Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-03

IA
sounded the call with an inn
passioned speech in which he
said, Il cannot approve of such
slush and slime as a proper
standard Of Senate conduct"
The proceedings, interrupted
by the Senator's confinement to
Bethesda Naval Hospital with
an elbow ailment, and later by
his exchanges that there
had been an illegal check of his
mail. dragged on until Deem
Der 2.
Condemned in Senate
Finally, while thousands Of
Mccarthy supporters. wearing
pins and carrying placaYds,
milled angrily through the SEN
late halls, the vote was taken.
THE Senators declined to CEN
sure the Senator for his treat
ment of Gen. Zwicker. But they
did vote. 67-22, to condemn"
him on two counts. These were:
That he had failed to CO.
operate with the Subcommittee
on Privileges and Elections and
had instead repeatedly abused
the Subcommittee and its mem.
bers," and that his conduct was
contrary to Senatorial tradi-
ton"
That he had, in charging the
Watkins Committee with de
liberate deception ano fraud"
during the course of the debate,
acted contrary to Senatorial
ethics. and tended to bring the
Senate into dishonor and dis
repute, to obstruct the constitu.
tional processes of the Senate,
and to impair its dignity"
His allies were gleeful over the
fact that the final wording "con.
Idemned" rather than "censured"
Senator Mccarthy. He himself
told reporters jauntily, he didn't
feel any different.
Tide Turns Against Him
But it made. in a very short
time. all the difference in the
world.
On December 4. President Fl.
senhower personally congratu-
lated Senator Watkins for a very
splendid job" as chairman of the
special committee.
Three days later, the Senator
"apologized" to the voters for an
'unintentional deception" in 1852
when he campaigned for Gen.
Eisenhower. He accused the
President, in his dealings with
Red China of "a shrinking show
of weakness"
The following year, the Sena-
tors name was conspicuously
absent from the guest list of the
White House reception for legis-
lators. The Press Secretary made
It plain 1t was no oversight.
His decline was not limited to
the oficial social scene.
BY June Of that year, he was
handed an overwhelming defeat
on the Senate floor, when he
ATTEMPTED to push through q
resolution on the eve of the
Summit conference on Geneva
which would have restricted the
Presidents role at the parley.
After a five-hour wrangle, dur
ing which the Senator took on
several members of his own par
ty. including such previous sup
porters as Senator Knowland
(who had voted against the CEN
sure), and Senator Capehart Of
Indiana, the resolution was
knocked down by a vote of TIA.
Senator Fulbright. called the
tally "a further condemnation
of Senator Mccarthy"
The Senator's health seemed
also to wane with his influence
In the country. The emotional
|legions which had flocked to his
side at the height of his power
and his trouble, and which he
had never even bothered to
count. much less organize, dwin-
died away. He lost weight, his
color faded. The old vigor was
gone.
When he appeared for the
opening of the Senate in Janu-
airy, 1857. spectators were struck
by his altered appearance and
subdued demeanor. He opposed
the confirmation of william
Brennan to the Supreme Court,
but Mr.. Brennan was confirmed.
He opposed the promotion Of
Gen. Zwicker but Gen. Zwicker
was promoted.
AS a member Of the Special
Senate Committee investigating
labor rackets. he showed but a
pale shadow Of his former
vehemence as q relentless Ques-
toner. His attendance at the
hearings was spotty at the be.
ginning, and finally fell of al-
together.
The man who had once para
lyzed the United States Senate.
terrorized a large portion Of the
Executive Department, baited
Presidents and kept the country
IN q state Of alarm for four years
had been reduced in stature to
a size which most Americans
could regard with dispassion and
equanimity.
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