The Washington Tea Party: Man Overboard? RIPON OCTOBER, 1973 Vol. IX, No. 18 ONE DOLLAR ''Human nature will not rhallgl~ In any future great national tria~ compared with the WU'n of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good" ABRAHAM LINCOLN November 10. 1864 CONTENTS Commentary Features Politics: Profiles .................................................... 15 The Bombing Gap ................................................ 4 CoiI'respondent Eric Blackledge profiles Oregon Secretary of State Clay Myers. Editorial Board member James H. Manahan Ire­ views the chronology of the bombing of Cambodia. He concludes that the historiography exemplifies the Administration's Watergate syndrome. Politics: Reports .................................................. 16 Maine. Iowa. and South Dakota. For the Sake of Reconciliation .................... 5 Politics: People .................................................... 17 u.s. Rep. Howard W. Robison (R-N.Y.l pleads the Including a report on the Rule 29 Committee. case for amnesty as an instrument of national reconciliation. Amnesty, judiciously granted, is in the nation's best traditions and best interests, he Duly Noted: Books ................................................ 24 conclud~s. Letters ...................................................................... 26 The Case for Cannabis Santiva .................. .. 6 Middlesex County Sheriff John Buckley has won a reputation for leadership in correctional reform 14a Eliot Street .......................................... .......... 27 both in the nation and in his home state of Massachusetts. In this article, he argues that marijuana ought to be legalized if current statutes are not going to be enforced. The current state of Duly Noted: Politics ............................................ 28 hypocrisy surrounding marijuana is detrim.enta!l to our legal system, he says. Ripon Society The Need for E'conomic Impact 509 C Street N E Statements .............................................................. 7 Washington, D. C 20002 Contributing Editor Richard W. Rahn summarizes the economic problems engendered by the Russian wheat deal, price controls, and the vetoed mini­ mum wage legislation. He cites these cases as ex­ THE RIPON FORUM is. pubUs~ed semi-monthly by the amples of the need for congreSsional "economic Ripon SOClBty, Inc., 140 Eliot Street, impact" statements to 'accompany similar legisla­ Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Second class postage rates paid Boston, Massachusetts. Contents are copyrighted © 1972 by the tion. Ripon Society, Inc. Correspondence to the Editor is welcomed. In publishing this magazine the Ripon Society seeks to provide a forum for a spirit of criticism, innovation, and Independent think­ ing within the Republican Party. Articles do not' necessarily retFv ~~s~~~n:d~pinlon of the Ripon Society, unless they are explic! y The Hatfield Manifesto: Is it the Progres- SUBSCRIPTION RATES are $10 a year, $5 for students, service­ men, and for Peace Corps, Vista and other volunteers. Overseas sive Republican Answer? ................................ 8 air mail, $10 extra. Advertising rates on request. $10 of any con­ tribution to thn Ripon Society is credited for a subscriptton to the EditOlI'ial Board Chairman Robert D. Behn takes Ripon FORUM. issue with the proposals for governmental reform Editor: Dick Behn made by Sen. Mark O. Hatfield at the Ripon So­ Editorial Board: ciety's Tenth Anniversary Dinner as well as in a Robert D. Behn, Chairman Tanya Melich Robert H. Donaldson Ralph Thayer recent article in the Washington Post. Behn praises James Manahan Robert G. Stewart Hatfield, however, for initiating an impolI'tant de­ Contributing Editorsl Josiah Lee Auspitz, Clifford Brown, Glenn bate on Republican policy positions. Gerstell, George Gilder, William A, Koelsch, John Rehluss and Daniel Swillinger. Assistcmt Editor. Victoria Golden Advertising Mcmagen Deborah Bowen Artl Leslie Morrtll, Correspondents Arthur F. McClure, Missouri roy McDavid, AI=- J. James Plant, NeblClllka Gordon Williams, Colorado Scott Green, New Hampshire James Gardner, Delaware Deryl Howard, North Carolina James F. McCollum, Jr .. Florida Henri Pell Junod, Ohio At Issue Steven Livengood, Geozgia William K. Woods Ohio Mike Hansen, Idaho Stephen Jones, Oklahoma David Allison, Indiana Eric R. Blackledae, Oregon The Fate of New Towns .................................... 19 Thomas A. Sargent, JncIicma Donato Andre DYAndrea, :a. I. C.R. Connell, Iowa Bruce M. Selya Bhode Islcmcl Judy Gentry, KCIIlBCIB Dean Sinclair, South Carolina Once upon a time, "new towns" were a darling John C. Yoder, Kcmscza Stanford M. Adelstein, S. D. of the media. Now the glamor has worn off and Donald Gulick, Kentucky Mark Gustavson, Utah press attention has waned. Author William K. Eric Karnes, Kentucky W. Stuart Parsons, WIsconsin Woods reviews the status of these developments James Harrington, Maine George Charles, Vennom and urges some new federal initiatives. eMargin Release PETERSBURG, N.Y. - My friend Truck and Spiro But both Truck and Spiro have a press problem. For Agnew have been having their problems these days. "It a while, Truck was getting as much media coverage in the seems like someone's out to get me," says Truck, a 17- local newspapers, radio and TV as the Vice President. year-old dude whose face has appeared on a few life-sized His most recent arrest got his face a place on ABC news wanted pictures in his home town. in New York City. Prior to his arrest, the media report­ It probably can be safely assumed that Spiro has had ed that Truck "was positively identified" as responsible for similar thoughts about the White House in recent days. the anned liberation of I.eggie's girlfriend. (See the Sep­ I got an idea of how Truck and Spiro felt the other day tember FORUM) The identification was so positive that when I got stopped by "Blue 11." Truck was never charged with the crime. But the media I had just picked up Truck outside his apartment in never retracted the allegation. And Truck was never tried a public housing project. As usual, I was late and asked for any crimes. Meanwhile, he was convicted in the larger Truck to hurry as he got in the car. As I pulled away court of public opinion. from the curb, a police car, "Blue 11," rolled slowly down Since Truck was allegedly involved in the theft of the street. It came to a stop just past the next intersection. a large cache of weapons, even his friends presume he's I don't pay much attention to police; knowing that guilty. "Here comes pillo (thief)," his friends say when I haven't usually robbed or murdered anyone lately, I fig­ Truck walks down the street. "You're crazy. Why did ure I don't have much to worry about. There's no self­ you steal all them guns?" Truck is out of jail now, but confidence like self-righteousness, I guess. the media persist in perpetuating his guilt. Apparently, "They're going to pull you over," said Truck. I didn't the press is unconcerned that police never had any "posi­ really take him seriously. After all, my 1965 Dodge Dart tive identification." In fact, it seems that they had no proof. station wagon with 120,000 miles on the odometer is not But that's not what they were saying when Truck exactly the sort of vehicle a self-respecting thief would heard his name on the radio two months ago. His family covet. So I hung a left and continued to obey the local urged him to surrender himself before the police put him traffic signs. "They're following us," said Truck. in eternal surrender. But when you're 17 and can't make "I know I have out-of-state plates," I thought, "but bail, it's hard to wait for justice in jail. So Truck hid. this is ridiculous." A block later, I heard the horn and A month and a half in jail, and the prosecution nolled Blue 11 motioned me to the side of the road. I pulled his case for lack of evidence. Blue 11 was there. "That into a side street and strode decisively back to Blue 11. damn Truck is always getting out," they said. Frank took a look in my car while Pete examined my Spiro's trial by media still isn't over. The prosecutors license. It was probably with a lot of reluctance that Frank are still presenting hearsay evidence. There's a fine line be­ and Pete watched us drive off. They've been arresting tween journalistic responsibility and journalistic lynching. Truck for seven years. It's sort of force of habit. When I guess Spiro and Truck would appreciate it if the pre5s the local police recently distributed "wanted" cards with would discover the whereabouts of that line. the pictures of I.eggie and Truck, Blue 11 commented, I doubt if Truck has much respect for the media. "We don't need these damn things. We've been arresting But he does have respect for another profession. He knows them since they were little punks." why he spends time in jail when arrested and the Plumbers Ironically, Truck and Spiro probably don't even like don't. He knows what the difference is between him and each other. I know Truck doesn't like Spiro - and Spiro Spiro Agnew. He knows how the American criminal jus­ probably thinks the crime problem could be solved by tice system works. putting Truck and his friends in prison denims. "They got better lawyers," says Truck. db I wish to subscribe to the Ripon Name ............................................. 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