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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1973)
Terry's actions- historic parallels ohn vihsbdt Many are wondering whether or not Scottsbluff Sen. Terry Carpenter's dictatorial demeanor and self-righteous, self-serving conduct both in and out of the Legislature have any historical foundation or parallel. The text of a little-quoted 1934 speech by Terrible Terry when he was serving his only term as a U.S. Congressman does, indeed, point to an affirmative conclusion. On March 20, 1934, the House of Representatives was debating the merits of House Resolution 198, which called for "a special committee to be composed of seven members for the purpose of conducting an investigation of the extent, character. ..objects. ..and diffusion within the United States of subversive propaganda that is instigated from foreign countries and attacks the principle of the form of government as guaranteed by our Constitution." In support of the investigatory bill, Rep. E.E. Cox, D-Ga., commented that "there is nothing in the resolution that is intended as an unfriendly attitude toward any foreign country." There is "wide interest of the country in the subject matter. I call attention to the fact that the American Federation of Labor has endorsed the resolution and is urging Congress to adopt it." Nebraska's Carpenter, however, saw the resolution in a different light. Terry feared that the state's German population would take exception to an investigative committee which most certainly would include Nazi propaganda as part of its study. Believing that here was a perfect opportunity to endear himself to German Cornhuskers, Carpenter spoke: "I think I can radiate some of the sentiment of truly German people, because I come from a state that has 750,000 Germans. "So far, the proponents of this bill have been confined principally to so-called Jewish people, probably like Mr. Dickstein and Mr. Sabath (two Democratic Congressmen from New York and Illinois, respectively) who are trying to represent the views of the German people. "The German people in my state are of the opinion that Hitler has done a great amount of good for the people of Germany, and when the time comes to change their form of Nazi government they can do it without the help of the gentlemen from New York." Carpenter obviously did not know his own constituency. First, he represented the old Nebraska 5th District-an area that had less than 300,000 people in it. At that time, there were only 135,785 ethnic Germans in the entire state less than 10 per cent of the Nebraska population, according to 1930 official U.S. census reports. Today that figure is an even lower six per cent. Carpenter proceeded to get into a heated discussion with Congressman Dickstein. Said Terry: "If 51 per cent of the American people want a Hitler form of government, that is what we ought to have... I think this investigation is an afftont upon the dignity of the German people of my state and should not be passed. I represent the German people, and they are in entire sympathy and accord with the form of government that now prevails in Germany and, as I understand it, it is a gieat improvement over what they did have. "This is not being proposed from the standpoint of doing justice as much as it is to make some sort of political issue for the Jewish gentleman from New York." Confronted with direct evidence of intense support for the resolution on the part of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Labor Federation, Carpenter had the audacity to state that "I do not know that those organizations are interested in this matter and do not think they are." He labored on, "The German people of the state of Nebraska feel that this resolution directly impeaches the honesty and integrity of the German race and is unfair and unjust to them and will accomplish no good to anyone but will promote racial differences that we of this countiy can. ..do nothing about. Let the present German government alone,.. let well enough alone." But as he so often is, Carpenter here, too, was in the minority. Perhaps the most reasoned statement on the bill came from Democratic Ohio Congressman Sweeney, who represented a heavily German portion of Cleveland, "I believe the German people of this country, if they were to issue a mandate to you today, would say, pass this resolution. We have nothing to hide. If there is Hitler propaganda here, dig it up, throw it out into the open.. .the Germans in my district... say let us investigate. It is no concern of ours what sort of government the people of Germany desire, but it is the concern of every citizen when human beings are subject to physical torture and punishment, simply because they happen to be of a different race or religious belief than those who predominate in the country in which they reside. "If there is foreign propaganda in the United States which if unchecked would excite the passions of our people to the point where they would engage in physical combat with one another, then I think it is the prerogative and the duty of the Congress... to act If no such propaganda exists, then no harm can come from the investigation which this resolution contemplates." The House then went on to pass hi R 198 by an ovei whelming margin. The testimony of Tetry Carpenter and a handful of others like him was ignored. Note: the above material was extracted from the Congressional Record -House, pages 4934, 4043, and 4944, March 20. 1934. THe Next to the Las3 Carton Company present: 2. Becavse cfoir individvBliy, each, "htrmsn -percieves thing's his own tAjsy: This csti mean people can become evirated sncC even rnsd &l a simple C8rloon.Tliereore , in order o rep&ir pier HrniBj 311 ybir hirmsns wi draw our oldfrencf Brd enemy: Dfcft Nixon, wf-ih znyonQ or doing- any TjhiW you: li he. Nj'ceuh? Now lh& you've all been Zhvovsh ahngs in Chongin rtmsctovsmss W$ yesvyovcan db iliiz wiir ease? Ml) Ft ewJi thursday, may 3, 1973 daily nebraskan p.i'j'' '
