Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-02
The Political Min

SGUOtOIIUl SlulGSiIIUH
Congress Will Long Remember
colorudun's High Principles
By Gould Lincoln
Without search of the records, 1t is
still pretty safe bet that only one
man served two terms as Governor Of
his State, served 10 years as Senator Of
his State again as Governor. That man
Is big Ed" Johnson of Colorado.
His final job as Senator was dealing
with the Mccarthy censure resolution.
as a member of the Watkins special COM
mittee. His final speech in the Senate
was in support of the special commit
tees recommendation that Senator Joe
Mccarthy of Wisconsin be censured be-
cause of his treatment Of his coll
leagues, of a Senate committee. and OF
Gen. Ralph w. Zwicker. After mention
ing the many great speeches. delivered
by many great Senators he has heard
over the years, Senator johnson, with
customary modesty, said: Here I now
otdk10 dCl1ECl 41AS SWAN oSAes = AGA
its only distinction win be that 1t is my
last speech.
He was wrong. His speech was q
model of fairness to Senator Mccarthy
and to Senator McCarthy's targets.
Further, it was redolent Of the re-
spect and love Senator johnson has for
the Senate as great democratic body.
It was reminiscent of that proud pro-
nouncement of the late Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, when he
told a great audience in Boston: 81
am a Senator of the United States"
"For Tomorrow"
"I shall speak," Senator Johnson
said, mot for today. but for tomorrow,
and all the tomorrows during the life
of the Republic that the United States
Senate will face. Most Americans right
fully deem it a singular honor to be
a. Senator of the United States OF
America, for no political institution
in all the world or in all human his
tory surpasses it, or ought to surpass
it, in democratic procedures and ma
tion-wide prestige. Long experience
has demonstrated that democratic par
iamentary achievements require dig
nified atmosphere where mutual re-
spect among its members is forever
present. The Senate must ever remain
the citadel of courtesy and dignity.
This is the way found 1t when came
here and this Is the way I want to
leave it when I return to Colorado"
Senator johnson expressed regret
that "in all good conscience" the spe-
cial committee had to bring in SO
severe report on Senator Mccarthy.
He gave Senator Mccarthy credit for
alerting the Nation to the menace of
communism in Federal employment and
in the Army. He admitted that Senator
Mccarthy had been severely tried by
his failure to obtain the information
he sought in the case of Fifth Amend
ment Maj. Peress," but he criticized
Senator Mccarthy sharply because
Senator Mccarthy referred to Gen.
eral." Senator johnson insisted that
the Senate should take no step which
could weaken the investigative powers
of the Congress and it's committees.
At the same time. he told his col
leagues: 1.-THE taunt, the name calling.
the guilt by association, the pompous
derision, are the stock in trade of the
totalitarians, the governmental system
which free men despise."
1t was no excuse for Senator McCar-
thy, he maintained, that other Senators
in the past have infringed upon the
decent decorum and dignity OF the
Cor1ofo xfyifHnY.f hny hnoV,
by that body. Such an argument. Sem
ator johnson contended, was like a
demand that a man who had COM
mitted a crime be allowed to go free
because another who, too, had COM
mitted similar crime had not been
prosecuted. He derided Senator Nc
Carthy's attempt to escape censure by
wrapping himself in the cloak of anti
communism.
Typical of johnson.
Indeed, 1t was Johnsonesque speech.
the speech of an independent who
thinks for himself and with honesty
as he sees the issues. For in all his
service, as Senator and as Governor,
Senator johnson has shown that inde-
pendence. He has never followed
blindly. In 1910, he supported the can
didacy of former Senator Burton K.
Wheeler for the Democratic presiden-
tial nomination. Twelve years later, he
was the manager of the campaign to
win the Democratic presidential nomi-
nation for Senator Russell of Georgia.
He came to Washington and the
Senate a strong supporter of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt. But he broke
with Roosevelt in 1887 over the SUI
preme Court packing bill. His service
in the Senate has been many sided He
has been intensely interested in ma
tional defense and at one time was
chairman of the Senate Military Affairs
Committee and endeared himself to
many of the GIs. But he has been
strongly opposed to system of uni
versal military training. Baseball has
been one of his interests. When the
Western League baseball circuit was
revived, he was chosen its president,
serving without pay. AS chairman of
the Senate Interstate and Foreign
Commerce Committee, he took an en-
couraging part in the development Of
color televiSion
Senator johnson, independent as
ever, is leaving the Senate to return
to Colorado voluntarily-becaus Mrs.
.TnhncnY1 MO- fa% ~ rro 10 al