FRIDAY.
KEDFORDilTliIBUM
"Everyone in Southern Oregon
d...,. TO.. Mail THhnnn
, Published Dally araeot Saturday by
S3 North TIT St. Ph SPMlfl
ROBERt W RUHL. Editor
HERB GREV Advelti.ini Manager
CERAUJ T LATHAM Bui Mgr.
ERIC W ALLEN JR.. Mng Edltoi
EARL H ADAMS. City Editor
HARRY CHIPMAlJ, Telei I Editor
RICHARD JEWETT, Sporte Editor
OLIVE STARCHER Womtn'i Editor
An tadependerTVewipaper
Intend aa second claaa matter
MeOIOTa, vrcaon.
March 3.
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5Ef;c6T'tw
Flight o' Time
Medford nd Jackson County
History horn th flm J
Ma" Trlbun. 10, 20, 30, 40
and 50 vaa'a 0-
10 YEARS AGO
Feb. 10, 1951 (Saturday)
Costly government require
ments for the pay care and
feeding of imported farm la
bor may result in one of the
most acute farm labor short
ages in years in the Rogue
valley, according to the Jack
son County Fruitgrowers
leaflue,
Mark O. Hatfield, member
of the Oregon house of repre
sentatives, will be the fea
tured speaker at the Jackson
County Lincoln Day banquet
Monday. ' -.
20 YEARS AGO
Fc-b. 10, 1941 (Monday) .
mL. waVi Prnienta admin
tstratton today Issued a call
i.. 'uM. fni- the navmu of the
main and cross runways at
From Arthur Perry's J Ye
n j- trti-'. . nnlumn: A
Washington, D.Cj correspond
ent reports "ine wurm , "
has started politicians
Inff.' Anyhow, that's some-
-thing."'':: ":,!" '
30 YEARS AGO
Feb. 10, 1931 (Tuesday)
The confessed slayer of an
Ashland city policeman has
been sentenced to hang in the
state prison next April 3.
Plans were announced to
day to connect North Central
ave. with the Pacific highway.
40 YEARS AGO
Feb. 10. 1921 (Thursday)
A bill to raise the pay of
Jackson county officials has
passed in the state legislature,
A state bonus bill for sol
diers has passed the Oregon
house. -
50 YEARS AGO 'K t
Feb. 10, 1911 (Friday)
Governor Oswald West said
today he will veto a bill per
mitting net fishing In the
Rogue river; the bill, passed
last week, overrides a peo
ple's initiative measure to
close the Rogue to commercial
fishing.
A special examiner of the
Interstate Commerce commis
sion startod taking testimony
here today on a petition by
the Medlord Traffic bureau
for reduced rail freight rates
between Medford and San
Francisco.
What's Your I.Q.?
Nina oi ten coiraet Ii mpeilon
lavan or eight ii eicellenti Hve ei
la la good.
1. In the Bible, is a "Sab
bath day's Journey" a long or
lmrt Inurnev?
2. During W W II where
was the Pacific fleet rieaa-
quarters? , ' .
i n ronttorade thermom
eter's, what is the boiling point
of water?
4. Correct the following
sentence, "He cannot go with
out he gets permission."
5. Is the carotid artery In
the arm, neck or thigh?
6. Saccharin is a coal-tar
product; true or false.
7 Thp T.patmp nf Nations
had its headquarters in which
city in awi-zenana?
8. Which State is called
"KAunrri'a lrphnx?"
9. Name the Baltimore law
yer who was Inspired to write
our National Anther, while
detained aboard a British ship
nont Ft MrHpnrv.
10. Cleopatra was born be
fore or after Christ?
Aniwerii 1. A very short
Journay. 2. Pearl Harbor. 3.
100 degreaa. 4. "He cannot go
unless n gais permission.
5. Nack. B. Truai. 7. Ganava
Alaska. 9. - Francis Scott
Key.
10. B.fore (61 B.W
FEBRUARY 10, 1961
Hpw About It?
We haven't taken sides, editorially, in the
pro and con discussions concerning a proposed
at the fairgrounds'as part of an eventual activity
nontoi' wViir.li nlh'marohr wnnlH inpliirlp an andi-
W ........ -
torium.
We haven't taken sides simply because we
don't know whether or not the idea is feasible.
To find out, to get a good idea of whether
if ii-a-M .li-l la noArl avifl ir Titif ormino whof-ViPr t.h
expenditure of public money would be justified,
will take considerable time and effort.
-.,
IT'S easy, to say, "If the promoters want it so
badly, let them build it themselves.'
JDUl an OU1U. US DUIWI Ulln. UOVVCKU juilli.-u uu.
yesterday, there are other things involved than
. , ,1 " 1. il 1L 1J .
just tne question 01 wneiner it woum pay xui
ji. if i.
juseii. ur nut.
iilC I1CW CAlCJlDXUll
giuuiiuo, iui msuaiiuc,
selves," but the county
ail cotiiiiatcu ipiuu,vvv
"Hintertamment, cultural ana- community
spirit, enthusiasm and pride values" are listed
1 T It -J! 11.. J1;U1 J-Uot- oov,lf
Dy jewett as SUIIie Ui.
be measured in dollars
WE DO not blame the county court for be-lioirinn-
fVlof nnUr Q vnlo nf tVlO nofinlp shnillH
decide whether or not a
. ... . ,i
(although no vote or tne
restricted purpose, and
as mucn as tne Dasic
T"l . 1 11 1- 1
cut we ao rauier uianie inein iui oamg, m
effect, "This whole job is up to somebody else.
A lot of study is needed. But we won't even ad
vance funds to make a study possible."
fVl mil it. li n ita wiertMrtniril 4-Vt n of n -liiim VtQXm
J.JJUOC W11U liavc lUpuOGU WC DWCiL4ii a.t
rlrtna on Di'mnlir V.aionaa fVioir fV.ir.lf if WnillH ViP
a good thing for the community to have, not
because they have anything to gain personally.
And the v can no loncer afford the costs of con
tinuing an investigation.
ml ,V ,1 l.
inus tne court s aecision virtuauy ciubbh wie
door on any possibility of a stadium being built.
AT THE same time, it has been proposed that
fVio noorl -fnv an QiiHifni'inm in this nnmmnnit.v
w v v.w . .
is greater than the need for a stadium.
Starcher declared in her
.a i.
ago, there isn't any reaiiy
now for. concerts, plays,
j...:..ii.. 1 a......
privaieiy-uwiieu uicai,BiB.
(,une suggestion mamng tne rounas last year
was that the ,city buy the Craterian theater, and
1 tumnlr a i4- !vtt- n aiiiSi V-ii 1 A i t-lflfVi n 1TO i'i ftf IT r-p
1. UlimiVVi U atawv v. I V Pv va v l 13- mv mi wa. avvj
pnr,mmh(iafif.na fnr a vovipt-at nf Qt.trnfHftT,R. Tint.
notning ever eauie 01 iu;
Al !L
WITH air this talk of
f Y of lira of ill rlni-.'f
excent insofar as each
idea.
- 1Xrii rMillvi'f if t
sub-committee to explore
feasibility, the degree of
s rv. it si f A .rl i-v- i-f V -v -l n r-p vi
CACVICU, JIlClllUUS UJ. XJIlCVllltl. lytic CACl IVllVt-
with such facilities in other communities of like
1. e 1 ,1
size, population projections, ana so on, ana men
make public their report? ' -
A city-county civic center, including ample
torium,. and perhaps even
1 1 t i- Ji 1
gooa, out up to now it nas naa a son vi ui eaiu
like aspect. . . ; v
A deilnitive stuay couia crystanze a lot 01
thinking, change, claims into documented facts,
rv - VM-viri A ft n V0 flici -Pc1t I'll O I i af 1 rt Q TM1VQ 1QQ 1 1'QfVlOl
than the rather ill-tempered discussions we have
I 1 1 11 .
neara up to mis point.
XilCll, W1W1 OUlllctlllllg
people could decide.
How about it? E. A.
No Money
ml, ln n,.rli'ln,.i,iVM I'oAiisM'ftn lino
x lit; Biai-iiuiii-auuitui iuiii uiouuooiuit ncic nao
had its counterpart at the University of Oregon
in Eugene, where recently-announced plans for a
stadium have had much the same sort of reper-
cuoBiuno uicy nave nau iicic.
' Need, feasibility, cost, relative advantages
all of these are being debated there, sometimes
heatedly. '
The only trouble, of course, is the same old
one. No money. E. A.
Art and Utility
The reactions to Sculptor Charles Forrester's
model for a new war memorial-play structure
sound a little bit like some of the reactions to
the proposed Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial
in Washington, D. C.
The FDR proposal consisted of a number of
irregularly placed slabs, and won from the
Washington Post the dubious title of "Instant
Stonehenge." -
Whether or not one likes "a particular work
of art is an entirely individual affair. But the
idea of incorporating both attractive, imaginative
arid abstract design and the utility of ;play appar
atus in the same thing has strong appeal.
We commend the parks and recreation com
mission, the donor organizations, and Sculptor
ForKester for their part in this forward-looking
.Bvoict,-r-C. X
0XyW VlAiVU v
win nun pJ " w.w.
court is willing to pay
w uuhu tuvui.
WIV miailgiuiCD umi yon
and cents.
stadium should be 'built
i i .1 j
people was neeaea 101
which will cost almost
staaium pian;.
AT. J? .. nn4r,vi 1
.1 .1 11.
column a few weeks
i i i r i
gooa piace in meaiora
and so on, except the
.
;
"the need" for this and
rnriT whof wo nOfl
individual has his own
n vl--1 Jrl n frtu fVi1 rtifir
the various ideas, their
support which might be
r vi rtl V V f Vl r nvilftl'lonnfl
other facilities, sounds
1. J L J
;
UCXlllltC W J Vll, VI. w
:
Dennis the Menace
'Peaches are eis, sbe?6ut f&cgrsAgB
...Communications . . .
Laners lo the Editor must bear the nama nd address of the writer, although under
certain circumstances the use of a pen name or initial iox publication is permissible.
The Mail Tribune reserves the right to edit all letters with a view to clarification and
condensation. Letters submitted for publication must not exceed 400 words. The letters
printed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of the paper; in fact the
contrary is often me case.
The Weight-Mile Tax
To the Editor: Your recent
editorial regarding the PUC
weight-mile fees needs an
swering, if only to clear up
some popular misconceptions
regarding this tax. It is gen.
erally assumed that only pub-
lie utilities or 'ig truck in-
tests" are affected by this tax.
However, every businessman
who operates a truck in the
course of his business pays a
weight-mile fee. If you think
these costs are not reflected
in the form of higher prices
on goods and services, you
are being naive.
The trucking industry or
those who use trucks in the
course of their business are
not "trying to get out of pay
ing a fair share" of highway
costs. But can it be consid
ered a fair share when the
weight-mile fee on heavy
trucks is seven times higher
than a' similar charge in Cali
fornia, which, incidentally
has far better roads than Ore
gon? It is no wonder that
Medco can build and main
tain a private road on the
money saved on PUC fees.
' In the course of my busi
ness I could handle many com
modities which are produced
in the Portland area, but the
prohibitive freight, which is
often higher than the cost of
the commodity Itself, forces
me to make most of my pur
chases in California. Driving
my truck in California is one
seventh as expensive as driv
ing It in Oregon. If Oregon's
weight-mile tax were more
reasonable, my purchases, and
those of many other business
men, -would be contributing
to its economy rather than to
that of another state.
The potential monetary loss
mentioned in your editorial
would, be gained back many
times over with the enact
ment of a reasonable tax in
place of the present system.
No industry can exist without
satis factory transportation,
and the constant discourag
ment of trucking that this
state practices is a great detri
ment to its economic growth.
Our legislators profess tb
be Interested in improving
Oregon's economy and Its
business atmosphere but they
should realize that taxing the
businessman to death, wheth
er he is large or small, is not
the way to accomplish their
objectives. In my opinion the
only thing ill-timed about this
proposed reduction In weight
mile fees is that it wasn't
passed years ago. ,
Donald G. Stuart
Rt. 4, Box 348-B
Medford
On Shortening Letters
To the Editor: You edited
the very heart out of my let
ter. I am ashamed of you. I
would rather you hadn't
printed it at all than leave
out any except possibly the
names of Jesus.
I am not ashamed of any
part of It. I would rather be
a fool for Christ than Just a
plain "crackpot." I know it
was too long, but what are
rules when something so
precious as this is involved?
I see this same kind of
editing In TV programs. They
hold the precious mysteries
of God up for the people to
sec, veiled in words that
makes everything reasonable,
refusing to let the Lord come
close enough to just ordinary
people for them to cling to
and use. Refusing to believe
and admit that the Lord
works, with simple and or
dinary things and takes ugly,
dirty, confused people and
makes them beautiful and
clean. Sets them on the "right
track" and keeps them there.
An example sits in my liv
ing room. A boy 1 know loves
to work with driftwood. For
my Christmas present he
chose two tueces at drift
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, ORE.
wood, fastened them together,
varnished them, added three
seals, three shells and what
was useless became a beauti
ful ornament.
It is in this way- that the
Lord works with people.
Etna Ragsdale
1214 West 10th st
Medford
Tax on Cigarettes?
To the Editor: While I have
no way of knowing whether
you are a tobacco user, my
husband and I both smoke
cigarettes, as do most of our
friends. As smokers, we feel
absolutely no qualms about
paying an extra 3c per pack-
age, or 30c per carton ... IF
we are assured that the addi
tional money goes strictly for
schools.
We are in the same boat as
the non-smoker when it comes
to the rising state income tax
and personal property taxes
. . . we can't afford it! And
they will rise unless we tap
another source.
We believe that the majori
ty who smoke would not mind
being taxed for a product they
Know tun wen is not a neces
sity, even though the non-user
would automatically be ex
empt. To go along with this added
revenue, which most states al
ready utilize, we highly rec
ommend that a state sales tax
along the lines of the Califor
nia system be worked out.
This would cover all the
residents, regardless of their
minor vices, plus the million
or more tourists which pass
through our state each year.
we are familiar with all the
arguments against such a sales
tax, but sincerely believe that
a plan acceptable to the ma
jority of Oregon voters could
and should be worked out im
mediately. Maybe this letter
will encourage more people to
express their views on this im
portant subject.
T.F.R.
(Name on file)
Ashland, Ore.
Pear Tree Exemption
To the Editor: For several
years our county assessor has
conducted a campaign to recti
fy what he considers an in
justice in the tax laws, the ex
emption of fruit trees in the
property tax field. This injus
tice is not to the assessor, but
to every property taxpayer
noi owning orchard oronertv:
and certainly the support of
this campaign has been less
than widespread.
In the latest consideration
of this matter by the legis
lature, the tightly organized
orchard interests have aban
doned their impassioned cries
of 'l hey 11 tax your shade
trees!" (which they relied on
several years ago) and have
gone to, "The Industry cannot
afford It." Obviously the in
herent evil in a property tax
is the fact that it bears no di
rect relation to income pro
duction. How then can the
fruit Industry justify an ex
emption on the grounds of
slim profits when non profit
corporations, other farm prop
erties losing money, and cur
rently unprofitable lumber in
terests are all subject to prop
erty tax? As an extreme exam
ple, which of us has shown
an income profit on his home
recently?
I can certainly appreciate
these people not wanting to
pay such a tax, but I have yet
to hear convincing arguments
as to how you can consider
fruit trees as other than "prop
erty." The property tax as a
major source of school funds
is, in my opinion, in great
need of adjustments, but cer
tainly any exemptions such
as this in the property tax
structure can only increase in
equities and serve to raise
taxes for all others not so priv
ileged. It would seem appro
priate for such a well-organ
ized and financed (roup as the
Equity To
Levels Discussed by
By LYLE C. WILSON
Washington- IUPD -The most
easily remembered and like
ly the most quickly forgotten
line in iresi
d e n t Ken
nedy's inaug
ural address
was this:
"Fellow
A m e r 1 c ans,
ask. not what
your country
will do for you
-ask what you
wiuon "a" uu
your country."
President Cleveland ex
pressed the same idea many
years before President Ken
nedy was born. Cleveland told
the voters that It was not ror
government to support the
DeoDle but for people 10 sup
port the government. The idea.
didn't eaten on.
If the idea now prospers
under the Kennedy adminis
tration there will have to be
a reversal of a mammoth
fruit growers to pay their
equitable share of property
taxes and work toward cor
rectlons in this entire tax
field rather than privilege for
a small group.
It -will be interesting to see
if Mr. Newbry turns out to be
a "pear appointee," since fa
voring this exemption is hard-
ly a clear issue for general
county benefit.
(Name on file.)
Secrecy and Weapons
To the Editor: I, for one, ob
ject to secrecy on the part of
public officials, whether city,
county, state or federal. When
secrecy is used in business
concerning the public there
are many opportunities for
dishonesty, graft, etc.
I am not interested in being
a public official, principally
because I am sensitive about
my ignorance concerning the
functions of government. How
ever, if I were, I would insist
that the doings of my office be
made public and in situations
such as the granting of an
over-width permit to a firm
such as that granted to Med
ford Corporation for the Fish
Hatchery grade east of Butte
Falls.
The proposals by each party
should have been publicized
in advance in order that the
county's residents could have
the opportunity to protest if
they so desired, or at least
would know whether either
party to the agreement was
complying with the conditions
thereof.
I am wondering whether
the big city of Jacksonville
can get away with an ordi
nance which is definitely in
violation of the constitution of
Oregon and the United States
of America. I'd suggest the
city council of Jacksonville
check on the wording of Ar
ticle 1, section 27, of the Ore
gon Constitution and sections
166.210 through 166.330 of Or
egon Revised Statutes. I am
under the impression, subject
to correction, that any citizen
may carry either a rifle or pis
tol or hunting knife or other
weapon which is NOT con
cealed. May we hear from the
district attorney on this mat
ter? Floyd R. McCabe,
Mt. Pitt Star rt.,
Butte Falls, Ore.
Sitting in Truck
To the Editor: Why do peo
ple "goof-off" so much? I am
referring to the men who are
supposed to maintain the
streets of Medford. -
The other day I passed a
city truck (which was parked
along the roadway). Two city
employees were sitting in it. I
imagine they were chewing
the fat or killing time until
their time to go home was
soon to come.
Is this what the citizens of
Medford are paying taxes for?
(Name on file)
Medford.
Free" Enterprise
To the Editor: Occasionally
we see an article or a letter
to the editor where the words
Free Enterprise" are used in
relationship to the business
world and "Private Greed
in speaking of the workers.
The people who write about
"Free Enterprise throw the
term around as if they knew
what it meant and that it was
what they desired. I am cer
tain that this would be the
last thing in the world that
business would want.
Recently steel firms were
charged with conspiring to
eliminate competition in the
sale and fabrication of con
crete reinforcing bars (rebars)
in Arizona, California, Ore
gon, Idaho, Utah, Washington
and Nevada. Fifteen plead
guilty.
In fiscal 1959, 86.7 per cent
of the defense contracts were
awarded without competitive
lIl
States in Taxation
trend. The February letter of
the First National City Bank
of New York illuminated the
situation somewhat in the fol
lowing quotation:
Federal Spending
"There is no confirmation
in the federal budget record
of the claim that is so often
made that, while people are
'affluent,' the public (or gov
ernmental) sector of the econ
omy is being starved for
money.
"The most striking acceler
ation in federal spending since
Korea (1951-53) has been in
benefits considered as gov
ernmental services flowing to
the public under the functions
of commerce, housing and
space, agriculture, labor and
welfare; natural resources and
veterans' services and bene
fits. "Since fiscal year 1954,
budget outlays for benefits
have climbed 78 per cent,
twice as fast as the gross na
tional product. Over these
years, benefits have expand
ed from 17 per cent of the
total budget to 26 per cent at
present."
. The New Jersey Taxpayers
Association comes up with
some figures related to the
foregoing but more specifical
ly Intended to answer two
Matter of Fact
REPUBLICAN PROSPECTS
New York City - Though
temporarily snow - strangled,
New York City is still a good
place to i n -
vestigate Re
publican pros
pects at the
beginning o f
the e r a of
John F. Ken
nedy. Here
abouts, at any
rate, the out
look for the
Aliop R e p u blican
party seems far from des
perate. The point is that the Demo
cratic party In this most popu
lous and most crucial state in
the Union is not just a basket
of eels. It is a panier of
vipers. And Gov. Nelson A.
Rockefeller, the vigorous Re
publican chieftain of New
York, is plainly preparing to
profit to the utmost from the
disarray of his opponents.
Two particularly grisly
features stand out in the
Democratic - situation. First,
the Democrats have so far
failed to develop even the
shadow of a moderately sale
able candidate to run for the
Governorship against Rocke
feller. And second, they are
in a mess in their main strong.
hold, here in New York City,
which only a trained herpe-
tologist could describe really
adequately. ,
THE Tammany boss, C a r
mine TlpSnnin. In nnHpr nf.
tack on all fronts, but de
fending himself furiously. The
Mayor, Robert F. Wagner Jr,
has just joined the attack on
DeSapio after prolonged hesi
tation. Wagner's'move has al
most certainly prevented the
Democratic reformers and the
Liberal party leaders, Alec
Rose and David Dubinsky,
from joining a movement to
elect a new Mayor on a
Fusion ticket. It is hard to
bidding. Negotiated contracts
lead to such waste as the gov
ernment paying $21.10 each
for a lamp socket that could
be purchased at a store for as
little as 25 cents.
General Electric, Westing-
house, Allis Chalmers, I-T-E
and others, including 47 ex
ecutives were indicted for
criminally conspiring to "rig
bids and fix prices in viola
tion of the Sherman Anti-
Trust Act. The alleged con
spiracy involved billions of
dollars and covered every
kind of electrical equipment
sold to the federal, state and
local agencies, as well as to
private industry. In December
the electrical firms pleaded
guilty or refused to defend
themselves.
In the matter of fringe
benefits, what about subsidies
to railroads, shipping lines.
and a form of a subsidy to
Saturday Evening Post, Read
ers Digest, and many others,
in a postal subsidy? What
about tax write-offs? The
Congressional Record, Febru
ary, 1960, page A1580, has a
heading titled "Private Power
Companies Cashing in on
Their Share of $15 Billion
Federal Subsidies From Rapid
Amortization." I note the
name of California Oregon
Power Company at $8,791,-
000; Portland General Elec
tric $2,783,000; Pacific Power
& Light Company $11,273,000
and Idaho Power Company
$4,388,000.
Workers receive no subsidy
form of tax write-offs, a
side of beef, milk, cabbage,
or anything else. They do not
even get credit for their body
depreciating with age and
with excess work.
W. L. Harris
Reedsport, Ore.
I.J ss
I v5f 1
Wilson
questions about federal aid to
state and local governments.
Who Helps Whom?
"Who," the association in
quired, "is aiding whom?"
"Who's selling these federal
gold bricks to New Jersey?"
The association reports that
New Jersey taxpayers put up
$2.47 in federal taxes for
every $1 returned'in federal
aid, a loss of $1.47 on each
dollar's worth of assistance.
There are 14 others among
those classified by the associa
tion as "aid-ing" states. Dela
ware, for example, pays $2.09
in federal taxes for each $1
of federal aid received; Con
necticut, $1.82; Indiana, $1.69
and so on. Virginia is last
among the aid-ing states, with
a $1.10 tax to $1 aid ratio.
The others are aided states.
Proud Texas, for example,
gets $1 in federal aid for each
94 cents of taxes. The associa
tion does not challenge the
idea that this is a good deal
for the 34 aided states. It
argues, however, that the
"aid-ing" states are being had,
with New Jersey taxpayers
getting the worst deal of all.
If the record of past ex
perience is a useful guide,
there will be more of this,
instead of less, despite Presi
dents Kennedy and Cleveland.
By Joseph Alsop
imagine a straight Republican
victory in the Mayoralty race.
Yet if Wagner is success
fully re-elected in the end, the
New York City vipers will
still be rising, hissing, and
striking at one another all
over the place. Thus both
Governor Rockefeller and his
ally, Sen. Jacob Javits, can
reasonably count on winning
new terms . with generous
state-wide majorities, sweet
ened by impressively good
showings in New York City.
This is just the kind of
result that Governor Rocke
feller needs, of course, in or
der to achieve a more com
manding position at the Re
publican convention in 1964.
But this Rockfeller-Republi-can
story by no means ends
at the borders of New York
state.
IN NEW JERSEY, particu
larly, Sen. Clifford Case
and most of the ot)ier Repub
lican members of the state's
Congressional delegation have
got together to back former
Secretary of Labor James
Mitchell for the ., Governor
ship. And here again there is
no obviously saleable Demo
cratic candidate, since Rep.
Frank Thompson Jr. has de
cided not to seek the place
now held by the fading Demo
cratic Gov. Robert Meyner.
If the liberal-minded Mit
chell is nominated and elect
ed, it will be another gain for
the Rockefeller brand of Re
publicanism. Mitchell is not
only close to Rockefeller in
viewpoint. He is also on bad
terms, since the last Presi
dential election, with former
Vice President Richard M.
Nixon; and he is one of the pet
targets of the Barry Gold
water Republicans. The ques
tion really is whether Mitchell
can win nomination against
the Bergen County leader,!
State Sen. Walter Jones, who
has powerful support from the
local New Jersey organiza
tions. In Connecticut, again, the
removal from the scene of
former Gov. Abraham Ribi-
coff gives the Republicans a
greatly improved chance to
recapture the State Capitol. In
Massachusetts, they already
hold the Capitol, since John
A. Volpe won the Governor
ship despite the Kennedy tide.
And they have a chance to
pick up the Massachusetts
Democratic Senate seat now
held on an interim basis by
f r e s l a e n t Kennedy's old
friend, Benjamin A. Smith Jr.
TN THE vote-heavy indus-
Republican prospects for the
immediate future are very
good indeed, providing the
other state parties can only
imitate the New Vnrlr ctato
Republicans', defiance of the
iron law of Republicanism.
This is the law that the Re
publican candidate mncr Ilka.
ly to be appetizing to the
voters are also the candidates
most likely tJ repel and alarm
the party organizations and
the party fat cats.
If Rockefeller wins as pncilu
as now seems likely, and the
iron law is successfully over
come in two or three of the
other states In this corner of
the U.S.. the nnlinnnl Hom,k
lican outlook will be unavoid
ably and quite sharply af
fected. This is thp
course, why former Vice
President Nixon is already
moving away irom his earlier
plan to remain far above the
battle for a whilp Wivn',,
alternative is to run for the
Governorship of California in
1962 against the hapless Pat
Brown.
Nixon will nepri a lni i.
tory, in order to balance the
effect Of Victories hv RnnL-p.
feller and other men of his
stripe in this part of the coun
try. And if Nixon adds a Re
publican success in California
Washington Report
By William S. White
DEMOCRATIC SPLITS
Washington - The political
situation in the country's two
most politically p o w e rf u 1
s ta t e s, New
York and Cal
if o r n i a, is
deeply worry
ing the Demo
crats, just re
turned to na
tional power
though they
are.
The source
of anxiety lies
in the presence in both states,
in large and righteous num
bers, of the good, good, good
Democrat. This is a fellow
so terribly "liberal" and in
fallibly right on every ques
tion that it hurts-hurts all
others, that is. . '
President Kennedy himself
is trying to stay out of what
in each state is a prolonged
hissing match set off by the
good, good, good Democrats
against nearly all other Dem
ocrats who happen to be in
elected office or in positions
of party leadership.
It seems clear, however,
that he must shortly dip into
these rancorous pools with a
brisk exercise of his own au
thority. If he doesn't, the loss
of one or both states to the
Republicans in 1962-and may
be even in 1964, when he
seeks a second term-is most
plainly probable.
FOR in both the Democrats
are showing a bickering
ineffectuality. The public gets
the impression they are hard
ly competent to carry on any
enterprise beyond clawing at
each other and shouting shrill
and weird epithets.
Frustration is the word for
the national Democratic poli
ticians as they gaze sadly at
what ought to be two great
state strong points-and ara
instead both wide open to
Republican capture.
California, where Demo
crats vastly outnumber Re
publicans, nevertheless went
last November to G.O.P. Pres
idential candidate Richard M.
Nixon. True, New York was
carried by Mr. Kennedy; but
the future is dark for the
Democrats there, too.
Republican Gov. Neison
Rockefeller seems practically
certain of re-election next
year. The Democratic mayor
of New York City, Robert
Wagner, goes for re-election
this fall as the alleged head
of an alleged Democratic
party which is really in bro
ken fragments.
In California, Gov. Edmund
(Pat) Brown, also up for re
election next year, is in the
same fix. There, according to
sound private estimates
among Democrats themselves,
Brown can hardly hope to
survive if Nixon challenges
him.
..
IVHY all this, in both New
' ' York and California? An
swer: These two presumably
sophisticated states have de
veloped a back-biting cam
paign by the good, good, good
Democrats which must be
heard to be believed.
In New York, "reformers"
headed by former Sen. Her
bert Lehman and Mrs. Frank
lin D. Roosevelt endlessly de
nounce the ablest professional
their party has, Tammany
Leader Carmine DeSapio. In
their eyes, DeSapio's crimes
are manifold. The outsider
has some trouble to determine
what they are-except for the
capital crime of disagreeing
with the "reformers."
If in New York there are
now several Democratic par
ties, in California there are
several more. Governor
Brown, if not the ablest man
ever to breathe the Califor
nia airs, did reclaim the state
for the Democrats in 1958.
But other Democrats gave him
far more trouble than did the
Republicans.
THEY are still giving il lo
him. To hear what is real
ly wrong with Brown, you
need only meet one of the
good, good, good California
Democrats. These fellows, as
in New York, are in the
happy position of having no
responsibility. So, their situa
tion permits them to operate
what they would call a hit-and-run
politics-if, that is,
it were being practiced by
conservatives.
All men having some hu
man feeling should have a
bit of sympathy for the poor
chaps who have had the mis
fortune to have some real
power and responsibility in
both states.
President Kennedy himself
though not yet taking sides-is
bound to feel some sympathy
himself. For there was a time
when the good, good, good
Liberals, especially in New
York, did not well love John
F. Kennedy himself.
(Copyright, 1961, By United
Feature Syndicate, Inc.)
to a string of Republican suc
cesses on the Atlantic coast,
the Democratic problem in
1964 can become fairly for
midable. In these quite likely
circumstances, in fact, the
Democrats can only hope for
salvation by one man, Presi
dent Kennedy.
(c) 1961 New York Herald
Tribune Inc.
J
i