Evening star., 1951-08-03
Butler Election
Tactics Blasted
AS 'Despiicab|e'
Senator'S Report
Refuses to Ask
For His Unseutino
By W. h. Shippen


ator Butler. Republican. of Mary
land, but vigorously denounced
as a "despicable back street type"
his successful election campaign
against Millard E. Tydings last
November.
The facts developed from more
than 100000 words of testimony
during a hearing which continued
for almost two months last spring
were not sufficient, in the sub
committees judgment, to base a
recommendation for the "unseat-
ing of Senator Butler"
The subcommittee. in a 39-page
report. emphas red, however. that
this is not t say that we ap-
prove or condolle certain acts and
conduct in his campaign. To the
contrary, we vigorously denounce
such acts and conduct and recon-
mend study looking to the adop-
ton of rules by the Senate which
will make acts of defamation
Slander and libel sufficient as
grounds for presentment to the
Senate for the purpose of declar-
ing a Senate seat vacant"
Decline Libel Action.
The subcommittee declined &c
act on the request of Mr.. Tydings
that criminal libel action be taken
against Butler campaign hackers
if the evidence supported his ac-
cusations.
The evidence available" the
Senators reported, does not per-
nit us to determine whether there
was violation of the District of Co
lumbia criminal libel law"
Mr.. Tydings in particular had
denounced the Butler campaign
tabloid, From the Record" halt
a million copies of which were
run off on the presses of the
Washington Times-Herald. He
declared the publication was a
tissue of lies" and contained a
composite" photograph purport-
ing to show him in intimate as
sociation with Earl Browder, for
mer Communist leader.
The Senators pointed out they
would have welcomed any infor-
nation that Senator Butler could
make available, but the Senator
did not elect to accept an invi-
tation to testify.
Senator Buffers only appear
ance before the hearings was to
arise to point of personal
privilege" at the outset on Feb
ruary 20 and declare that Mr.
Tydings was making an unjusti-
fled attack upon him The orig
inal witness was to have been Mr.
Tydings, but the Senators granted
Senator Butler the courtesy of be-
ing heard first.
Mccarthy at Session.
The subcommittee, headed by
Senator Gillette, Democrat, OF
Iowa, presented the unanimous re-
port to the Rules Committee at 10
o'clock this morning. All 13 men,
bers attended the executive session
or were represented by proxy.
Senator Butler said, through an
aide, that he would have no COM
ment until he had chance to
study the report. The senator said
he was taking copy of the report
with him on a visit to New York
and would decide later whether
to comment.
Members of the Rules Commit
tee who attended the executive
session included Senator McCar-
thy, Republican, of Wisconsin,
who campaigned against Mr.. Ty-
dings in Maryland on the grounds
that he "whitewashed" his charges
that Communists had infiltrated
the State Department while Mr..
Tydings headed the Senate in
vestigating group.
The Rules Committee adjourned
at II o'clock without acting on
the subcommittee report or set
ting date for future action.
McCarthy's Statement.
In a statement afterward, Sena-
tor Mccarthy insisted that he was
right in calling the Tydings in
quiry in Government a white
wash"
"The administrations attempt
through Tydings last year to
Communists in Gov
ernment did not stick. This years
attempt to whitewash Tydings will
not stick"
All of the campaign material
complained of, Senator Mccarthy
said, was designed to show that
Tydings whitewashed the charges
OF Communists in government. If
Tydings actually was not trying
to whiteWash Communists in gov
then certainly it was an
unfair campaign"
If Tydings was attempting to
whitewash Communists in govern
ment then anyone aware of the
facts who failed to bring them to
the attention of the Maryland
voters would have been almost
equally guilty with Tydings."
There is ample evidence" the
subcommittee reported, "that Sen
ator Butler had actual, personal
knowledge that tabloid news
(See BUTLER, Page A-3.)