Evening star., 1948-09-26
By NewboId Noyes, Jr.
Sfor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

ST. LOUIS, Mo, Sept. 25.-It hae
been planned as a pleasant little
Progressive Party luncheon in honor
Of Henry Wallace. It turned inte
a tense debate on a most unpleas-
ant subject: Resolved, that q
Progressive's life is not a happy
one"
The debate was little fuzzy
When it was all over nobody wa.
quite sure just what had been de.
cided. But everybody seemed te
sense that, in that soft-lighted Mis-
souri, Room of the Hotel Statler
after the pink ice cream. they hac
heard something more than a few
speeches.
They had, in fact, witnessed 6
little drama which reached righ1
into their minds and picked out into
the light a lot of little thought.
which had been hiding there fol
long time
Pastor Responsible.
1t was the Rev Charles C. Wilson
pastor Of St. Louis Grace Hill
Episcopal Church and chairman O.
the citys Rent Commission. wht
was responsible. He was the lunch.
con chairman. He rose, when the
time came-a man of dignif1ed pro.
portions and careful, thoughtful
speech.
He looked around at the 70-odc
Progressives who, by their presence
occupied about half the seats in the
room, and he told what was in his
mind.
Il see a lot of people" he began
"a lot of people who aren't here
People who were here a year age
when we last met with Mr.. Wallace
good people, sincere people, who
ought to be here. But they aren't.
AS complete silence settled over
the room, DR.. Wilson went on. Why
he asked, were they here, those who
remained? He for one was sorry
he had to be there. He was g
liberal, man who loved people ano
wanted to help them. And liberals
mad a problem.
I'VE are in position" he said
"of being faced with an impossible
choice of compromises.
Tired and Confused"
DR.. Wilson said he rebelled, as a
liberal, against revolutionary uto-
plans and the doctrinaire answers
to the simple and easy answers
thrown at U.s."
He confessed himself tired and
confused"
I'D just like to sit this one out,
he said. I'D like to crawl into a
hole"
But, DR.. Wilson continued, he
heard a voice in the land-a voice
that people was tainted with a Com
munist accent, and controlled by
destructive forces.
Il get little poisoned by the stuff
that comes out in daily propaganda
mills" he said. And then I listen
to the voice.
II find it's not a destructive voice
It's good voice, an American voice
That speaks of peace and simple
human justice
So, said DR.. Wilson, he followed
that voice.
In sense I'm unhappy about it, >
he admitted. Il don't like to bt
identified with destructive forces :.
but can't sit this thing out"
Hadn't Wanted TO Serve.
He said he was in Virginia when
they asked him to act as chairman
at this meeting. He hadn't wanted
to.
But there was this man." he said
going through the South, and the.
were throwing eggs at him. And 81
I said I would"
1t is rare thing to see people
listen to speech, but this audience
hung on DR.. Wilson's every word
The party leaders at the head tabl'
Mr.. Wallace excepted-turned II
glare angrily at DR.. Wilson as h
spoke. This, assuredly, was terrible
heresy. But to those out front j
was great speech.
DR.. Wilson, for all his doubts, hat
put the Wallace case on the only
ground from which it can appeal tt