The Catholic times. [volume], January 27, 1956, Image 4

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4—THE CATHOLIC TIMES
Friday. Jan. 27, 1956
THE
CATHOLIC TIMES
Published Every Week by
The Catholic Times, Inc.
Columbus. Ohio
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This Paper Printed by Union Labor
Catholic Bible Week
An excellent preview for Catholic Bible Week
w held Sunday evening. January 15. Monsignor
George Wolz. ST D., professor of Sacred Scrip
ture al St. Charles Seminary, lectured there on
the recently discovered Dead Sea manuscripts.
The theater was filled for the fascinating story
of the Arab boy’s discovery in a cave of the
ancient jars containing the manuscripts. Solv
ing the mystery of how they came to he there
and their present ownership makes a story
better than fiction.
At least tw'o of the manuscripts are parts of
the Bible the prophecies of Isaias. The hand
written parchments seem Io date from Christs
lifetime or very near. Photos of some of the text
arc now published and they give us a fresh view
of Gori’s rare for His Church for it is vivid proof
that Gori has preserved the Scriptures substan
tially the same through these often tumultous
centuries.
His revealed inspired documents, the Bible,
ihould have suffered much in the copying by
hand for centuries and the arguments over the
texts —the human element that has handled the
Bible. But here is evident proof that God has
preserved in His Church the substance of His
revealed document.
Now if God has so done this, should we not
be moved to a ereat appreciation an appreciation
whereby we take up and read His Book’’ And
if we don’t have a Bible in the home, now is the
time to get nne, and Io start with the Gospel of
St. Luke for easy and profitable reading.
The Movie Problem
It should be shocking news Io all decent
American to know that more objectionable inov
ing picture films were produced last year than
in any other similar period over the past twenty
years. There is just one question that must be
in the minds of all in the matter: Is not the ban
on censorship the cause for this disregard for de
cency?
laet it not be supposed that with the growth
of television there are few people attending the
movies Motion pictures still attract a large seg
ment of out people, particular!) the youth of the
nation, in their moments of relaxation Further,
many of the objectionable movies find their way
to the firesides o| families through the televi
sion programs Every home is exposed to filth
unless parents exercise almost a constant vigil
for their young children.
Ibis vigilance cannot be effective unless par
ents keep acquainted with the quality of movies
their children and thems'clvcs attend. This
can he done by watching the ratings ol the Na
tional tagion of Decency as published in the
atholic Press Also available to schools and
churches is the full idling of movies published
regularly by the Legion II can be obtained from
the national office The Iwgion also has available
a compilation ol all pictures reviewed and classi
fieri from February, 1936, to 1955.
Since the law will not protect as it was in
tended by the voters to do, it now is necessary
for thr citizenry to take on the burden of con
stant vigilance and care until such time as law
yers become more inclined to defend the spirit
and purpose of an enacted law' rather than Io
display their intellectual acumen by slipping
arniinri Us purpose through a pharasaical devo
lion to the “letter of the law."
Training for Christians
Septuagesima Sunday is the opening of what
may he called a period of transition between the
rejoicing of the Christmas season and the aus
terities of Lent So concerned
im
the Church that
her children should spend Lent with full real
izatinn of its importance and full cooperation
in its spirit of prayer meditation and sell denial,
that she begins, three weeks in advance, to ex
plain its meaning and to arouse zeal for its
worthy observance.
The liturgy has led us in celebrating the
birth of the Savior and has dwelt on the evidence
nf His divinity, proving that He was. indeed, the
Redeemer Who came into the world to save the
people from their sins Ami now the Church
prepares to present the solemn, yet glorious ac
count of the actual work of Redemption His
teachings, His sufferings, His cruel death and,
at length. His glorious Resurrection She would
have u.w give the most serious thought to what
she pt about Io reenact for us, tor it has to do
with the eternal happiness ol each individual,
hence during lent she will call for lasting and
other forms of penance, for earnest recollection,
for abstinence Hom the pleasures of daily life.
E'en now in anticipation of tanl she dons the
violet vestments of penance ami silences the
joyful Gloria ad the Alleluias of the Mass.
The Ma-s ol Septuagesima Sunday begins with
the lament of the Psalmist The pains of death
surrounded me and in my affliction I called
upon the Lord," and the cry for mercy continues
in the Gradual: Thou dost not forsake them that
•eek Ihce, O land For the poor man shall
not be forgotten to the end The Gospel
parable of the laborers in the vineyard is a re
minder that God calls each person Io do his
woik and that unfailingly His justice will pre
vail and since Lent is unmistakably a time for
doing Gods work the summons issued now,
“early in the morning to go into His vineyard,
demands compliance.
Especially significant is the impressive Epistle
Selection. in which St Paul calls upon us to pre
pare for the struggle of life like the athlete pre
pares for his encounters by abstinence, by
framing by bringing the body into subjection
Here is a stentorian call to decide, now, to spend
Lent worthily.
The centuries old annual observance of tant
thows how thoroughly the Church appreciates
the need ol a strut, regulated course of spiritual
training to enable the Christian to meet the prob
jems of life and if ever the need was obvious
and pressing it is today when the world is full
of complexities that will he solved only hy the
almost in courage and wisdom and charity. In
wigoratPri and inspired by an earnest conscient
ious observance of tant. the humblest individual
can play a noble part in building a better world.
If you have the virtue of obedience you hav»
all the other virtues. What you do because you
like to do it is like a hlade of grass but the
same thing that you do by obedience is like a
bar of Gold.—Blessed Bernardino de Feltre. Fran
ciscian missionary of the 15th century.
Prayer is the little instrument whereby men
put their words into the ear of God. Emily
Dickinson (1830-1886).
usl Among Ourselves
Pasting Comment Considered or Inconsiderate
The month of February is memorable to the
citizen of America for its recall of the two great
Presidents who, above others, established and
preserved our government. In a true sense, Wash
ington is the First Founder, and Lincoln the
Second Founder of our national fabric. Appre
ciative Americans never forget these eminent
men. these beloved heroes of our people nor
will their loyal countrymen allow their memory
to grow dim.
February is therefore a joyous month for
the family of our nation. It is also a month of
rejoicing for the spiritual family of the Church,
indeed every month of the year is filled with
gladness of spirit in the triumph of those whq
have gone before us into heaven’s glory. And
each day brings reminders, as keen to faithful
minds and hearts as are the anniversaries of fa
mous civic figures.
In February we are reminded by the Church
of the great Ignatius of Antioch, martyred at
Rome in the early years of the second century
of Andrew Corsini, the fourteenth century apostle
of peace of Agatha, virgin and martyr, who died
in the year 251. and who is still ardently invoked
for protection against destructive fires.
February recalls St. Titus, companion of St.
Paul and St. Dorothy, virgin and martyr, be
headed for the faith in the third century. The
month brings to mind St. Romuald, founder of
a branch of the Benedictine Order in the tenth
century, a man of endless bravery in the con
flict with evil, who, despite his constant trials,
bore such a gracious countenance that all who
looked upon him were uplifted with inner joy.
February recalls the mighty ^5t. Cyril of Alex
andria, Doctor of the Church, conqueror of the
Nestorian heresy, who died in the middle years
of the fifth century it recalls St. John of Matha,
rescuer of Christians who had been enslaved
hy infidels.
February makes us rejoice in the memory of
St. Scholastics, twin of the great St. Benedict,
and foundress of the twin branch of the Benedict
ine Order. The month calls up to memory the
history of St. Peter founding the diocese of An
tioch before God’s Providence brought him to
establish his true place as Sovereign Pontiff in
the capital city of Rome. February recalls Dam
ian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, in the
eleventh century it recalls Matthias the Apostle,
chosen, ordained, and consecrated, to fill the
place in the Apostolic College left vacant by
the defection of Iscariot.
February brings back the record of the
young Gabriel, devoted client of Our Lady,
wondrous for penance and sell denial, who died
at the age of twenty-four in 1862. This is a saint
of modern times, canonized in 1920 by Pope Bene
diet XV. And our thought of him impresses us
anew with the truth that the Church is no ob
server of the flight of time. Saints, ancient,
medieval, and modern are all living and active
members of the family of Christ, which is His
Church they are with us here and now in the
great work of mankind, which is the loving
service of God.
February is, in a notable way, a month of
special honor to the Blessed Virgin, the Mother
of God. On the second day of this month we re
call the fact that the Immaculate Mother freely
and humbly obeyed the Mosaic Law by conform
ing to the ceremony of purification, she who
is purest of all the natural children of Adam.
On this day Mary went with the Blessed Joseph,
to carry the Infant Savior to the Temple for the
rite of Presentation The Church chooses this
day and occasion for the blessing of candles
to he used in her sacred ceremonies as we con
template the Divine Child offered to His Eternal
Father, we use the virginal wax as symbol of His
human flesh, the wick as symbol of His human
soul, and the living flame as symbol of His God
head.
On February 11, we have (he celebration of
Our Lady's miraculous appearance in the grotto
of taurdes in France. Here again is a marvel
ous religious event of our ow n times, for it is still
two years short of a century since the appari
tions took place, witnessed by the little shepherd
girl who is now venerated as St. Bernadette
Soubirous. The Blessed Mother appeared to the
child no fewer than eighteen times, coming first
on February 11, 1858. and thereafter at short
intervals. On the Feast of the Annunciation,
March 25, 1858, the Holy Virgin named herself
hy the glorious title of "the Immaculate Concep
tion.” This title, known and used through all
ages in the Church, was officially declared to ex
press an essential doctrine of the Faith by the
definition of December 8, 1854, just a little more
than three years before the apparitions.
The month of February is thus seen to he
very rich in precious Catholic memories. Its
wintry days may be bl?ak and dreary in our bod
ily experience, but -they glow with light and
warmth and beauty before the eyes of mind and
sopl. They manifest the truih that our loving
Mother Church cares nothing for weather, as
she cares nothing for the flight oi time. She
gathers her children ahoj her, regardless of
whither their earthly rite was compassed by
the first century or the twentieth she suffuses
her spiritual household aith family joy, no mat
ter what the time or season
The appreciative Catholic finds in the round
of leasts and commemorations that mark the days
of all the year, a continuous occasion of that
home-happiness for which the human heart is
ever hungry. He takes part in an unending fam
ily reunion, with now this brother or sister now
that, winning his special attention. And always
present to his view and his devotion is the Bless
ed laird, true God and true Man, with Hi.- Holy
Mother, St. Joseph, and patrons and guardian
angel.
We are dull indeed if we are not moved hy
this unending round of festivals to a great love
of the Faith and an ever renewed ardor in the
service of God. And we are most unkind if. en
joying the inexpressible richness of truly Catho
lic life, we are not "instant in prayer in
season and out of season" for the spread of this
richness to the children of God who know noth
ing of it.
February ought to he a powerful stimulant to
thr missionary spirit No one really appreciates
the Faith until he is animated by zeal for the con
version of souls.
WASHINGTON LETTER
WASHINGTON -Soviet Rus
sia’s open bid for closer rela
tions with l^it in American
countries has brought official
attention abruptly back to this
hemisphere.
It was expected that the Red
leaders in Moscow would aim
as many jabs as possible at the
United States this year, -when
we are engaged with national
elections. It was not expected
that the first blow would strike
so close to home.
We thought we had problems
enough right here. It has not
yet been settled whether Pres
ident Eisenhower will seek a
second term. A Congressional
committee has warned that com
munism is still a menace with
in this country. Other Congress
men have charged that “com
munist-tainted’’ schools have
received millions of U.S. tax
dollars for training ex-G.I.’s.
Debate raged over Secretary of
State Dulles’ “brink of war"
interview in a national maga
zine, and some opponents sug
gested that he be deposed.
A former head of the Army
disagreed in a public article
with the Administration’s man
power policy there was debate
whether we could have tax re
lief some people questioned
whether the budget really could
be balanced this year, and po
litical speeches and moves were
beginning to be made all over
the place.
Moscow must have concluded
MONSIGNOR HIGGINS
-..................~ I I .................f"'
The New York Times report
ed on Jan. 11 over the by-line
of one of its labor specialists—.
that William L. McGrath, pin
to the Inter
national La
bor Organiza
tion, has call
ed upon Pres
id e n Eisen
hower to stop
all United
Slates partici
pation in that
agency. Mr.
McGrath com
plains that
the 1 L.O. is violating its own
constitution by giving three
way representation employ
er. employe, and government
to the Iron Curtain countries,
just as if their “employers” and
“employes" were free agents.
He also contends that the I.L.O.
is stalling on this issue of com
munist representation.
Mr. McGrath ha voiced this
double barreled complaint more
than once in recent months, but
never so vigorously as in the
document summarized by the
Times—a report apparently in
tended for genera1 circulation.
Fortunately, the employer or
ganizations responsible for Mc
Grath’s appointment as a dele
gate to the I.L.O. (he has been
a delegate since 1954 and was
an employer advisor for several
years before that) are not back
ing him up all the way.
Would Mak* Matters Wors*
The National Association of
Manufacturers and the Cham
ber of Commerce are natural
ly opposed to the seating of
phony employer and worker
delegates in the I.L.O. So are
President Eisenhower and
members of the U.S. delegation
tn (he I.L.O. Anri so is the U S.
labor delegate.
The trouble is that Mr. Mc­
Your Move, Bulgy
VOTE ■HERE
on Pope's disarmament plan
Point f-fl//nat/0n$ ha/tnuc/ear b/asts.
Point 2~A//renouncenuc/earweapons.
Point 5"Establish effective control of
a/f armaments.
Reds Bold Move in Latin America
that this was an excellent time
to strike. Newsmen in the So
viet capital were summoned
hastily to a press conference,
hnd it was announced that the
USSR offered full, diplomatic
relations to all 21 of the Latin
American republics, and that it
would sell those countries
much-needed agricultural ma
chinery, machine tools, auto
mobiles and “other types of
capital equipment and ma
chines.”
'This was an eye opener, but
it did not mean that the Red
plan for world domination was
being forgotten elsewhere. Just
three days later, returning from
a world w ide inspection tour,
U.S. Admiral Arthur W. Rad
ford said he thought tension
was “a little more acute” in
the Middio East than in the
Far East. But, as if to confuse
the picture, the Reds on the
Chinese mainland opened up
their most furious bombard
ment to date of Quemoy and
neighboring islands. And this
happened almost at the same
time the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff was making his
observation about the Middle
East being more acute.
The least that can happen
from the Red attempt to move
into Latin America is to throw
us off balance. At its worst the
intrusion can confront us with
the mos' serious threat we have
yet had from Red aggression.
At present, Soviet Russia has
U anted Answer to ILO Problem
Grath’s proposed solution to
this problem would only make
matters worse. He wants to
throw the baby out with the
bath. Whereas the U.S. labor
delegate, George P. Delaney of
the AFL-CIO, sensibly advo
cates an amendment to the I.
L.O. constitution as a solution
to the problem of Communist
representation. Mr. McGrath ad
vocates immediate withdrawal
of the United States from the
organization.
Cutting off Our Nos*
As of this writing, the N.A.M.
and the Chamber of Commerce
have not committed themselves
one way or the other. They
have merely proposed that
President Eisenhower appoint a
commission to study the ques
tion of U.S. participation in the
I.L.O. Presumably the U.S. Gov
ernment delegation favors Mr.
Delaney’s realistic proposal. In
any event, the Eisenhower Ad
ministration, speaking through
Secretary of tabor James Mit
chell, has publicly disassociated
itself from Mr. McGrath's point
of view.
Mr. Delaney who eats,
drinks and sleeps I.L.O. and is
one of its most effective dele
gates is quoted by the
New York Times as having
said that withdrawal of U.S.
employers and or the U.S. Gov
ernment from the I.L.O., leav
ing it to the tender mercy of
the Communists, would be “ab
surd.”
We agree with Mr. Delaney
one thousand per cent. To with
draw from the I.L.O. would be
to cut off our own nose to spite
our face. Nothing could possi
bly please the communists
more. In the absence of the
United States, they could the
more easily and more success­
diplomatic relations with only
four Latin American nations—■
Argentina, Mexico, Colombia
and Uruguay. But it has been
observed here on another oc
casion that there is not one
country in this hemisphere
which has not had some pene
tration by international com
munism headed up in Moscow.
Some of the penetration—as in
Guatemala—has been pretty
deep.
It is thought here that we
ought to be able to meet Rus
sian economic competition, and
to ward oil a great deal of the
Soviet political propaganda, for
we still have friends in Latin
America.
But our interest in Latin
countries has been sporadic.
And many in Latin Amer
ica have been unable to
understand why the United
States has shown so much inter
est in. and extended so much
aid to Europe, the Middle East
and the Far East, and has given
comparatively little to the coun
tries in this hemisphere. And
some Latin Americans recall
other days when the policy of
the United States towards coun
tries in Central and South
America was less altruistic than
it is today.
Russia undoubtedly has
weighed all of these
things in announcing its
hid for footholds in Latin Amer
ican countries. Its move was
bold, and calculated to cause
us all the worry possible.
fully use the I.L.O. as a sound
ing board for their own propa
ganda, to the embarrassment
not oily of the United States
but of every other country in
the free world.
Vatican's Attitude
Catholics who are interested
in this controversy, between
Mr. McGrath on the one hand
and Secretary Mitchell and De
laney on the other, will want to
keep in mind that the Holy See
has been one of the I.L.O.’s
strongest supporters from the
very beginning of the organi
zation. In November 1954 the
Holy Father enthusiastically
welcomed the members of the
I.L.O. Governing Body in a spe
cial audience at the Vatican
and, echoing the sentiments of
his predecessor, vigorously en
dorsed the important work that
they are doing for the cause of
social justice.
Moreover, as recently as Jan
uary of this year, a French
Jesuit, Father Joblin, was ap
pointed to the staff of the I.
L. 0. with the advice and con
sent of the Holy See.
It is to be hoped that the
Catholics of the United States,
following the lead of the Holy
See in this respect, will con
tinue to support the I.L.O. in
spite of—or if you prefer, pre
cisely because of—the fact that
the organization is now con
fronted with the problem which
Mr. McGrath has done so much
to publicize. This is admittedly
a serious problem. But the rem
edy Mr. McGrath prescribes,
far from being an adequate so
lution to the problem, would
inevitably create a host of even
more serious problems for the
U.S. and every other country
outside the Ruseian orbit.
Inquiry Corner
Father Healey 1 1
Q. I thought suicide kept a
person from having Christian
burial, but I’ve known several
cases of suicides who were
buried from- church. How
come?
A. If there is any serious
doubt about the matter of Chris
tian burial the bishop of the
diocese is consulted and makes
the final decision. Anyone who
deliberately commits suicide
cannot be given Christian buri
al, but when the person s life
has been exemplary (i.e. he is
known as a good or very good
Catholic) and there is good rea
son to believe that he was not
fully responsible at the time,
Christian burial may be per
mitted. Sometimes bad health
will so disturb a person that
he is not quite responsible for
his actions and the suicide does
not represent the serious sin
which is the reason for refus
ing Christian burial to some
one. Others who are to be de
nied Christian burial are less
subject to such a doubtful state
of mind: notorious apostates
from the Faith, those who have
left the Church for some ether
church or to join the Masons,
those who order their bodies
to be cremated and public man
ifest sinners. ((Canon No. 1240)
Q. In a maternity case wnere
mother or child can be saved
but not both what course* of
action would be sanctioned by
the Church and why?
A. There is much confusion
in regard to the moral princi
ple by which the Church, simply
states .he natural moral law:
“Thus, for example, to save the
life of the mother is a most
noble end, but the direct kill
ing of the child as a means to
this end is not licit." (Pope
Pius XII. October 29. 1951) We
cannot kill anyone (who is in
nocent) in order to save some
one else. We cannot do evil
that good may come, for then
we make ourselves as gods,
knowing good and evil better
than God Himself! There are
cases w'here treatment may be
given to the mother which may
indirectly cause the death of
the child, but such moral de
cisions are to be made in con
formity with Christian manuals
and Catholic hospital codes. In
such cases the mother might be
said to be favored, but there
is no moral possibility (for any
person, Catholic or not!) of
JOHN C. O'RRIEN
In his recent book Profiles
in Courage. Senator John F.
Kennedy of Massachusetts has
raised anew the ancient ques
tion as to whether a member
Of Congr ess
should act for
the nation or
for his state
or district.
tor many
mem bers
perhaps for a
a o rity
the question
seldom ari s
es. For the
conscientious few, it often pre
sents a complicated problem in
ethics and anxious soul-search
ing.
Most of the lawmakers sim
ply equate the well-being of
their states or districts with the
national welfare. They do not
necessarily always believe that
what is good for their districts
is good for the nation, but often
they do. believe, in any case,
that the interests of their dis
tricts usually are paramount.
Best Insurance Against
Retirement
The average Congressman
considers himself primarily a
spokesman for the people of his
district in their economic and
political tilts with groups out
side the district.
While we may deplore this
narrow concept of a Congress
man’s duty, it is not difficult
to understand why it is so wide
ly held in the Senate and the
House. Pleasing constituents is
the best insurance against ear
ly retirement to private life,
and the chief aim of the aver
age Congressman is re-election.
As a practical politician the
Congressman understands that
he must stand ready to rise
above principle if he is to re
tain his seat. He may give lip
service to the national plat
form of his party. But he does
so with the mental reservation
that many of its planks are not
for him.
No Alienation of Affection
He understands that the plat
form was jigsawed together
with the express aim of appeas
ing or attracting groups whose
interests, political or econom
ic, conflict with the interests
of the people in his own dis
trict. In a showdown he knows
it is safer to listen to the peo
ple who elected him.
From experience the law
makers have learned that their
success will depend more upon
how effectively they serve the
interests of their own districts
than upon how they stand on
key national interests.
So, if it is at all possible,
they avoid taking a position on
issues that w'ould alienate their
own districts.
Consider Constituent*
Thus, it happens that we of
ten find sizable blocs of Con­
direct taking of the life of
either to save the other. We
have no right to take the life
of any innocent person. As the
Holy Father states “The life
of an innocent person is un
touchable. Any direct attempt
or aggression against it is a
violation of one of the basic
laws without which men can
not live together in safety.”
Q. Who was St. Eugene?
A. One of the earliest was
St. Eugene of Paris, a fellow
worker with St. Denis in the
conversion of France. He waa
martyred but the date is un
certain. some placing him in
the first, some in the third
century. His feast day is No
vember 15th. Pope St. Eugene
I endured persecution and
heresy, fighting for the poor
and foi the integrity of the
Faith in the seventh century,
dying in Rome in 657 A. D.
There 4s a St. Eugenia w'hose
feast day is December 25th,
for she was put to death on
Christmas Day. 257 A. D. She
was a distinguished Roman
lady, learned in philosophy and
the arts, converted by her
slaves, Saints Protus and
Hyacinth. There are several
other saints of that name.
Q. Is it a serious sin tn
miss Mass on a holyday of ob
ligation?
A. Yes. If the failure to ful
fill this obligation is deliberate
it is a mortal sin, just as it is to
miss Mass on Sunday There are
certain grave reasons, of course,
which would excuse a person,
so that missing would be no sin
at all. If a person is too ill to
go or is taking care of someone
who is sick or if something else
really makes it impossible to
go (e.g. being caught through
no fault ot one’s own at a great
distance from any church or be
ing called on to do some urgent
work which is absolutely nec
essary and makes it impossible
to go to Mass). This obligation
is usually interrupted more
freely on holydays than on Sun
day because of th. non-observ
ance of holydays like the As
sumption in our country, but no
Catholic is excused from at
tending Mass unless it is really
impossible to attend.
Send questions to Father Ed
ward F. Healey, Inquiry Cor
ner, The Catholic Times, Box
636, Columbus (16) Ohio.
Tried, Proven Axiom
gressmen running out on the
leaders of their party when the
redemption of a k*y campaign
pledge is at stake.
The 1948 Democratic plat
form, for instance, indorsed a
fair employment practices act
designed to eliminate discrimi
nation against workers on ac
count of race, creed or color.
A majority of the American
people probably would agree
that social justice for Ameri
cans as a whole demands the
enactment of such an act. But
how did the Congressmen from
the Southern states line up
when former President Truman
asked for th? non-discrimina
tion legislation? They got to
gether and blocked it they vot
ed as they believed their con
stituents would want them to
vote.
Rarely Risk Political Neck
Another program initiated
and advocated by the Demo
crats is the reciprocal trade
program under which we give
tariff concessions on foreign
manufactures to enable friend
ly countries to increase their
trade with us. When we were
trying to build up a defense
alliance in Europe after the
end of World War II, the State
Department considered thin
trade program one of its most
potent weapons in the cold war
with the Communists.
In theory, at least, most Con
gressmen subscribe to the die
tum that “politics should stop
at the water’s edge." But unless
security of the nation is clearly
at stake as in the Marshall
plan for the containment of
Communism few Congress
men are willing to subordinate
sectional interests to the wel
fare of the nation.
When the cry goes up that a
tariff concession would ruin a
local industry and put constitu
ents out of a job, it is rare in
deed to find a Congressman
risking his political neck hy
voting for the larger—the na
tional interest.
Parochial-Thinking Voter*
Senator Kennedy cdhdemna
such slavish subservience to
popular whim. “The voters
elected us,” he declares, refer
ring to members of Congress
collectively, “because they had
confidence in our judgment
and our ability to exercise that
judgment in their own best in
terests as part of the nation’s
interests.”
The experience of Congress
men who have proceeded in
this belief would hardly bear
out the courageous Massachus
etts solon. The thinking of our
voters is mainly parochial. And
until they broaden their hori
zon, most of our lawmakers
will continue to be guided by
the trieri-anri proven axiom
that it doesn’t pay to try to ba
a statesman.