DeclarationofConscience

ByMargaretChaseSmith

Mr.President:

Iwouldliketospeakbrieflyandsimplyaboutaseriousnationalcondition.Itisanationalfeelingoffearand
frustrationthatcouldresultinnationalsuicideandtheendofeverythingthatweAmericansholddear.Itisa
conditionthatcomesfromthelackofeffectiveleadershipineithertheLegislativeBranchortheExecutiveBranchof
ourGovernment.

Thatleadershipissolackingthatseriousandresponsibleproposalsarebeingmadethatnationaladvisory
commissionsbeappointedtoprovidesuchcriticallyneededleadership.

Ispeakasbrieflyaspossiblebecausetoomuchharmhasalreadybeendonewithirresponsiblewordsofbitterness
andselfishpolitical
opportunism.
Ispeakasbrieflyaspossiblebecausetheissueistoogreattobeobscuredby
eloquence.Ispeaksimplyandbrieflyinthehopethatmywordswillbetakentoheart.

IspeakasaRepublican.Ispeakasawoman.IspeakasaUnitedStatesSenator.IspeakasanAmerican.

TheUnitedStatesSenatehaslongenjoyedworldwiderespectasthegreatestdeliberativebodyintheworld.But
recentlythatdeliberativecharacterhastoooftenbeen
debased
tothelevelofaforumofhateandcharacter
assassinationshelteredbytheshieldofcongressionalimmunity.

ItisironicalthatweSenatorscanindebateintheSenatedirectlyorindirectly,byanyformofwords,
impute
toany
AmericanwhoisnotaSenatoranyconductormotiveunworthyorunbecominganAmericanandwithoutthat
nonSenatorAmericanhavinganylegalredressagainstusyetifwesaythesamethingintheSenateaboutour
colleagueswecanbestoppedonthegroundsofbeingoutoforder.

Itisstrangethatwecanverballyattackanyoneelsewithoutrestraintandwithfullprotectionandyetwehold
ourselvesabovethesametypeofcriticismhereontheSenateFloor.SurelytheUnitedStatesSenateisbigenough
totakeselfcriticismandselfappraisal.Surelyweshouldbeabletotakethesamekindofcharacterattacksthatwe
"dishout"tooutsiders.

IthinkthatitishightimefortheUnitedStatesSenateanditsmemberstodosomesoulsearchingforustoweigh
ourconsciencesonthemannerinwhichweareperformingourdutytothepeopleofAmericaonthemannerin
whichweareusingorabusingourindividualpowersandprivileges.

IthinkthatitishightimethatwerememberedthatwehavesworntoupholdanddefendtheConstitution.Ithinkthat
itishightimethatwerememberedthattheConstitution,asamended,speaksnotonlyofthefreedomofspeechbut
alsooftrialbyjuryinsteadoftrialbyaccusation.

WhetheritbeacriminalprosecutionincourtoracharacterprosecutionintheSenate,thereislittlepractical
distinctionwhenthelifeofapersonhasbeenruined.

DeclarationofConscience
ByMargaretChaseSmith

ThoseofuswhoshouttheloudestaboutAmericanisminmakingcharacterassassinationsarealltoofrequentlythose
who,byourownwordsandacts,ignoresomeofthebasicprinciplesofAmericanism:
Therighttocriticize
Therighttoholdunpopularbeliefs
Therighttoprotest
Therightofindependentthought.

TheexerciseoftheserightsshouldnotcostonesingleAmericancitizenhisreputationorhisrighttoalivelihoodnor
shouldhebeindangeroflosinghisreputationorlivelihoodmerelybecausehehappenstoknowsomeonewhoholds
unpopularbeliefs.Whoofusdoesnt?Otherwisenoneofuscouldcalloursoulsourown.Otherwisethoughtcontrol
wouldhavesetin.

TheAmericanpeoplearesickandtiredofbeingafraidtospeaktheirmindslesttheybepoliticallysmearedas
"Communists"or"Fascists"bytheiropponents.FreedomofspeechisnotwhatitusedtobeinAmerica.Ithasbeen
soabusedbysomethatitisnotexercisedbyothers.

TheAmericanpeoplearesickandtiredofseeinginnocentpeoplesmearedandguiltypeoplewhitewashed.But
therehavebeenenoughprovedcases,suchastheAmerasiacase,theHisscase,theCoploncase,theGoldcase,
tocausethenationwidedistrustandstrongsuspicionthattheremaybesomethingtotheunproved,sensational
accusations.

AsaRepublican,IsaytomycolleaguesonthissideoftheaislethattheRepublicanPartyfacesachallengetoday
thatisnotunlikethechallengethatitfacedbackinLincolnsday.TheRepublicanPartysosuccessfullymetthat
challengethatitemergedfromtheCivilWarasthechampionofaunitednationinadditiontobeingaPartythat
unrelentinglyfoughtloosespendingandlooseprograms.

TodayourcountryisbeingpsychologicallydividedbytheconfusionandthesuspicionsthatarebredintheUnited
StatesSenatetospreadlikecanceroustentaclesof"knownothing,suspecteverything"attitudes.Todaywehavea
DemocraticAdministrationthathasdevelopedamaniaforloosespendingandlooseprograms.Historyisrepeating
itselfandtheRepublicanPartyagainhastheopportunitytoemergeasthechampionofunityandprudence.

TherecordofthepresentDemocraticAdministrationhasprovideduswithsufficientcampaignissueswithoutthe
necessityofresortingtopoliticalsmears.Americaisrapidlylosingitspositionasleaderoftheworldsimplybecause
theDemocraticAdministrationhaspitifullyfailedtoprovideeffectiveleadership.

TheDemocraticAdministrationhascompletelyconfusedtheAmericanpeoplebyitsdailycontradictorygrave
warningsandoptimisticassurancesthatshowthepeoplethatourDemocraticAdministrationhasnoideaofwhere
itisgoing.

TheDemocraticAdministrationhasgreatlylosttheconfidenceoftheAmericanpeoplebyits
complacency
tothe
threatofcommunismhereathomeandtheleakofvitalsecretstoRussiathoughkeyofficialsoftheDemocratic
Administration.Thereareenoughprovedcasestomakethispointwithoutdilutingourcriticismwithunproved
charges.

SurelythesearesufficientreasonstomakeitcleartotheAmericanpeoplethatitistimeforachangeandthata
Republicanvictoryisnecessarytothesecurityofthiscountry.Surelyitisclearthatthisnationwillcontinuetosuffer
aslongasitisgovernedbythepresentineffectiveDemocraticAdministration.

YettodisplaceitwithaRepublicanregimeembracingaphilosophythatlackspoliticalintegrityorintellectualhonesty
wouldproveequallydisastroustothisnation.ThenationsorelyneedsaRepublicanvictory.ButIdontwanttosee
theRepublicanPartyridetopoliticalvictoryontheFourHorsemenofCalumnyFear,Ignorance,Bigotry,and
Smear.

IdoubtiftheRepublicanPartycouldsimplybecauseIdontbelievetheAmericanpeoplewillupholdanypolitical
partythatputspoliticalexploitationabovenationalinterest.SurelyweRepublicansarentthatdesperateforvictory.

DeclarationofConscience
ByMargaretChaseSmith

IdontwanttoseetheRepublicanPartywinthatway.WhileitmightbeafleetingvictoryfortheRepublicanParty,it
wouldbeamorelastingdefeatfortheAmericanpeople.SurelyitwouldultimatelybesuicidefortheRepublican
PartyandthetwopartysystemthathasprotectedourAmericanlibertiesfromthedictatorshipofaonepartysystem.

AsmembersoftheMinorityParty,wedonothavetheprimaryauthoritytoformulatethepolicyofourGovernment.
Butwedohavetheresponsibilityofrenderingconstructivecriticism,ofclarifyingissues,ofallayingfearsbyactingas
responsiblecitizens.

Asawoman,Iwonderhowthemothers,wives,sisters,anddaughtersfeelaboutthewayinwhichmembersoftheir
familieshavebeenpoliticallymangledintheSenatedebateandIusetheword"debate"advisedly.

AsaUnitedStatesSenator,IamnotproudofthewayinwhichtheSenatehasbeenmadeapublicityplatformfor
irresponsible
sensationalism.
Iamnotproudoftherecklessabandoninwhichunprovedchargeshavebeenhurled
fromthissideoftheaisle.Iamnotproudoftheobviouslystaged,undignifiedcounterchargesthathavebeen
attemptedinretaliationfromtheothersideoftheaisle.

IdontlikethewaytheSenatehasbeenmadearendezvousforvilification,forselfishpoliticalgainatthesacrificeof
individualreputationsandnationalunity.IamnotproudofthewaywesmearoutsidersfromtheFlooroftheSenate
andhidebehindthecloakofcongressionalimmunityandstillplaceourselvesbeyondcriticismontheFloorofthe
Senate.

AsanAmerican,IamshockedatthewayRepublicansandDemocratsalikeareplayingdirectlyintotheCommunist
designof"confuse,divide,andconquer."AsanAmerican,IdontwantaDemocraticAdministrationwhitewashor
"coverup"anymorethanIwantaRepublicansmearorwitchhunt.

AsanAmerican,IcondemnaRepublican"Fascist"justasmuchIcondemnaDemocratic"Communist."Icondemna
Democrat"Fascist"justasmuchasIcondemnaRepublican"Communist."Theyareequallydangeroustoyouand
meandtoourcountry.AsanAmerican,Iwanttoseeournationrecapturethestrengthandunityitoncehadwhen
wefoughttheenemyinsteadofourselves.

ItiswiththesethoughtsthatIhavedraftedwhatIcalla"DeclarationofConscience."IamgratifiedthatSenator
Tobey,SenatorAiken,SenatorMorse,SenatorIves,SenatorThye,andSenatorHendricksonhaveconcurredinthat
declarationandhaveauthorizedmetoannouncetheirconcurrence.