I would like to speak briefly
and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of
fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of
everything that we Americans hold dear. It is a condition that comes from
the lack of effective leadership in either the Legislative Branch or the
Executive Branch of our Government.
That leadership is so lacking
that serious and responsible proposals are being made that national
advisory commissions be appointed to provide such critically needed
leadership.
I speak as briefly as possible
because too much harm has already been done with irresponsible words of
bitterness and selfish political opportunism. I speak as simply as
possible because the issue is too great to be obscured by eloquence. I
speak simply and briefly in the hope that my words will be taken to heart.
I speak as a Republican. I
speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an
American.
The United States Senate has
long enjoyed worldwide respect as the greatest deliberative body in the
world. But recently that deliberative character has too often been debased
to the level of a forum of hate and character assassination sheltered by
the shield of congressional immunity.
It is ironical that we
Senators can in debate in the Senate directly or indirectly, by any form
of words, impute to any American who is not a Senator any conduct or
motive unworthy or unbecoming an American---and without that non-Senator
American having any legal redress against us---yet if we say the same
thing in the Senate about our colleagues we can be stopped on the grounds
of being out of order.
It is strange that we can
verbally attack anyone else without restraint and with full protection and
yet we hold ourselves above the same type of criticism here on the Senate
Floor. Surely the United States Senate is big enough to take
self-criticism and self-appraisal. Surely we should be able to take the
same kind of character attacks that we "dish out" to outsiders.
I think that it is high time
for the United States Senate and its members to do some
soul-searching---for us to weigh our consciences---on the manner in which
we are performing our duty to the people of America---on the manner in
which we are using or abusing our individual powers and privileges.
I think that it is high time
that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the
Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the
Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but
also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation.
Whether it be a criminal
prosecution in court or a character prosecution in the Senate, there is
little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined.
Those of us who shout the
loudest about Americanism in making character assassinations are all too
frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some of the basic
principles of Americanism:
The right to criticize;
The right to hold unpopular
beliefs;
The right to protest;
The right of independent
thought.
The exercise of these rights
should not cost one single American citizen his reputation or his right to
a livelihood nor should he be in danger of losing his reputation or
livelihood merely because he happens to know someone who holds unpopular
beliefs. Who of us doesn't? Otherwise none of us could call our souls our
own. Otherwise thought control would have set in.
The American people are sick
and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be politically
smeared as "Communists" or "Fascists" by their
opponents. Freedom of speech is not what it used to be in America. It has
been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others.
The American people are sick
and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people whitewashed.
But there have been enough proved cases such as the Amerasia case, the
Hiss case, the Coplon case, the Gold case, to cause nationwide distrust
and suspicion that there may be something to the unproved, sensational
accusations.
As a Republican, I say to my
colleagues on this side of the aisle that the Republican Party faces a
challenge today that is not unlike the challenge that it faced back in
Lincoln's day. The Republican Party so successfully met that challenge
that it emerged from the Civil War as the champion of a united nation---in
addition to being a Party that unrelentingly fought loose spending and
loose programs.
Today our country is being
psychologically divided by the confusion and the suspicions that are bred
in the United States Senate to spread like cancerous tentacles of
"know nothing, suspect everything" attitudes. Today we have a
Democratic Administration that has developed a mania for loose spending
and loose programs. History is repeating itself---and the Republican Party
again has the opportunity to emerge as the champion of unity and prudence.
The record of the present
Democratic Administration has provided us with sufficient campaign issues
without the necessity to resorting to political smears. America is rapidly
losing its position as leader of the world simply because the Democratic
Administration has pitifully failed to provide effective leadership.
The Democratic Administration
has completely confused the American people by its daily contradictory
grave warnings and optimistic assurances---that show the people that our
Democratic Administration has no idea of where it is going.
The Democratic Administration
has greatly lost the confidence of the American people by it complacency
to the threat of communism here at home and the leak of vital secrets to
Russia through key officials of the Democratic Administration. There are
enough proved cases to make this point without diluting our criticism with
unproved charges.
Surely these are sufficient
reasons to make it clear to the American people that it is time for a
change and that a Republican victory is necessary to the security of this
country. Surely it is clear that this nation will continue to suffer as
long as it is governed by the present ineffective Democratic
Administration.
Yet to displace it with a
Republican regime embracing a philosophy that lacks political integrity or
intellectual honesty would prove equally disastrous to this nation. The
nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I don't want to see the
Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of
Calumny---Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.
I doubt if the Republican
Party could---simply because I don't believe the American people will
uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national
interest. Surely we Republicans aren't that desperate for victory.
I don't want to see the
Republican party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for
the Republican Party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American
people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the Republican Party and
the two-party system that has protected our American liberties from the
dictatorship of a one-party system.
As members of the Minority
Party, we do not have the primary authority to formulate the policy of our
Government. But we do have the responsibility of rendering constructive
criticism, of clarifying issues, of allaying fears by acting as
responsible citizens.
As a woman, I wonder how the
mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters feel about the way in which members
of their families have been politically mangled in Senate debate---and I
use the word "debate" advisedly.
As a United States Senator, I
am not proud of the way in which the Senate has been made a publicity
platform for irresponsible sensationalism. I am not proud of the reckless
abandon in which unproved charges have been hurled from this side of the
aisle. I am not proud of the obviously staged, undignified countercharges
that have been attempted in retaliation from the other side of the aisle.
I don't like the way the
Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political
gain at the sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity. I am
not proud of the way we smear outsiders from the Floor of the Senate and
hide behind the cloak of congressional immunity and still place ourselves
beyond criticism on the Floor of the Senate.
As an American, I am shocked
at the way Republicans and Democrats alike are playing directly into the
Communist design of "confuse, divide, and conquer." As an
American, I don't want a Democratic Administration "whitewash"
or "coverup" any more than I want a Republican smear or witch
hunt.
As an American, I condemn a
Republican "Fascist" just as much as I condemn a Democrat
"Communist." I condemn a Democrat "Fascist" just as
much as I condemn a Republican "Communist." They are equally
dangerous to you and me and to our country. As an American, I want to see
our nation recapture the strength and unity it once had when we fought the
enemy instead of ourselves.
It is with these thoughts that
I have drafted what I call a "Declaration of Conscience." I am
gratified that Senator Tobey, Senator Aiken, Senator Morse, Senator Ives,
Senator Thye, and Senator Hendrickson have concurred in that declaration
and have authorized me to announce their concurrence.
