willing to
forget self, pelf brothers on the
payroll aunts in the anteroom on
salary, free stamps and so much
mile transportation money.
This is the time to start choosing
for public Office men who place
country before politics. If there is
man in Nevada, Georgia, Cali
fornia, Idaho, Colorado or any
where else who, by his honesty and
judgment can help bring this war to
successful close, he should be
the man to go to Washington.
Those who believe that two
party or three-party or six-party
system Is necessary to maintain a
democracy in times like these
should ask themselves these ques-
tions:
Does a mother who has sent a
son to war care whether a Repub-
lican or Democrat hastens the day
firing ends?
Does wife who sent a husband,
a girl who sent a sweetheart. care
about the party membership Of
those who direct our strategy?
Does the soldier in the field. face
to face with the foe, give a thought
to who sees to it that he can meet
the enemy on an equal footing?
Does he care whether a Democrat
or Republican places a gun in his
hand, just SO he gets a gun?
These are times for Americans.
not party members.
Distributed byMcNausht Syndicate, Incl