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VICTIM OF AN OUTRAGE Rep. Richard Poff (R-Va.) has declined consideration as a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court in a statement that showed far more dignity and devotion to the high court than his leftwing, ultra- liberal opponents have ever dem- onstrated. The congressman gave up what quite apparently was the most cherished goal of his life be- cause he refused to subject the nation, the Supreme Court and his family to the prolonged, bitter, partisan muckraking that foes of his appointment planned. The complaint against Poff was his record of opposition to civil rights legislation. Certainly Rep. Poff that should have been weighed carefully in evaluating the law- maker's fitness for the Supreme Court. Despite his stand on civil rights, Poff was hardly the raving, red-necked racist caricatured by his enemies. Among his colleagues he was so highly regarded that even old line liberals and civil rights devotees such as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Emanuel Celler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Abner Mikva (D-III.) warmly seconded him for a high court seat. It might be understandable that these endorsements cut no ice with civil rights organizations. There is less to be said on behalf of others in the anti-Poff coalition. Sen. Birch Bayh (D-Ind.) is an arrogant opportunist who pilloried two of President Richard M. Nixon's previous Supreme Court choices to inflate his dwarfish political stature. No doubt he sensed a chance to harvest another bumper crop of political hay to feed his lagging presi- dential ambitions. As for ideologues of the far left like Washington attorney Joseph Rauh, their clear intention is to black- mail the President or frighten off prospective moderate coart appointees by threatening lengthy smear hearings against anyone not totally in their camp. Their ideal Su- preme Court: William O. Douglas and eight parrots. It is only because Mr. Nixon has patiently stuck to his guns that these would-be tyrants of the left have not succeeded in their aim. We hope the Chief Executive will continue to hold fast against the outrageous tactics that forced Rep. Poff to renounce a place on the Supreme Court.