Evening star., 1954-11-11
The Political Miu
Mccarthy Issue Puts
Many Senators on Spot
Either Woy censure Vote
Goes, II Will Be q Bitter Pill
By Gould Lincoln

VSSf ~ U0 - 0ssSs -"
By Gould Lincoln
The Mccarthy issue. which went
underground during the congressional
election campaign, has sprung full
blown into the Senate chamber itself.
It was too hot for senatorial candi.
dates to except that one. Clif.
ford T. Case, New Jersey Republican,
whom the Senator from Wisconsin tried
In vain to defeat.
Except for Mr.. Case. the candidates.
Democratic % well 81 Republican.
SHE'D away.
They ran neither es pro-McCarthy
nor as anti-McCarthy. In conse-
quence, Senator McCarthy's name
rarely hit the headlines in those days
Of frantic campaigning. Senator Nc
Carthy himself made no campaign
speeches or appearances. His only
contribution was an eleventh-hour
appeal to his followers to vote for Re-
publican candidates for Congress
except one. And while he did not name
the one. 1t was Mr.. Case.
Very Much Alive.
II the public was lulled into belief
that the Mccarthy issue was dead or
dying, 1t was an error. Since the Sem
ate met last Monday in special session
to consider the censure resolution put
forward by the Watkins special BIZ
partisan committee, the Capitol has
been overrtln by friends and enemies
Of the Senator. No televiSion or radio
carries the Senate debate over Joe
otherwise the country would be treated
to another spectacle, with many of the
earmarks Of the Army-McCa hear
ings.
Up to date, however, the atmosphere
Of the chamber has been more sedate,
more dignified-and perhaps less ex-
citing than the all-too-familiar COM
mittee room in the Senate ONCE Build
ing. Nor is the Senator from Wis
consin permitted Interruptions Of the
same character and number. After
all, the proceedings have as one an
nounced purpose restoration Of "sena-
torial dignity"
One Senator, Bennett Of Utah, Re-
publican colleague Of Senator Watkins,
chairman of the censure committee,
went so far as to urge his colleagues
to look upon Senator Mccarthy as
"Mr. x" so that they could be more
objective and judicial in their consid-
Grafton and action upon the censure
resolution. "We are not here" said
Senator Bennett. ito pass Judgment
on fellow Senator-but to try issues
which involve o man whom we should
impersonalize as Mr.. x" Joe Nc
Carthy, however, does not fit-not even
a Senator could stretch his imagina-
ton far enough to encompass "Mc-
Carthy equals x" or "X equals Nc
Carthy." The whole issue is permeated
with passion on both sides. for and
against Senator Mccarthy. Senator
Mccarthy himself has become the most
controversial character in the country.
Passion and prejudice will be terrifi-
cally difficult to omit from the final
decision.
Talk Of "Compromise."
Already there has been much talk of
"compromise" e"-though how 1t Is pos
sible to so amend censure resolution
as to make it compromise has not yet
been made clear. It is perfectly true
that many Senators. deep down, would
like to avoid vote of censure against
Senator Mccarthy. It would be more
proper to say, they would prefer not
/, to, vote on such a resolution. Delay by
filihuster until the deadline date-weeks
away-for action on the censure reso-
luton might be tried, although Sena-
tor Mccarthy has made 40 such play
But with nothing before the Senate to
fiY1n0 f1a
luton, 1t is almost impossible to string
out the debate so long.
At the present writing, many Of the
Senators believe the adoption of cen
sure is inevitable. And II the vote
were taken today, that is the way 1t
would go. Many other issues, however,
which seemed doomed at the outset of
q Senate debate have taken reverse
turns In the end. Two that come easily
to mind are the final defeat Of the
League Of Nations Covenant, proposed
by the late President Wilson, and the
defeat OF q resolution, reported by O
Senate Privileges and Elections Com
mittee, denying Senator LANCER Of
North Dakota. Republican, q seat In
the Senate. In both cases, only q hand
full Of Senators were recognized as
opponents of either resolution. AS de-
bate continued. however. the picture
changed, until in the end the league
proposal ended In dismal failure, and
Senator LANCER was triumphantly
seated-and is now chairman Of the
important Senate Judiciary Committee.
AS some Senators regard the anti
Mccarthy resolution, its victory or de-
feat will be bitter draught. Victory
will mean cheers by the Reds and fell
low travellers. Defeat viii mean Sen.
ator Mccarthy in the saddle-and
higher in the saddle than ever before.
They wish the issue were not before
them.