The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1959-04-02
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with Rep. John Henderson

with Rep. John Henderson
With all types of crises in in
ternational affairs, in Berlin, in
Tibet, in Iraq, the impact of the
news upon the average American
taxpayer is dWarfed by the rev.
elations of nepotism being prac-
ticed by members of Congress.
AS I recall it, the word nepotism
has its origin from the medieval
practice of employment of neph-
ews on the public payrolls. The
meaning of the word has been en-
larged to the employment Of any
one related by blood or marriage.
There are number of in
stances in Congress where men,
bers have very able relatives
working for them, putting in a
good days work and producing
some excellent results. On the
other hand, it has been pointed
out by recent revelations that
there are some related employees
who have performed little in ex-
change for substantial pay
checks. Because of the abuses
which exist and because of the
opportunity for abuse, l believe
the practice is a bad one and one
that should continue to receive
public censure.
Impeachment
The Judiciary Committee, of
which ! am a member, has the
responsibility of the conduct of
any impeachment procedures.
Recently, my desk has been
flooded with letters from various
parts of the country suggesting
that impeachment proceedings be
seriously considered for mem
bers of the Supreme Court be-
cause of decisions that the Court
has rendered in recent years.
There ere a great number of
members Of Congress who feel
that many of the decisions of the
Supreme Court with regard to
dealing with subversive activities
have produced unWiSe results and
I certainly admit that / am great
ly distressed by some of the in
congruities which have resulted
from decisions of the Court. Yet
lies not in the extraordinary
it seems to me that the answer
measures some of these letters
would suggest, but rather in Con-
gress facing up to the situation
that it is the laW-making body
Of the government and that it is
the duty of Congress to enact
laws that are crystal clear as to
meaning and intent. Where it
feels that meaning and intent
may have been enormously in
terpreted by the Court, Congress
can and should erase those inter
pretations by subsequent en-
actment more clear and more
definitive.
My feeling of disappointment
with regard to certain decisions
in the subVersive field is eclipsed
by a disappointment that a ma
iority in Congress has not acted
with the speed that the gravity
of the situation would require
in eradicating the effects of some
Of those decisions. In the 85th
Congress, many bills prompted
by Supreme Court decisions were
proposed. Several received de-
bate and House approval to over
rule certain decisions, and get
the session concluded without
any of them being enacted into
law. Three months have passed
in the 86th Congress and there
has been very little activity to
do the job that must be done.
Earnings and Social Security
Many changes have been made
in the Social Security Program
since it was first enacted. These
include enlargement of the field
of those covered by the program,
increase in benefits for retirees,
reduction in the age limit for
women from 65 to 62, and in
crease of the amount of earnings
that a Social Security retiree may
receive without jeopardizing his
Social Security check.
Many persons have suggested
that inasmuch as the retiree has
earned his right to Social Sc
curity. it is unfair that he should
be subjected to an earnings test
and that inasmuch as he has
qualified for the program, he
should be entitled to receive
benefits irrespective of the
amount that he earns. Few who
receive Social Security benefits
would quarrel with that position
At the same time many men and
women who have not reached re-
tirement age suggest that the
retirement age be reduced from
65 to some lesser age so that the
older people may be removed
from employment rolls and their
positions taken by younger people
who need jobs. 1t is precisely for
this reason that an earnings limi-
tation was placed upon Social
Security retirees in the first place
so that when they did retire they
would be removed from the
labor market. They would no
longer compete in the labor field
and their positions would be
available to men and women of
the younger generation.