Evening star., 1947-03-26

age to themselves, their unions and
the country.
It is, of course, foolish for minori-
ties not to be united but in every
political majority certain insur-
gency, as a goad, can be extremely
beneficial However, there is another
side to this. Conditions frequently
exist under which insurgency can
do more harm than good. One ex-
ample is when the insurgents,
though able and sincere, are so con-
vinced of their own rectitude and
vision that they regard all who
differ with them as ignorant or
vicious-or both. Accordingly, they
are willing to 60 to such extremes
as completely to nullify all party
leadership, wreck a party program
and convert the majority into a
minority. That promotes legisla-
tive chaos, bad for all concerned
including the great nondiscerning
American people.
Some Cheap and Shallow.
Another example is when the in
surgents, instead of being able and
sincere, are either cheap and shall
low or we'll meaning, though not
very smart men, who have become
insurgents not so much from con-
viction as because of personal rea-
sons or because of the favorable
publicity so easily reaped by the
voluble disSenter.
It is not true of all of them but
1t certainly is true that among the
Republican insurgents in the pres
ent Senate there are several more
easily recognized as belonging in
the latter class than in the former.
1t is little hard to blame them,
because favorable publicity is a
heady drink for most politicians, ex-
tremely easy to grow fond of and
most uncomfortable to be without
At this session, the insurgent Re-
publican Senators have literally
been bathed in 1t. Let one of then
"insurge" just little and a journal
tstic chorus Of the left promptly
proclaims him as liable and inde-
pendent" Those who make a prac-
tice of insurgency find themselves
constantly referred to as great lib
eral statesmen; hard hitting and
Industrious; understanding and
sympathetic; vigorous and forth
right; fearless and sincere;
"broadminded and hard working;
"a true friend OF labor; uncom-
promising foe Of injustice, ETC., etc.
One of them for just one act of
mild insurgency a short time ago
found himself conspicuously men
toned as formidable contender
for the presidential nomination OF
course, that is absurd: but there
are not many politicians who would
not have been pleased-as this one
certainly was.
Judgment Warped.
In most cases these complimentary
descriptions do not fit the subject
at all-but that makes no differ
ence. The Senators, thus buttered
love it, eagerly lap it up, thirstilJ
beg for more. Eventually, this
forces the creased Senator into 6
position where he opposes his party
leadership not only when it /.
wrong but when 1t is right. What
1t does is eventually make the in.
surging Senator the mouthpiece fol
and instrument of the specia
groups and interests, support o.
which Is required by the left-wine
journalists before they refer to any
politician as liberal" or give
him any degree of commentator
The extent to which this game i!
being played with certain Senators
Is so obvious that it Is difficult tt
see why those who are sincere de
not become suspicious. 1t woule
seem that a Senator would have tt
be unusually obtuse not to be aware
Of it. Taking this greasy publicity
as seriously as some of them de
and trying to live up to it has g
tendency to make them ridiculous
The real weakness Of the current
Republican insurgents in the Senate
Is not only that they are being
commanded so1elv hy an eIepnnni