Margaret Chase Smith: a Declaration of Conscience

Margaret Chase Smith DECLARATION OF CONSCIENCE 1 June 1, 1950 (In the Senate)

Mr. President, I would like to speak briefly senator American having any legal redress and simply about a serious national condition. against us-yet if we say the same thing in the It is a national feeling of fear and frustration Senate about our colleagues we can be stopped that could result in national suicide and the end on the grounds of being out of order. of everything that we Americans hold dear. It is It is strange that we can verbally attack a condition that comes from the lack of effec­ anyone else without restraint and with full pro­ tive leadership either in the legislative branch tection, and yet we hold ourselves above the or the executive branch of our government. same type of criticism here on the Senate floor. That leadership is so lacking that serious and Surely the United States Senate is big enough responsible proposals are being made that na­ to take self-criticism and self-appraisal. Surely tional advisory commissions be appointed to we should be able to take the same kind of provide such critically needed leadership. character attacks that we "dish out" to I speak as briefly as possible because too outsiders. much harm has already been done with irre­ I think that it is high time for the United sponsible words of bitterness and selfish politi­ States Senate and its members to do some real cal opportunism. I speak as simply as possible soul searching and to weigh our consciences as because the issue is too great to be obscured by to the manner in which we are performing our eloquence. I speak simply and briefly in the duty to the people of America and the manner hope that my words will be taken to heart. in which we are using or abusing our individual Mr. President, I speak as a Republican. I powers and privileges. speak as a woman. I speak as a United States I think that it is high time that we remem­ senator. I speak as an American. bered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high "A FORUM OF HATE AND CHARACTER ASSASSINATION" time that we remembered that the Constitution, The United States Senate has long enjoyed as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of worldwide respect as the greatest deliberative speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial body in the world. But recently that delibera­ by accusation. tive character has too often been debased to the Whether it be a criminal prosecution in court level of a forum of hate and character assassi­ or a character prosecution in the Senate, there is nation sheltered by the shield of congressional little practical distinction when the life of a immunity. person has been ruined. It is ironical that we senators can in debate in the- Senate, directly or indirectly, by any form "THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF .AMERICANISM" of words, impute to any American who is not a Those of us who shout the loudest about senator any conduct or motive unworthy or un­ Americanism in making character assassinations becoming an American-and without that non- are all too frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some of the basic princi­ ples of Americanism- ' U.S., Congress, Senate, Ctmgrmional Rwrd, 81st Congress, 2d sess., pp. 7894-95. The right to criticize.

[ 621] The right to hold unpopular beliefs. Today our country is being psychologically The right to protest. divided by the confusion and the suspicions The right of independent thought. that are bred in the United States Senate to The exercise of these rights should not cost spread like cancerous tentacles of "know noth­ one single American citizen his reputation or ing, suspect everything" attitudes. Today we his right to a livelihood nor should he be in have a Democratic administration which has danger of losing his reputation or livelihood developed a mania for loose spending and loose merely because he happens to know someone programs. History is repeating itself-and the who holds unpopular beliefs. Who of us does Republican party again has the opportunity to not? Otherwise none of us could call our souls emerge as the champion of unity and prudence. our own. Otherwise thought control would The record of the present Democratic adminis­ have set in. tration has provided us with sufficient cam­ The American people are sick and tired of paign issues without the necessity of resorting being afraid to speak their minds lest they be to political smears. America is rapidly losing its politically smeared as "Communists" or "Fas­ position as leader of the world simply because cists" by their opponents. Freedom of speech is the Democratic administration has pitifully not what it used to be in America. It has been failed to provide effective leadership. so abused by some that it is not exercised by The Democratic administration has complete­ others. ly confused the American people by its daily The American people are sick and tired of contradictory grave warnings and optimistic as­ seeing innocent people smeared and guilty surances, which show the people that our people whitewashed. But there have been Democratic administration has no idea of where enough proved cases, such as the Amerasia 2 it is going. case, the Hiss case, 3 the Coplon case, 4 the Gold The Democratic administration has greatly case, 5 to cause nationwide distrust and strong lost the confidence of the American people by suspicion that there may be something to the its complacency to the threat of communism unproved, sensational accusations. here at home and the leak of vital secrets to Russia through key officials of the Democratic A CHAllENGE TO THE RliPUBUCAN PARTY administration. There are enough proved cases As a Republican, I say to my colleagues on to make this point without diluting our criti­ this side of the aisle that the Republican party cism with unproved charges. faces a challenge today that is not unlike the Surely these are sufficient reasons to make it challenge which it faced back in Lincoln's day. clear to the American people that it is time for The Republican party so successfully met that a change and that a Republican victory is nec­ challenge that it emerged from the Civil War as essary to the security of the country. Surely it the champion of a united nation-in addition to is clear that this nation will continue to suffer being a party which unrelentingly fought loose so long as it is governed by the present ineffec­ spending and loose programs. tive Democratic administration.

"THE FoUR HoRSEMEN oF CALUMNY"

2 Amtrasill was a pro-Communist publication in whose New York Yet to displace it with a Republican regime office a number of classified government documents were found. embracing a philosophy that lacks political in­ The editor and two foreign service officers were arrested but never brought to trial. tegrity or intellectual honesty would prove 3 Alger Hiss (1904- ) was an adviser to the State Department who equally disastrous to the nation. The nation was accused of spying for Russia. After appearing before the House sorely needs a Republican victory. But I do not Committee on Un-American Activities in 1948, he was convicted of perjury in 1950. He served four years in prison, although he contin­ want to see the Republican party ride to politi­ ued to maintain that he was innocent. cal victory on the Four Horsemen of Calum­ 4 In March 1950 Judith Coplon was found guilty of attempted es­ ny-Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear. pionage against the United States. 5 In 1950, with a number of others, Harry Gold was arrested and I doubt if the Republican party could do so, convicted of passing American atomic secrets to the USSR. simply because I do not believe the American

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people will uphold any political party that puts As an American, I condemn a Republican political exploitation above national interest. Fascist just as much as I condemn a Democrat Surely we Republicans are not that desperate Communist. I condemn a Democrat Fascist just for victory. as much as I condemn a Republican Commu­ I do not want to see the Republican party nist. They are equally dangerous to you and me win that way. While it might be a fleeting vic­ and to our country. As an American, I want to tory for the Republican party, it would be a see our nation recapture the strength and unity more lasting defeat for the American people. it once had when we fought the enemy instead Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the of ourselves. Republican party and the two-party system It is with these thoughts that I have drafted that has protected our American liberties from what I call a Declaration of Conscience. I am the dictatorship of a one-party system. gratified that the senator from New Hampshire As members of the minority party, we do not [Mr. TOBEY], the senator from Vermont [Mr. have the primary authority to formulate the AIKEN], the senator from Oregon [Mr. policy of our government. But we do have the MORSE], the senator from New York [Mr. responsibility of rendering constructive criti­ IVES], the senator from Minnesota [Mr. THYE], cism, of clarifying issues, of allaying fears by and the senator from New Jersey [Mr. HEN­ acting as responsible citizens. DRICKSON] have concurred in that declaration As a woman, I wonder how the mothers, and have authorized me to announce their wives, sisters, and daughters feel about the way concurrence. in which members of their families have been The declaration reads as follows: politically mangled in Senate debate--and I use the word "debate" advisedly. STATEMENT OF SEVEN REPUBLICAN SENATORS "IRRESPONSffiLE SENSATIONAUSM" 1. We are Republicans. But we are Americans As a United States senator, I am not proud of first. It is as Americans that we express our the way in which the Senate has been made a concern with the growing confusion that publicity platform for irresponsible sensational­ threatens the security and stability of our coun­ ism. I am not proud of the reckless abandon in try. Democrats and Republicans alike have con­ which unproved charges have been hurled from tributed to that confusion. this side of the aisle. I am not proud of the ob­ 2. The Democratic administration has initially viously staged, undignified countercharges created the confusion by its lack of effective which have been attempted in retaliation from leadership, by its contradictory grave warnings the other side of the aisle. and optimistic assurances, by its complacency I do not like the way the Senate has been to the threat of communism here at home, by made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish its oversensitiveness to rightful criticism, by its political gain at the sacrifice of individual rep­ petty bitterness against its critics. utations and national unity. I am not proud of 3. Certain elements of the Republican party the way we smear outsiders from the floor of have materially added to this confusion in the the Senate and hide behind the cloak of con­ hopes of riding the Republican party to victory gressional immunity and still place ourselves through the selfish political exploitation of fear, beyond criticism on the floor of the Senate. bigotry, ignorance, and intolerance. There are As an American, I am shocked at the way enough mistakes of the Democrats for Republi­ Republicans and Democrats alike are playing cans to criticize constructively without resorting directly into the Communist design of "confuse, to political smears. divide, and conquer." As an American, I do not 4. To this extent, Democrats and Republicans want a Democratic administration "whitewash" alike have unwittingly, but undeniably, played or "coverup" any more than I want a Republi­ directly into the Communist design of "confuse, can smear or witch hunt. divide, and conquer."

[ 623] 5. It is high time that we stopped thinking George D. Aiken, Vermont 7 politically as Republicans and Democrats about Wayne L. Morse, Oregon 8 elections and started thinking patriotically as Irving M. lves, New York 9 Americans about national security based on in­ Edward ]. Thye, Minnesota 1 o dividual freedom. It is high time that we all Robert C. Hendrickson, New Jersey 11 stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques-techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come 7 George D. Aiken (1892-1984) served in the Senate, 1941-1975. to cherish as the American way of life. 8 Wayne L. Morse (1900-1974) served in the Senate, 1945-1969. Margaret Chase Smith, Maine (He became an Independent in 1953 and then a Democrat in 1955.) Charles W. Tobey, New Hampshire 6 8 Irving M. lves (1896--1962) served in the Senate, 1947-1959. 10 Edward J. Thye (1896--1969) served in the Senate, 1947-1959. 11 Robert C. Hendrickson (1898-1964) served in the Senate, 1949- 8 Charles W. Tobey (1880-1953) served in the Senate, 1939-1953. 1955.

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