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WHERE OUR NATION STANDS AT HOME AND ABROAD
WHERE OUR NATION STANDS AT HOME AND ABROAD
3
Such, in broad outline, are the maladies and tumults surrounding us.
III
Meanwhile, the administration goes its higgledy-piggledy way, its
high priests no longer the flower of American culture but skilled po-
When, in 1965, the 1st session of the 89th Congress adjourned, I
litical salesmen who pursue domestic social programs with the pop-
raised the question, in the Republican Report of October 22, 1965
eyed ardor of a Harpo Marx chasing blondes.
(S. Doc. 66), as to the real result of so many programs with fancy
We hear, time and again, from the administration that it wants to
names and high emotional appeal. I pointed out that millions of
end poverty. So do we all. What the country wants to know is when
citizens had not yet had a chance to pass judgment, but when they
we're going to get around to the real war by practicing moderation at
did "there may be a furious reaction."
home.
That Mr. Johnson met with historic success in terms of mere
And, so, we return to that March of 1933, and that message about
quantity of laws passed in 1965 is unquestioned. It was a massive
order in our Government. In that same message we were admon-
display of power and pressure; and a Democratic Congress which
ished:
then, as today, is controlled by a lopsided 2-to-1 Democratic Party
majority, responded to Mr. Johnson's wishes.
Too often * * * governments have been wrecked on the rocks of loose fiscal
policy.
As the weeks and months passed from 1965 into 1966, what be-
came apparent, and is now a fact, reminds me of what George Eliot
Leader
Now is the time to remember that statement. As Republican
once wrote:
in the Senate, I urgently request the Johnson administration to
heed in wartime that peacetime warning of playing loose with the
There are many victories worse than defeat.
people's money.
Many of the victorious domestic legislative chickens of 1965 began
II
coming home to roost this year.
Thus, when the 2d session of the 89th convened in January of 1966,
The 2d session of the 89th Congress is about to close. It is the
the Nation was undergoing some serious speculation on what was to be.
appropriate occasion for a summation of our times.
More questions were being asked.
1. This has been the year when an additional 150,000 Americans
Fewer answers were being given by the administration.
were sent abroad to fight a war which already is the longest, and the
Instead, the administration offered up more domestic programs
third largest, war in our history.
consisting in many instances of novelty upon novelty, gadget upon
gadget, gimmick upon gimmick.
2. This has been the year when some 14,000 National Guardsmen
Like Dickens, it appeared to be the best of times, the worst
of
were sent to guard our streets at home-in Dayton, in Chicago, in
times, the age of wisdom, the age of foolishness, the epoch of belief,
San Francisco, in Cleveland, in Benton Harbor, in Wauwatosa, and
the epoch of credulity.
in the year before in Selma, in Montgomery, in Springfield, in Los
But even before the summer of 1966 ended, it became apparent it
Angeles, in Natchez.
wasn't exactly the best of times, and certainly not the age of wisdom
3. This has been the year when law enforcement officers were called
under a Great Society administration.
to a dozen other cities to quell violence in our streets-from Troy to
And as for an epoch of belief, the credibility of the Government itself
New Jersey to Jacksonville to South Bend; from Des Moines and
was being questioned and attacked on all sides; in the press, on the
Baltimore and Brooklyn to Washington, Providence, and Perth
streets, over the air, and in the Congress, by Democrat and Republican
Amboy.
alike. Government news management cast a dark shadow. People
4. This has been the year when people were afraid to walk the
would not, could not, or did not believe their own Government.
The truth was: The Government's house was not in order."
streets alone; when police were confronted by a gigantic increase in
crime of 46 percent from 1960 to 1965; and when the number of chil-
If the political leader of the so-called Great Society believed in
dren arrested under the age of 18 increased by 54.5 percent.
1966 he was riding a tide in the affairs of men, he may have forgotten,
or did not recell, the words of James Russell Lowell in observing:
5. This has been the year when inflation sent the cost of living sky-
Truly there is a tide in the affairs of men, but there is no Gulfstream settling
rocketing to the highest in all our history and when the real spendable
forever in one direction.
earnings of people were less than just a year ago, regardless of pay
IV
raises.
These are facts. Straightforward. Unadorned. Indisputable.
Still in our minds as the 1966 session of Congress proceeded was the
These are great dilemmas of our times.
Christmas truce in Vietnam, the intensified peace effort, and the
gradual diminution of our prestige abroad despite the $120 billion we
And all of them are conspicuously unsolved under the Great Society.
had dispensed in foreign aid.
After a year, there has been no improvement under the Great
Society.
There were the continuing cries of 'Yanki Go Home" from the very
people we had aided and befriended.
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"ocrText": "2\nWHERE OUR NATION STANDS AT HOME AND ABROAD\nWHERE OUR NATION STANDS AT HOME AND ABROAD\n3\nSuch, in broad outline, are the maladies and tumults surrounding us.\nIII\nMeanwhile, the administration goes its higgledy-piggledy way, its\nhigh priests no longer the flower of American culture but skilled po-\nWhen, in 1965, the 1st session of the 89th Congress adjourned, I\nlitical salesmen who pursue domestic social programs with the pop-\nraised the question, in the Republican Report of October 22, 1965\neyed ardor of a Harpo Marx chasing blondes.\n(S. Doc. 66), as to the real result of so many programs with fancy\nWe hear, time and again, from the administration that it wants to\nnames and high emotional appeal. I pointed out that millions of\nend poverty. So do we all. What the country wants to know is when\ncitizens had not yet had a chance to pass judgment, but when they\nwe're going to get around to the real war by practicing moderation at\ndid \"there may be a furious reaction.\"\nhome.\nThat Mr. Johnson met with historic success in terms of mere\nAnd, so, we return to that March of 1933, and that message about\nquantity of laws passed in 1965 is unquestioned. It was a massive\norder in our Government. In that same message we were admon-\ndisplay of power and pressure; and a Democratic Congress which\nished:\nthen, as today, is controlled by a lopsided 2-to-1 Democratic Party\nmajority, responded to Mr. Johnson's wishes.\nToo often * * * governments have been wrecked on the rocks of loose fiscal\npolicy.\nAs the weeks and months passed from 1965 into 1966, what be-\ncame apparent, and is now a fact, reminds me of what George Eliot\nLeader\nNow is the time to remember that statement. As Republican\nonce wrote:\nin the Senate, I urgently request the Johnson administration to\nheed in wartime that peacetime warning of playing loose with the\nThere are many victories worse than defeat.\npeople's money.\nMany of the victorious domestic legislative chickens of 1965 began\nII\ncoming home to roost this year.\nThus, when the 2d session of the 89th convened in January of 1966,\nThe 2d session of the 89th Congress is about to close. It is the\nthe Nation was undergoing some serious speculation on what was to be.\nappropriate occasion for a summation of our times.\nMore questions were being asked.\n1. This has been the year when an additional 150,000 Americans\nFewer answers were being given by the administration.\nwere sent abroad to fight a war which already is the longest, and the\nInstead, the administration offered up more domestic programs\nthird largest, war in our history.\nconsisting in many instances of novelty upon novelty, gadget upon\ngadget, gimmick upon gimmick.\n2. This has been the year when some 14,000 National Guardsmen\nLike Dickens, it appeared to be the best of times, the worst\nof\nwere sent to guard our streets at home-in Dayton, in Chicago, in\ntimes, the age of wisdom, the age of foolishness, the epoch of belief,\nSan Francisco, in Cleveland, in Benton Harbor, in Wauwatosa, and\nthe epoch of credulity.\nin the year before in Selma, in Montgomery, in Springfield, in Los\nBut even before the summer of 1966 ended, it became apparent it\nAngeles, in Natchez.\nwasn't exactly the best of times, and certainly not the age of wisdom\n3. This has been the year when law enforcement officers were called\nunder a Great Society administration.\nto a dozen other cities to quell violence in our streets-from Troy to\nAnd as for an epoch of belief, the credibility of the Government itself\nNew Jersey to Jacksonville to South Bend; from Des Moines and\nwas being questioned and attacked on all sides; in the press, on the\nBaltimore and Brooklyn to Washington, Providence, and Perth\nstreets, over the air, and in the Congress, by Democrat and Republican\nAmboy.\nalike. Government news management cast a dark shadow. People\n4. This has been the year when people were afraid to walk the\nwould not, could not, or did not believe their own Government.\nThe truth was: The Government's house was not in order.\"\nstreets alone; when police were confronted by a gigantic increase in\ncrime of 46 percent from 1960 to 1965; and when the number of chil-\nIf the political leader of the so-called Great Society believed in\ndren arrested under the age of 18 increased by 54.5 percent.\n1966 he was riding a tide in the affairs of men, he may have forgotten,\nor did not recell, the words of James Russell Lowell in observing:\n5. This has been the year when inflation sent the cost of living sky-\nTruly there is a tide in the affairs of men, but there is no Gulfstream settling\nrocketing to the highest in all our history and when the real spendable\nforever in one direction.\nearnings of people were less than just a year ago, regardless of pay\nIV\nraises.\nThese are facts. Straightforward. Unadorned. Indisputable.\nStill in our minds as the 1966 session of Congress proceeded was the\nThese are great dilemmas of our times.\nChristmas truce in Vietnam, the intensified peace effort, and the\ngradual diminution of our prestige abroad despite the $120 billion we\nAnd all of them are conspicuously unsolved under the Great Society.\nhad dispensed in foreign aid.\nAfter a year, there has been no improvement under the Great\nSociety.\nThere were the continuing cries of 'Yanki Go Home\" from the very\npeople we had aided and befriended."
}