Henderson daily dispatch., 1946-11-08
Purely Ridiculous

II is amazing that man of the
intelligence OF Senator Fulbright. OF
Arkansas, would seriously suggest
that the President of the United
States resign from office merely be-
cause am election overthrow his
partys control of Congress. To listen
to MIR. Fulbright. one might sup
pose that this election has set a pre-
ccdelt in the United States, which.
of course, il has not. To dignity the
senator's proposal with even care
full consideration would be 10 that
extent loss Of faith in the Ameri-
can political system.
The same goes for Marshall Field.
publisher OF the Chicago Sun, who
has more money than sound politi-
cal judgment.
President Wilson had hostile
Congress the last two years OF his
term in office, but no one suggested
that he resign in favor of a Re-
publican chief executive President
Hoover was confronted with The
same situation in the two years i'm
mediately preceding the Roosevelt
era. No one suggested that he step
down in favor of a Democrat.
This whole suggestion. from both
sources, imprcsScS us as Il case Of sour
grapes, or chagrin. or something of
the kind. 1t sounds like the talk of
gentlemen who in their intense
anger that the people have changed
their minds arc shouting irresponsi-
bic statements FulDright and Field
both arc playing the role of child
in expressions to which they have
given uttcran-e. They seem 10 over
look the fac: mat the sovereign
voters of the nation have the same
right to their own opinions as citi-
Zens as these gentlemen do to theirs
The senator and the publisher are
showing themselves poor sports and
sorry losers. if not actually intol-
Grant. Moreover, one can read be-
tween the lines that their utteranccs
emanate from q die-hard spirit of
New DealiSm. They are fair weather
birds: with them everything is love-
ly so long as they are sitting on top
OF the heap debating and the wind
is blowing toward them. The people
OF the country have changed their
minds and have moved back toward
the middle of the road, as was their
privilege. and as they ought to have
done long ago. and may have but for
the domincering influences of such
a towering political figure as the late
President Roosevelt. 1t is by no
means certain that the results would
have been vastly different even had
Mr.. Roosevelt still been in the White
House.
Information at the Executive
Mansion is that the President will
not dignity the suggestions to the
extent Of giving them consideration.
or even discussing them. For that
we admire Mr. Truman. We share
his view, too, that to appoint Re-
publican as secretary Of state and
then resign so that q Republican
could become President, would be
running out on the job, as surely
II would be.
We can have far greater admi-
ration for Mr.. Truman IL he elects
to carry his fight to a hostile Con-
gress. with the aid of his own party
members. Even TO compromise with
them and to modify his course, for
the sake of harmony and to avoid
a legislative staleruate. is much to be
preferred as against running out.
After all. Mr.. Truman was elected
vice-president by the nation for a
four-year term, with the definite
knowledge that he would become
President In event of Mr.. Roosevelrs
death. In effect, therefore, the people
eiected him President. To resign be-
cause Of the trend Of the congress-
NAL balloting would be little short
" cowardice, and, while the Presi-
A1t my be . weak man Ia his