The Sidney herald., 1956-09-20

Helena-"Practical politicians"
who say Congressman Orvin B.
Flare is politically naive and
~unrealistic are correct, if one is
to accept the Machiavellian doc
tribe of expediency in which the
end justifies the means. But if
we believe that the public well
fare is i'll served by sacrificing
principle to expediency, or by
compromising ideals for the sake
OF winning an election, we can
not but applaud the young con-
CHEESEMAN'S answering adherence
to his concepts of right.
When this Big Timber Republi-
can was chosen congressman in
1854, I barely knew him per-
sonally. l was aware, of course,
of the national recognition he had
been accorded in American Lee
gion and Junior Chamber of
Commerce activities, and l was
conscious of his political mex
perience and of the difficulties
he might have keeping afloat in
the treacherous political cross
currents of Washington.
So from the viewpoint of prac-
teal politics, / and others had
misgivings about Orvin Flare, the
young idealist who SO eloquently
and with so much zeal preached
the gospel of Americanism. His
idealism had yet to encounter the
establishments of politics in
practice, and l wondered whether,
when his political survival was
at stake, he would yield to the
practical considerations of the
situation. There is nothing to sug-
gest to me that he has yielded.
l have not always agreed with
the position Congressman Flare
has taken, but W. since it has
been apparent to me that he does
his own thinking and that he
does not back away from what
he believes in, l have ~fervently
admired him for his courage. This
same admiration is implied by
a friend of mine in Washington
from whom l have received the
following comment on Congress-
man Flare:
THAT boy is honest and sin
ere He has the courage of his
convictions and refuses to COM
promise his principles. Not al
ways good politics, but if ever
u country is to be saved 1t
will be by electing men with
character"
To the CONSERVATION of some
ranking Montana Republican pol
iticians - and the glee of some
- Congressman Flare
proved the courage of his con-
victions when he opposed a bill
to pay the Crow Indians $5,000,000
for land for the Yellow Tail dam
in Big Horn county. He
commended the Indians should get
just compensation for this land,
to be determined by court review,
but that the $5,000,00 settlement
would be a sheer "give-away"
in no sense based on equity.
Having in mind that Governor
Aronson, the states two senators
and the other congressman were
all on record for the a%ppropria-
ton, it took no little of what is
vulgarly called CUTS for Flare to
this bill. In the dominant
" Republican Billings area, where
he prevailing opinion seemed to ]
be that construction of yell
dam would be of sub
economic benefit, there \
was a great clamor for the ap-
oropriation, but there was some
dissent too. !
President Eisenhower's thinking (
n the matter must have been
n tune with that of Congressman
flare, for in his message Veto !
ng the bill he set forth rela- :
lively the same attitude that 1
flare had expressed. The con- !
FRESHMAN has deliberately made 4
he vetoed bill an issue in his /
,ampaign for reelection. ,
Orvin Flare is no yes-man for n
he administration. For instance, q
lie does not exactly see eye to i
we with Secretary of Agriculture +
Benson on the soil bank law, nor =
las he hesitated to prod the Sec 4
etary to get the department o
unctioning in the Montana Q
situation. In what is a "
more touchy situation SO far as =
he administration is concerned, II
Congressman Flare is critical of d
What he considers our govern n
unwarranted generosity II
With foreign aid funds. q
Whether Orvin Flares forth 81
ightness is good or bad politics y
!, for the November 6 election TO Il
isclose. The odds seem to be
gainst him now, but it is not a,
Unlikely that his chances will R
improve as the campaign pro- r
1t is not to be denied II
nat he has a tough adversary in II
Leroy H. Anderson of Pom II
era county who in 1854 lost to n;
jare by only 1908 votes. Sen ST
tor Anderson, as he did two
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