On the Council, the Library, and Sundry Other Subjects

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

The CRIMSON editorial "State of the Union" was biased, to put it mildly. This is not to disparage Mr. Truman's achievement; but let's represent his victory as what it is--a triumph of his personality and energy over the poor opinion most of the nation had of his party during the years just past. Remember that the 80th Congress passed a number of measures over the President's veto by virtue of alliance between all groups in Congress--there were a lot of Democrats in those two-thirds majorities. Mr. Truman's record up to last summer was so colorless that Republican leaders deemed a campaign unnecessary, thought they would lose less votes by avoiding commitments than they would attract by lavish promises. The President's margin of victory largely represents stay-at-home Republicans, who, confronted with a choice between no program and the Truman deal, avoided the dilemma by voting for neither.

"... after a brief Republican hiatus, the movement towards a human welfare society in America will continue." I do not maintain that the 80th Congress charged headlong into the millennium. 1946-48 represent years in which America could consolidate her position. The proliferation of government agenefes, bureaus, corporations, departments, etc. since 1932 alarms even Democrats--yet screams of anguish arise (from the CRIMSON) when a year passes without the usual bales of half-baked legislation. The "Republican hiatus" represents nothing more reactionary than a pause to think--but thinking seems to be out of style when government is conducted on sales slogans--"New Deal," "fair deal," "gluttons of privilege,"--political programs retailed in the same fashion as cigarettes and soap. Richard E. Platt '51