The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-08-01
just Among Ourselves


Strictly modern discussion of the recent activi-
ties in Chicago: did YOU go to either of the
ventions?" NO, ! stayed at home and every
thing" Not long ago. such an exchange of remarks
would have seemed babble from Bedlam
Lowell Thomas, who spoke from the CHS
troll the night of the Stevenson nomination,
said that many newspaper men found that they
could get better "coverage" for their papers by
watching TV sets than by sitting III the press
box in the convention hall.
Television has actually turned the eyes of mills
lions upon what has heretofore been, Of necessity,
a spectacle for the few. The old time delegate
TO a national convention may not have done much
with his vote fraction of vote but he could go
back home and command respectful and admiring
audience for his absorbing story Of big doings in
big town. Now his audience knows more about 1t
than he does
We must wait to sec the practical effect of our
Widened horizons Perhaps the eyes of the elector
atc, and their ears as well may keep politicians
and statesmen in the right paths perhaps not
Time and TV will tell. And perhaps all the fuss,
and the universal goggling al the modern hShbowl
of public affairs, may be merely the occasion for
fresh meditation upon the words OF Wisdom: THE
bewitching of vanity obscureth good things"
AT all events the two conventions this year we're
immensely popular shows. The producers of regular
ly scheduled programs sweetly cooperative
surrendering their time without murmur The hub
bHb OF the wrestling ring yielded TO the hullabaloo
of the political arena. Some slightly bemused OBJ
servers and listeners not conscious of any diff
ference
The innocent and uniformed participant in the
great TV audience must have been impressed by the
fortnight and sweeping claims of the opposed par
ties. During the first convention, it manifest
upon the testimony of tireless men willing TO give
endlessy of their information and vocalization that
the Party-lnPower is completely corrupt, and has,
for all the years of its reign, been bent solely
upon the destruction Of the country. During the
latter convention it equally manifest, by au-
thority of great who went hoarse telling us so
that the Aspiring Party (who have done nothing
but aspire for two decades) is poscrously evil
without single decent detail in all its plans and
purposes
A person of cynical tendency might think of
Hilaire Belloe's little quatrsn "On Greet Election
The accursed power which stands on Privilege
(And goes with Women and Champagne and
Bridge
Broke-and Democracy resumed her reign
(Which goes with Bridge and Women and Cham
pagnel.
In each convention, it was clear that the tenn
porary chairman did a more capable job, during
his long incumbency than the permanent chairman
did when he finally took over. But, after all, the
temporary chairman had only one impossible task
to perform. The permanent chairman had in addi-
tion 10 his pave duties to direct / lot Of backstage
activities which call depending the mood of
the momenO either diplomacy or skulduggery.
Neither of the two permanent chairmen was able
to maintain a position of regal impartiaty; each
quickly manifested his personal leanngs.
But there was one official whose task ives per
formed with sricest justice, 'unawed by influence
and unbribed by gain" His was the even voice of
infinite patience, aioof, unhurried Seren~ amidst
the war of elements, the wreck of matter, and the
crush of worlds" This was the tally-clerk His un.
waverinR and monotone, as he recorded
the votes OF delegations and of delegates was some
thing 10 tie TO. Ii solid thing fact; not an ar
gument not piece of persuasion not choice bit
of mud flung at the opposition The ersevering
voice of the tally clerk gave all an that
there's hope for the country yet Here steady
and indomable devotion to duty, a calm and reso
lutte facing of reality whether pleasing or unpal
atahle
The galaxy of first string orators gave evidence al
they flashed their luminous cosmic rays sunspot'
or StarSpotS There lots OF mSprcnounced words
Most of them spoke of our allies" and some usec
the word status though its first syllable shoulC
rhyme with hat instead of with hate" Ever
the names of candidates were manhanded. Is i
"ESenhotper" "Ezen bower" or "Esen-are2" Doe
one say "Keefahver" "Ke.tdhver," IKE foe.ver," o
"Key1affer7" Who knows?
For wayerng souls, there should be lesson il
the undertaking devotion and unbendng brass, o
the phalanx of convention photographers And 70
aspirants to the office of Paul Pry and Tom Trouble
maker the example of walkietalkie reporter
should prove helpful Ana for those whose norma
habitat is the woodwork the people -creepie boy
must have stirred nostalgia
They were great conventions. We shall no
look upon their like again--until 1856 Meanwhil
we must satisfy our somewhat morbid appetit
with less exciting things, such as atom bombs an
flying Saucers.