davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1960-12-04

should be supported in all
constitutional measures by
all patriotic men; and if he
violates his oath or violates
the Constitution, or makes
war upon any section. or
upon anybody's rights. then
he should be held to the
strictest accountability pro-
vided in the Constitution.
What harm can he do even
if he be disposed? He is in a
minority in both houses of
Congress; in a minority as re-
CARDS the people of the
United States, and he has no
power except that conferred
by the Constitution and laws;
and if he doesn't perform
that duty faithfully, we will
impeach him. I beSeech
you to unite with me and all
ion-loving men in saving
the country from the disas-
terS which now threaten it.
:" Douglas was cheered
and applauded repeatedly as
he spoke and his closing en-
treaty brought cries of 1--WE
Wilt"
Evening star., 1960-12-04
rs Years Ago

Gen. Hugh S. Johnson, for
mer administrator of the Ma
tional Recovery Administra-
ton, had some advice for
President Franklin D. Roose-
velt IS years ago. The Star
of November 16, 1885 quoted
this colorful figure, sometimes
called "Old Iron Pants: III
President Roosevelt can't rid
himself of some brain-trust-
ers, he may be defeated. II
he is defeated, it will be a
swing back to the old reac-
tionary extreme of Hoover
ism, impoverished agricul-
ture, unrelieved destitution
of labor-and I think that
might mean catastrophe.
Rex Tugwell and Aubrey
Williams and Harry Hopkins
are all fine fellows working
their heads off-but who are
they? They don't represent
the administration. l don't
even know if they are Demo-
Gratis )"
Evening star., 1960-12-04
Long-Ronge Economics

The needs of the District of Colum-
bia have so far outstripped its resources
in recent years that the city economy
has survived largely through annual
rounds Of catch-as-catch-can tax in
creases, with little hope of more or
derly solution in the future. This sad
state Of affairs has been recognized by
the District Democratic Central Com
mittee, which commercially has re-
cruited several Washington economists
to attempt the development of long
range fiscal plan.
y, While their goals and procedures
are not yet firm, the economists re-
portedly will concentrate on the basic
relationship between the District and
Congress. At least one major part of
the study, according to spokesman,
will be to Scrutinize the adequacy of
existing local taxes-as well as possible
new ones-both with the idea of produc-
ing more local revenues and with the
thought that Congress is unlikely to
make greater direct contribution to
the costs Of the city unless it is con-
vinced local taxes are as high as they
should be.
This is an interesting approach. A
more definitive analysis of local taxes,
especially in comparison with other
cities, may be highly useful. In our
Judgment, however, two things should
be kept in mind in relation to higher
local taxes. First, continuous rounds of
tax increases thus far have hardly
led Congress to raise its Federal pay
ment appropriations -e even up to the
inadequate levels authorized by Con-
gress. And second, we doubt there is
enoug h money still to be squeezed out
OF local taxes to truly meet the Districts
needs. Neither does the past augur very
well for certain types Of new taxes,
desirable as they may be. One example
is payroll tax, imposed on those who
work in the District and live outside
such as the tax Philadelphia successfully
Evening star., 1960-12-04
100 Years Ago

History offers no better ex-
ample of a politician putting
country before party than
that set by Stephen A. Doug
las a century ago. Long be-
fore the 1860 election, this
astute Illinois Senator knew
Abraham Lincoln could not
be headed in the race for the
presidency. The Little Giant"
continued his far-ranging
speaking tour. but his main
objective became that of saw
ing the Union from diSinte-
grafton. He tried to convince
the South it would be treated
fairly under the Constitution.
He exhorted Southern Con-
gressmen not to abandon
their legislative seats, other
wise the Republican Party
would be in the majority.
Judge Douglas arrived back
in Washington from a South
ern swing on Saturday, De-
cember /, 1860, and that
night he pleaded with the
citizens Of this city-a South
ern one-to be sane about
the President-elect. The Star
of Monday, December 3. 1860,
(there was no Sunday Star
them quoted him: "The con-
test Is now over and let all
the asperities and the ill
feeling and the strife engen-
dered by it be buried; let the
past be referred to only as
furnishing lessons of wisdom
for the future; and let all
Union men, all constitution
ALLOWING men unite as a band
Of patriots and save the
country first and quarrel
afterwards. The question
arises whether 1t is the part
Of patriots to destroy the best
government. the sun ever
shown upon. merely because
a man has been elected, and
a party has been triumphant
whose principles are obnox-
ious to us. ! believe that the
election Of any man by the
American people, according
to the requirements of the
Constitution of the country.
furnishes no excuse for dis
solving the Union. Mr.. Lin
coin having been elected ac-
cording to the Constitution
must be inaugurated in obe-
dience to that instrument.
But so long as he observes his
oath faithfully. by seeing the
laws faithfully executed, he
Evening star., 1960-12-04
LETTERS TO THE STAR


The compulsory obsoleS-
cence of Washington's once
extensive electric rail transit
system inflicts a heavy loss
on those who are least able
. to bear the burden. and swings
back the clock to the good
ole days" Of the robber
barons.
Now we behold the spec
tacle of Washington transit,
and were it not for the tragic
aspects Of our predicament.
we could relax and enjoy the
circus clowning of highway
officials busily bowling and
scraping to each other over
which area the throughways
will devastate next; they are
UNDERSTANDABLE reluctant to
face up to the question Of
why the throughway in the
first place!
The real issue lies not in
the Alice-in- Wonderland de-
bates over the routing Of
throughways, but rather
whether or not we shall be
permitted the relative free
dom of the city or confined
within the parochial strait
jacket Of a conformist subur-
bia whose continuing sprawl
threatens the existence Of
both city and countryside.
If both freedom and the
city are superfluous to q happy
life. then we may choose the
depersonalized image of a pre-
fabricated suburbia, tailored
to the specifications of the
automakers. But If the indi-
vidual possesses any value at
all. then those who love the
city and those who love the
countryside must join forces
against their common enc
mics, those who love nothing
but profit and would sacrifice
every human value before
that golden calf. II culture
is to survive in the age of
burgeoning population and
dwindling space. the city must
be defended as a place to
live in, a cultural haven where
man may enjoy access to shop
and theater and wooded glen.
The Staff Report of the
Congressional Joint Commit
tee on Washington Metropoli-
tan Problems July 1860
spoke the truth when it con-
cluded its section on WASH
ington transit with the pro-
phetic warning from the
sociologist. Lewis Mumford:
That the private motor
car can be substituted for
mass transportation should
be put forward only by those
who desire to see the city
itself disappear. and with it
the complex many-sided civil
lization that the city makes
possible"
The Federal Transportation
Evening star., 1960-12-04
SO Years Ago

The handwriting was on
the wall so years ago for the
'lamplighter, that familiar
neighborhood figure who ap-
peared around sundown each
day with his ladder and long
taper to ignite corner gas
lamps in areas where elec-
trio ones did not exist. The
Star of November 28, 1910,
said: Something startling in
the way of electrical lighting
for the streets and avenues of
Washington may be ex-
pected when Commissioner
Judson announces a new
plan for the illumination of
the city. Major Judson re-
turned today after inspect
ing the lighting of several
towns and cities, principally
Evening star., 1960-12-04

Pollcy Report OF the Depart
ment Of Commerce March
and April 1960 spoke the
truth when it ascribed the
grave crises in the cities to
the indiscriminate use of the
automobile:
THE two major past and
continuing trends are the
resulting decline In business
activity in the heart Of the
central city, and a sharp
reduction in the use Of public
transportation facilities Tin
Washington the number Of
annual transit fares has
dropped from 533 million in
l945 to about 118 million to-
day. -. Merely adding high
ways which will in turn re-
quire more highways is no
solution to the problems Of
urban development Since
our essential purpose is to
move people rather than
vehicles and since the OBJ
jective Of moving people is
to facilitate the purchase and
provision of services in our
downtown areas, 1t is becom-
ing increasingly apparent that
a new look must be taken at
long range transportation
planning in our cities :.
Public transportation Is
clearly the most efficient per
unit Of space required. This
is particularly true in those
cities which have rail transit
facilities with a separate
right-of-way .. (The Cabin
John trolley line for example.)
"The conclusion Is clear
that urban planning must
allow for increased use or at
least maintenance Of existing
rail transit facilities"
The Sunday Star spoke the
truth when it prophesied ON
January 3. 1860:
Conversion to buses from
StreetcarS. now nearing COM
pletion in Washington, will
accomplish nothing to i'm
prove public transportation.
It will merely add more auto
mobile traffic and create even
more congestion"
Highway planners are not
especially concerned with the
movement Of people but only
Of vehicles because. in terms
of economy. the highway is
one Of the most wasteful
methods of moving people.
1t Is significant that abandon
ment of urban rail transit
facilities in many American
cities has accelerated the
decline which is now recog-
nized as so deplorable. Ear
nest talk among highway
officials about building special
bus lanes on the freeways is
a grotesque afterthought
which cannot hide the plain
Evening star., 1960-12-04

truth that the compulsory
obsolescence of surface elec-
trio rail transit signals the
final capitulat:on to profits
and the automobile and the
death knell Of public transit
as such.
Indeed, present road build
ing plans are based upon the
explicit assumption (see the
preamble to the Mass Trans
portation Survey 1857 that
80 per cent Of all area travel
will be by private automobile.
Skyrocketing highway costs
have effectively relegated
education. housing, sewage
and water pollution control
to the status of non-essential
frills. While School Superin-
tendent Hansen pleas for
restoration Of $946. 900 slashed
from his elementary school
budget (reported in The Star,
october IL, 1960) the prof.
ligate arrogance of highway
planners knows no bounds.
These en- mics of public
transit anticipate the expend-
iture of 500 million each
year for the next 20 years
on area roads and parking
facilities alone. To this 50
billion highway cost must be
added the cumulative costs Of
private vehicles which use the
freeways. a substantial in
crease required in police
forces, property dislocations.
and the forced removal from
tax rolls In the District alone
Of 10 square miles Of land
needed for the freeways. With
such a fat pork barrel staring
them full in the face, Is 1t
any wonder that the highway
planners ridicule the rela-
lively inexpensive up-grading
Of existing facilities? Let US
remember that the net pur-
chase price for the entire
operating Washington transit
system in 1856 was about $6.5
million.
Mark A. LilIiS.
Evening star., 1960-12-04
Is English ObsoIete?'

above average. said, That's
unfair to Polly and l."
Young Jack Linkletter, who
does such an excellent job
on his TV shows, let this
one go by: HE married
Bobbie and l." And even
more amazing, Senator
Kennedy is reported to have
said. There is no difference
between Mr.. Nixon and l."
What Is SO scary about the
word me-?
I can't believe these are
just slips. Those who know
better do not say, mad
vertently. 1T happened to
l." Why, then, say, 1T hap
pened to Johnny and T.?
Anyway, it is happening.
Too bad, too.
II. nj.
4 4
It bothers me that q news
paper so concerned with the
teaching of English as The
Star is, judging by its recent
series, should be so Indifferent
to good usage of the language
in its own columns. Note the
inclosed clipping: Kennedy
Extended Offer to Golf at
Indian Spring" J
I doubt that Kennedy ex-
tended any offer. I suspect
that probably the writer
meant to say IAN offer was
extended to Kennedy" which
would be a correct, If awk-
ward, way of saying 1t.
An English teacher, I am
sure. would have done 1t more
suitably as: Kennedy was
invited"
Joseph HanlOn.
Evening star., 1960-12-04

have next to nothing. there
is indeed little of the Jesus
spirit. With all the binding
lights of the Holy Season
we can really put Christ in
Christmas by sending a check
to a glorious agency like
CARE, an organization which
keeps Christmas 365 days in
the year in forlorn lives
around the needy world.
It is no wet-blanket Puri-
tan, but one in whom good
will is contagious as he en-
ters into every legitimate Joy
of his fellows, who sadly re-
minds us regarding the way
that many blaspheme Christ
mas rather than celebrate it.
There is the Office party for
example, where liquor flows
freely and poignant regrets
are born. There is something
terrible about the Christmas
celebration that sends father
and mother home unfit to
join with their children in
really celebrating the birth
of the Bethlehem Babe"
There can be no more
pertinent prayer for the last
month of the year than,
Lord, as I come to Christ
mas, may Christmas come to
and in me-" An editorial
writer asks the question,
what shall we make of
Christmas in a gangster
world? Well. even as the
balmy breezes of Christmas
goodwill melt hearts as cold
as that of Scrooge, we know
that our world is full Of
gangsters, powerful voices
squeezing out the individual,
robbing him Of faith in his
significance in the sight of
God. But one who since last
Christmas has slipped
through deaths door into
the larger room, comment
ing on. the question as to
what to make of Christmas
in a gangster world, said:
. "The true answer to that
question comes from the
Christmas revelation. This
is not finally a gangster's
world, but Gods; the mes
sage from the manger says
to men bound by every kind
Of chain, In the Name of
Jesus of Nazareth rise up
1t calls us all to work against
the forces which discredit and
enslave personality"
But it is really impossible,
except in a formal and per-
functory way, to put Christ
in Christmas until our own
hearts become the cradle Of
His Nativity. The question Of
questions is, what do the
letters which mark the great
watershed Of history-B. c.
and A. D.-mean to you per-
sonally? In what era are
you living? B. C. Before
Christi as if He had never
lived? Or are you living in
A. D. "a year of our Lord)?
Has He really been born in
your personal world? Has He
come-to you?
For though Christ may In
Bethlehem
A thousand times be born
II He's not born in thee
Thy heart is still forlorn.
Evening star., 1960-12-04

Congratulations on your
series. SIS English Obsolete?"
Please, will you help COM
bat the common error, "She
gave it to George and T."
He is going to the game
with Joe, Bob and l." / have
even heard this on radio and
televiSion.
AS every editor knows,
propositions Ito, with, Of, on.
for. against. over. etc. take
the objective (me, him, herr
not the nominative Il, he,
she).
Nobody would say, "She
gave 1t to l." But If the object
is compound, as George and
l." a lot of people will say it
that way, instead Of the cor
rect form, George and me-"
FRANKLIN FORD.
y Il II
Referring to Mr.. Bing-
hams series on the English
language, may I respect
fully urge that even If
Johnny never learns what a
gerund is, could he please
be taught when to say "lay"
and "lie," me" and "I"!
My blood pressure suffers
daily when Johnny's friends
and relatives say 1.-THE paper
is laying on the floor" or
1T happened to Johnny
and l."
You're right about TV
personalities. some of them,
and even the supposedly
erudite announcer on occa-
sion. It's amazing!
Pretty Kitty Carlisle,
whose husband writes plays
and whose English seems
Evening star., 1960-12-04
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
The Month He Came
By DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS

Again, 1t Is the month of
the advent when the world
celebrates the greatest of all
birthdays. It is easy to be-
come cynical with regard to
the lack of any deep. religious
significance in the lives of
millions who join the breath
less Christmas rush. 1t is not
difficult. and perhaps not
without meaning. to contrast
the WEAKNESS, the confusion,
and the raucous voices of the
hucksters of Yuletide wares
with the holy quietness of
Phillip Brooks nativity
hymn
Hot0 silently, hoU silently
The tDondrous GIFT is giUenl
Yet it must be admitted
that even in the exhausting
gift-buying, and the dubious
motives back of many Christ
mas presents, there is mighty
little thought Of the sublime
reality that God SC loved that
He gave-gave the supreme
manifestation Of His care for
humans in "the little Child
Jesus asleep in the hay"
OF course, it is the virtual
paganizing of what is called
Christmas which has sparked
the movement of the past
few years, called putting
Christ back in Christmas" "
The objective of that worth
while crusade has to do
mostly with the sending Of
greetings which bear a gen.
uine Christmas m age.
That gentle reminder has
caused many to turn from
some card made glamorous
by all the embellishments of
art, but to which the athe-
lists Of the Kremlin would not
object and to select instead,
perhaps, a simple one sug-
geSting the joy of the Angel
Song and the Babe in the
lowly manger.
The Sunday School of a
certain church had planned
a rather elaborate Christmas
program. With the thought
of creating a mood of rev.
erence a powerful light was
installed to shine forth from
the manger. The glow was,
of course, to symbolic the
light which shone when hope
was born. The impression
to be made on the audience
assumed that the representa-
ton of the stable of the Inn
should be viewed at some dis
tance by the audience. But
the night of the celebration
a little girl wandered up
onto the platform. She ap-
preached the manger eau
tiously, peered in with all
the curiosity of childhood.
Then, turning, she called out
in a shrill voice which those
assembled to gaze at the
pageant could plainly hear
-"Mommy. mommy, there's
no Jesus in it," OF course,
in this case there could be
no just criticism of those
who had arranged the pro-
gram; they had planned well
for adults. They had by the
device of the hidden bulb
suggested the radiance that
streamed from the manger.
1t was the truth that the
hymn already quoted puts
into words:
In thy dark streets Shineth
The everlasting light,
The hopes and fears of all the
years
Are met in thee tonight.
But even so the little tots
comment cannot be Just
laughed at. In the midst of
the present preparations for
the advent, with its climax
on December Is. it can be
justly said of so much that
goes by the name Of Christ
mas, there is no Jesus in it. I"
In giving gifts to those who
have too much already, and
with no thought of those who
Evening star., 1960-12-04
FROM THE STAR FILES.

Boston. The lights around
the new Pennsylvania Rail-
road station in New York
were given much study by
the commissioner. Four sur
veying parties are now at
work on a project to build
and maintain a municipal
lighting plant at Great Falls.
I was especially interested
Major Judson said. in one
style of arc lamp which they
have at the Hub. These were
enormous lights which give
three times as much light as
any we have and cost only
20 per cent more to main
tain.
For a newcomer to politics.
woodrow wilson's stock was
climbing rapidly SO years ago.
Just a short time after he
was elected Governor of New
Jersey, he was being talked
about as the next President.
The Star of November 27,
1910 reported from Staunton.
Va: I'm response to a call
issued by Maj. H. H. Wayt,
of this city, a boom for Wood
row Wilson for President
was launched at a conference
here this evening. Gov.-elect
Wilson is a native of Staun-
ton and has many supporters
and admirers in Virginia. The
meeting was enthusiastic. :"
Evening star., 1960-09-04

he is a man of peace and Russia is
their friend.
The Soviet boss is making sure
of maximum impact by bringing
with him the top leaders of all the
East European satellites. This will
not only impress the neutrals but
it will underline to Peiping the
solidarity of the Communist world
outside the Far EaSt-behind
Soviet leadership.
While Mr.. Khrushchev would,
for his own reasons, be willing
and even anxious for East West
summit meeting in New York,
Communist diplomatic sources
have indicated that a Soviet bloc
Foreign Ministers Conference in
Bucharest last month decided on
a fve-point programmed likely
to please the West-to thrust at
the General Assembly. Here it is:
1. A demand for an inquiry into
American aggression" against the
Soviet Union, with the U-2 and
RB-47 flights featured.
2. A program Of aid to the new
African nations.
3. Creation of nuclear- free zones
in the Baltic, Central Europe, the
Balkans, the Far East and possibly
other regions.
4. A program for the education
of world youth in the principles
Of peaceful co-existence.
5. A U. N. guarantee for the
Oder-Neisse frontier between Ger
many and Poland.
Evening star., 1960-09-04

nee, said he would be willing to
meet with Mr.. K. If he and Mr..
Nixon, his Republican opponent,
both were invited to do so. Mr..
Nixon declined, comment.
The more important question,
however, was whether Mr.. Eisen-
hover would cross paths with the
man who called him thief" and
"liar" in the wake of the unfor-
tunate U-2 reconnaissance plane
incident.
Up through yesterday, the
White House was uncertain as
to the Presidents plans. Mr..
Eisenhower was still considering
whether to address the General
Assembly, it was said. The pre-
ponderant feeling was that he
would appear before the dele
gates, but not until after Mr..
Khrushchev had departed.
If he goes to New York, the
President doubtless will be faced
with a major effort in replying to
the various diplomatic and prop
aganda thrusts being planned by
the man from Moscow.
Senator Gore, Democrat Of
Tennessee, uttered the applicable
truism concerning the coming Of
Mr.. K.
IF he comes sincerely seeking
peace, the visit may even serve a
good purpose" he said. IF it
is another propaganda foray, a
heightening of tension will surely
ensue."
There were few to argue with
this statement, but there were
fewer still to predict the optimis-
tic alternative within It.
Evening star., 1960-09-04
Coming Up

The legislation that's being
talked about now as their next job
includes the following:
. Civil rights = Liberals already
have warned they'll push for a
rule change allowing a simple ma
jority (rather than two-thirds) to
cut off debate after 80 days.
Everybody agrees the strength Of
both parties platforms this year
makes it necessary to do some
thing on this subject.
. Medical care-There will be a
real effort to pass a broader bill
under Social Security auspices.
. Minimum wage-Senator Ken
nedy, author of the bill which died
in the special session, has said
he'll push hard for the SIPS
figure.
. Reorganization of the Govern
ment-a major plan, long in the
works, is expected to be ready.
Before the session began there
was considerable speculation on
what effect it would have on the
fortunes of Senator Kennedy and
Vice President Nixon. After it
was over it was hard to tell.
Anyway it was looked at, the
defeat of some legislation -
especially the Kennedy authored
minimum wage bill-was blow
for the Democratic nominee,
especially since they were defeats
handed to him by his own party
which was in control of what
should have been a comfortable
,Jorking majority.
AS for Mr.. Nixon's stature as a
result of the session, most of what
his supporters feel has been his
progress during this session came
not on anything that happened
on the Senate floor but on his
forays away from the presiding
support in the Senate at all times
officers chair and into the Deep
South. He had the able oratorical
Continued on Page E-4