Page A4 Keep Things Moving ! Dallas Borough Council chairman George Tho- mas obviously takes pride in the way he runs his council meetings. He should. He normally keeps things moving very well and always has his: proce- dure down pat. He is always, wisely, quick to put a stop to redun- dancies of argument by citizens or members of council. His meetings rarely, if ever, get out-of- control. But the chairman himself seemed the culprit of a belabored point at the most recent borough meet- ing. The whole meeting seemed to proceed a little out-of-control, a little-under-control from that point on as a result. When the discussion on the possible addition of a fourth full-time patrolman to the borough, revealed to him that three councilmen sided against his own ‘conviction, while only one agreed, Mr. Thomas appeared to stall, and revert to redundancies. The chairman was not in favor of the addition. Repeated times he gave the opinion that all mem- bers of council should be present to vote on the question. Two councilmen were absent, one of whom had earlier voted against the addition in a vote that ended in a tie. George obviously felt very strongly about the question, or he would have realized immediately that he was guilty of what he is so adept at putting a - stop to. And he finally did call for a vote on the mo- tion that a fourth officer be added. He finally real- ized, or admitted to himself, that his call for the vote before the whole council had no parliamentary merit. (The two absent men had every chance to be there, but they weren't.) We hope that in the future, Mr. Thomas will be as quick to put an end to his own redundant, disrup- tive, time-consuming arguments as he is with others. Because there is no one else to keep him in order. That’s his job. To Inform John Dean put it all into a better perspective Monday during his testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee. The Nixon Administration has used illegal and unethical means to the degree of enlisting at least three federal agencies to stop the flow of information, and to perpetrate sabotage; burglary, perjury, and wire tapping against citi- zens of the United States. The use of the Internal Revenue Service, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for such purposes not only violates the laws designed by Congress under which authority these agencies are supposed to function, but ignores and violates the public trust. Further, Mr. Dean’s 245-page testimony clearly indicates that during the Nixon Administration there are no ends high White House officials will go to save their positions of power. While Mr. Dean has been but one top White House official who indicated that he was making a clean sweep and laying it all out for public scrutiny, many of his charges are obviously going to be de- nied by his former executive mansion colleagues, perhaps including the President himself. But as one observer commented: ‘It doesn’t matter; any one of his charges would see top White House officials go to jail.” And in the game of politics, that’s the worse possible circumstance that could befall the lameduck Mr. Nixon. Whether all of Mr. Dean’s charges hold up when it comes to the actions and success of chief prose- _ cutor Archibald Cox is therefore of little considera- tion. To put a few paltry saboteurs and perjurers in jailis not the question here, except for the benefit of the history books; and then only to designate the Nixon Administration as the most corrupt in the history of the nation. What’s important is to inform the American public of the character and deeds of its national leaders, as the Senate Watergate Com- mittee is attempting to do. After all, we still must believe in the premise that an informed nation of people who are trying to govern themselves will make the right decisions. It’s the halt of the free flow of information, not the perjured testimony of the likes of the Deans, Haldemans and Mitchells, which jeopardize the nation. | Capitol Notes by William Ecenbarger Two legislative sessions ago the Pennsyl- vania statehouse passed a lobbyist control bill, which was left to die by the Senate. Last year the Senate passed an identical lobbyist control bill, which was left to die by the House. i This is a legislative technique reserved for issues that are unpopular with legislators but popular with their constituents: Pass it and let the other chamber kill it. This technique is made possible by one of the greatest duplication of services in state government—the two-house legislature. This may ring of heresy to many. for it is widely supposed that bicameralism was or- dained by the Founding Fathers. But in fact bicameralism is copied illogi- cal} from the English system and reinforced with equal illogic by the U.S. Congressional system. Unlike the English Parliament, state legislatures are not divided along aristocratic lines; unlike the American Congress, both state legislative chambers are apportioned on the basis of population. The most familiar argument advanced in favor of the two-house legislature is that it gives one chamber checks and balances against the foibles of the other chamber. If this be so. who not have two governors, two Supreme Courts, or even three legislative houses? : The answer, of course, is that such splin- tered authority would be inefficient—just as bicameralism is right now. But logic has never been the long suit of the state Legislature, and today we find that 49 of the 50 states labor under bicameralism. The exception: Nebraska. Led by U.S. Sen. George Norris, the inde- fatigable reformer, Nebraska voters approv- ed a unicameral legislature in 1934, and it set up shop in Lincoln three years later. The 43- member House That Nebraska Built has distinguished itself even since for remarkable efficiency. 3 Missing is such nonsense as that which TRB from Washington At O’Hare airport last week I picked up a five-pound copy of the Chicago Tribune, the “world’s greatest newspaper.” It was Sun- day, a week before John Dean was to testify. Later that day I would spend five hours read- ing as a newsman must, section after section of the Washington Post and NY Times on Watergate. But in Chicago there was an 8-col- umn splash headline on the front page of the Tribune’s final edition: ‘‘Lightning Kills 3 in Storm.’’ There was no reference to Watergate on the front page, or until page 32, and that was a sidebar story from the NAACP, that Watergate “hurt civil rights’’. The big news in Tribuneland was the storm. This week John Dean testifies and it be- comes a question: Do you believe him or Richard Nixon? One of them seems to be ly- ing. But behind this is the bigger question symbolized by the Tribune’s complacent Ousted former White House counsel John Dean, 34, says he will testify that the Pre- sident had prior knowledge of the White House Watergate cover-up. In other words, that he was aware of a criminal act. Mr. Dean, of course, may be lying. Evidence of a witness who is trying to get immunity, as he is, is suspect. On the other hand, Mr. Dean has made the White House eat its denials again and again. He disclosed the Ellsberg psychiatric files burglary, and he leaked the story of the secret Nixon plan for a national surveillance agency. When newspapers pub- lished his allegation that he had seen the Pre- sident 35 times between January and April, . the White House angrily called the stories a “careful, coordinated strategy’ to besmirch Rustlings by Russ Williams Dear Rustling: I'm worried. I don’t seem to be able to hold up under the pressures of the front page news like I used to. I believe that I have a good excuse for this weakness, however. They’re throwing too much at me too fast. I cried myself to sleep during the Cuban missile crisis once or twice, but I could put it out of my head most of the time. The Depression was a bore, but I pulled through with my sense of humor. During the McCarthy hearings, I just out with. It wasn’t a bad time. World War II was scary, but it was good to know that you had God and truth and right on your side. some kind of slow-motion hysteria. I've! developed a nervous tick. I just can’t take! The Berlin Crisis, the Civil Rights marches, race riots...I used to be able to take itall. I think it was that they came one, and at the worst two, at a time. Now if I put Watergate out of my mind, I think of what’s happening to the American dollar and how the cost of living is out of. control. If I can mentally get it back into control, however, I'm immediately aware of overpopulation and the energy crisis. That starts me on air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. Problem attended Pennsylvania's fumbling with the lobbyist reform bill. Missing are conference committees, set up when the two chambers cannot agree on a bill, to serve as magnets for high-pressure tactics and downright corrup- tion: Missing is the paralysis of having two chambers controlled by opposite political parties. The idea of unicameralism remained uni- 2 « y the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1964 that the only basis for apportioning state legislatures was people (not trees, counties or jumping frogs). many thought interest in unicameral- ism would be rekindled. It hasn't, and legislators in the 49 bicam- eral states go right on arguing about checks and balances. Forty years ago, Norris had an interesting and characteristic rejoiner to that argument : “After the legislative session comes to an end and we balance the books, we generally find that the politicians get the checks and the special interests get the balance.” The basic reason for the survival of bi- cameralism is that it must be abolished by the legislators themselves—and legislators are not noted for their instincts of cfgritice Despite all their complaints about low salaries and hard work, legislators ain't lem- mings. Ef : Alf TOWRRST- CYOT5 THE (OS ANGELES. TIS SAUTE the President, using ‘‘innuendo, distortion of fact and outright falsehood...” Next day (June 4) the White House lamely conceded the Dean figure and it is since corrobarated by the visitor’s log. So what? The President’s final defense is apathy: the crashing boredom of a scandal that continues beyond the public’s attention span, abetted by provincial newspapers like the Chicago Tribune that in their hearts know that the ultimate consequence of belittling a conservative President is to damage a low- tax era of conservative “free enterprise.” Here, for example, are two quotations, 50 years apart, one after Teapot Dome when President Harding undertook to restore big business ‘‘normalecy’’, and one from today where Mr. Nixon has undertaken to dismantle social programs for the ailing, the indigent and the elderly. “The weeks and months spent in listening to scores of witnesses of doubtful reputation,’ scoffed the Pittsburgh Chronocle-Telegraph, in 1924, of Sen. Walsh’s investigation in the marble Caucus Room, ‘‘were wholly wasted.” And here is one inserted in the Congres- sional Record, June 13, by Sen. Taft, from a letter to the Cincinnati Enquirer by Charles; Sawyer, former Commerce Secretary under Truman: “The episode (Watergate) has been over- worked and the Senate committee has contri- buted to no result of any benefit to the Ameri- can people. In fact, this monotonus piling up of second- and third-hand evidence has al- ready dragged on far too long.” Yes, sir; Watergate is a bore; let’s get back to the local things: ‘Lightning Kills 2 in Storm.” I can’t look at Smokey the Bear or Woodsy Owl without breaking down in tears. And while all those things are performing mental acrobatics toward the front of my mind, the words VIETNAM and CAMBODIA and SOUTHEAST ASIA are blinking on and off in neon lights, toward the back of my brain, sort of like a “Tom Jones Show’’ back- ground set for my worries. I didn’t feel responsible for the Berlin crisis or World War II, either. Or any of those old problems I used to be able to handle so well. But now I feel guilty every time I start my ‘.ar, every time I switch on a light, every time { flush the toilet, every time I wash my clothes, every time I buy anything from that supermarket that I'm not absolutely certain was grown organically, or that is packaged in a wasteful manner. ; I bought a carton of no-deposit soda bottles by mistake recently and developed a nose-bleed-migraine-headache combination anyway. I didn’t want any money, I just Wanted them to use the bottles over again. The supermarket wouldn’t take them. I feel guilty everytime I see that the Federal Government is still taking money out of my paycheck. (The SOUTHEAST ASIA lighis move closer to the front of the stage.) 1 remember every time I used the phrase “just another crooked politician”, and I start Et We guess Watergate will temporarily re- mind Americans that Presidents are not kings, but only politicians with 21-gun salutes. Helping this along is the accidental circum- stance that for the moment, television is being used impartially. Television, the most dynamic force in a democracy, is not used impartially when it offers itself at prime time whenever the King-President asks for it, to give his side of the story without equal time versions of Watergate in April and June. It must seem unfair to him that all three TV net- works now plan to broadcast the Dean testi- mony. “The life of the White House is the life of a court,” writes George Reedy, one time assis- tant to President Johnson. He puts it simply: “The trouble with the White House—for any- one who is a part of it—is that when he picks up a telephone and tells people to do some- thing, they usually do it.” Mr. Reedy’s book, The Twilight of the Presidency came out in 1970 and is the best explanation of Watergate, and the pre- sidency, that I know. It is now reprinted in paperback, a Mentor book, for $1.25. Here is the deification of the presidency, begun in childhood in schools with ritual veneration of Flag, White House and the Man Who Is In It, and carried through life in a political system that combines in one frail human the head of government and the head of state. As we have said till it bores you, the parliamentary sys- tem doesn’t do that; monarch and prime minister are different; Canada would have settled Watergate in a month by an election. We can send a Skylab into space, but we can’t ,hold an election; there is no political escape hatch; we are living in a tenement without a blaming myself for the Watergate affair. 1 blame myself every time I buy a head of lettuce for 69 cents, or a 59 cent, weightless bag of potato chips. I can’t blame the grocer or the potato chip company for the rise in the cost of living if I'm willing to pay their prices. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. What am I to do? Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered in Camden, Mass. Dear Bewitched, Bothered and etc., I dunno, Confidential to Repeater from Saint Peter (111.), It’s been proven that sixth marriages fire-escape. Short of resignation or impeach- ment we are stuck with the President for three years. “A President,” says Mr. Reedy, ‘‘can be rude, insulting, and even downright sadistic to his closest advisers and their only response will be: ‘How fortunate that he has people around him who understand the tremendous burdens he is carrying.’ ve A Presidents?’ "he continues, ‘‘moves through his days surrounded, by ‘literally hun- dreds of people whose relations to him is that of a doting mother to a spoiled child.” As the power of the United States increas- es so does the responsibility of resident and his isolation. There is, to be. sure, the press; it could keep the President in touch with reality. But it is nearly always resented and by no one more so than Mr. Nixon. FDR averaged 83 press conferences a year; Mr. Nixon has averaged seven; 34 in all in office. The beleaguered chief magistrate has been in hiding since March 15. "A professor saw Mr. Reedy’s manuscript and told him the American audience would demand a solution to his problem. Mr. Reedy says that originally he planned to submit a plan of parliamentary government. He drop- ped it, he says simply, because he doesn’t think the US will accept it. No, he concludes, chillingly, our rigid government ‘‘basically centers on one man’, and is always tempted toward repression. ‘The more rg#oable out- come of our current difficulties” he con- cludes, “will be a ‘man on horseback’.”’ This is why he calls the book ‘‘the twilight of the presidency.” Will Watergate alter this? May- be for a while. But how long is the national attention span... ‘Lightning kills 2 in storm.” have just as much a chance of success as first - marriages. I'm sorry. I think your success chances would im- prove, however, if you found a new apart- ment, or asked your old Army buddies to find themselves a new roommate. If you have any problems or just need a shoulder to cry on, write to “Dear Rustling’’, care of this newspaper. I don’t have many answers, but I'm a very good #sner. (Rustl.’s note: For those of you who haven’t already figured it out, this ‘‘rust- lings” and all ‘‘rustlings’’ before it are an exercise in occupational therapy.) per year. Call 675-5211 for subscriptions. president; and Doris Mallin, secretary-treasurer. Mrs. T. M. B. Hicks, editor Emeritus J. R. Freeman, managing editor . Doris R. Mallin, editor Dan Koze, advertising manager Sylvia Cutler, advertising sales N
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers