Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-24
Senator Byrd Bosks In
Rleusdnter Climate
Eisenhower Policies Seen
Close to Virginiun's Views
By Fronk R. Kent

By Fronk R. Kent
Whenever, in these days, any one re-
calls the great principles that once were
regarded as basic and Interchangeable in
this Government. there invariably arise
shrill cries Of pain, protest and dis
paragement from the professional
liberals" the union labor propagan-
dists, the spokesman Of various special
groups and the congenital demagogues
who infest American politics to
greater degree today than ever before.
The amount and character of the
denunciation that flows from these
sources is really extraordinary. A
talent for narne-calling has been de-
veloped. forming itself into pattern
that is in use pretty well across the
country but particularly favored by the
pro-New Deal columnists and COM
mentators. A favorite expression is to
accuse the culprit of wanting to take
the Nation back to Mckinley" He
is also charged with being "reac-
tionary," an "Old Guardsman," a tool
of Wall Street." an enemy of human
rights" and an ''unenlightened back
Ward-looker."
X
All these names-and some others
have been used to describe Senator
Harry F. Byrd, of Virginia, whose great
crime is that he has consistently and
effectively fought against waste of the
public's money in every form since
1888, when the big spending spree
began. Always in a minority in the
Senate-and sometimes alone-Senator
Byrd has never ceased to fight the
"give-away" idea and the welfare
state" Admittedly he has saved the
United States hundreds of millions Of
dollars. Now, with a Republican Presi-
dent whose views are far closer to his
own than either of his two immediate
Democratic predecessors, and with an
administration which has at least
checked our trend toward national in
solvency, he still Is fighting.
The unwilling compromises Of the
present President, which Senator Byrd
refuses to make. may be accounted for
by the fact that the responsibility Of
getting his program through rests on
the President and not on the Senator.
Nevertheless. the record will show the
Senator as the one man in Congress
who through the years has most con-
spiciously and consistently held to his
convictions, despite all the pressure the
White House and special groups could
exert. He never has given an inch.
Perhaps the silliest thing ex-President
Truman ever said was his press con-
ference declaration that there are too
many Byrds in Congress-"
If there were a few more Byrds in
Congress now the Eisenhower program
and the country would be much better
off. The whole "give-aWay" and sub
sidy policies inaugurated in 1888 were
and are-abhorrent to Senator BYRD.
But with one out of every eight persons
in the country receiving Federal money
in one form Or another. there seems
no chance ever to get back to the fun
damental principle enunciated in 1887
by the great Democratic President.
Grover Cleveland IN vetolng a bill
appropriating $4,000 for special dis
tribution of seeds IN certain drought
stricken counties OF Texas, Mr.. Cleve-
land, after conceding the need for re-
lief, expressed himself as follows: And
yet / feel obliged to withhold my ap-
prevail of this plan to indulge benev-
olent and charitable sentiment through
the appropriation of cubic funds for
that purpose. can find no warrant
for such appropriation in the Consti-
tuition, and do not believe the power
and duty of the general Government
ought to be extended to the relief OF
individual suffering which is in no
manner properly related to the public
service or benefit. A prevalent ten
dency to disregard the limited mission
of this power and duty should. think.
be steadfastly resisted. to the end that
the lesson be constantly enforced that
though the people support the Govern
ment. the Government should not sup
port the people"
That still is a sound principle but it
has been too long discarded to return
to now No one in either party advo-
Gates any reduction in the social Sc
curity system. On the contrary, the
President is recommending a large ex-
tension thereof. However, the Eisen-
hover administration has ended the
piling up of Federal employees, has 3e-
duced the number of jobholders by
more than hundred thousand and,
with the Hoover Commission. is work.
ing toward further large elimination
of duplication and waste. More than
any other single man. Senator Byrd is
responsible for this change in direc-
ton. For the first time in 81 years,
though they differ on details, he has
a President who agrees with him in
principle on the vital question of Fed
eral finances. Too much water has
gone over the dam to get back to
Cleveland but they both know he was
right when he wrote those trenchant
words: Though the people support the
Government, the Government should
not support the people"
nal Servitude. He had been on trial