Banner Graphic, Greencastle, Putnam County, 6 March 1974 — Page 3

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Banntr-Graphic, Gr««ncastle, Indiana

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A Democrat Speaks Up For President Nixon

EDITOR’S NOTE: the followinf was written recently by Rep. Otto E. Passman (DLouisiana) in the form of an open letter addressed to “My Fellow Americans” which appeared in the St. Louis GlobeDemocrat. " By Otto E. Passman Democratic Congressman from Louisiana The radical element of the news media can, when they so determine, take the greatest public official in America, put him in the gutter and convince a majority of the people that he is a crook. The same segment of the news media can take the biggest phony in America and make him appear superior to a combination of Einstein and Solomon. We are seeing this happen in America today. Let us look at the record: When it was reported that certain segments of the Democratic party (and there is available information to support this contention) stole the election from Richard Nixon in 1960 by the manipulation of the votes in New Mexico, Illinois and probably Texas, did the Republicans try to impeach and destroy President Kennedy for the actions of certain segments of the Democratic party? The answer is no! Of course, as unpleasant as it is to mention the episodes of Billy Sol Estes, Bobby Baker and others, 1 cannot find where the Republicans exploited these issues in trying to destroy Democratic candidates for any public office. Therefore, it is wrong to try to destroy our President through innuendo and false accusations about incidents which he had nothing to do with. 1 say without equivocation or mental reservation that in my considered judgment. President Richard M. Nixon’s integrity is unimpeachable. His greatness has been established-so much so that certain segments of the Democratic party , of which I am a member, and for political reasons, are trying to destroy his greatness. Does it not appear that there are prejudiced judges who, through a subconscious urging, may be making themselves a party to the scheme to destroy President Nixon, and acting as prosecutors rather thanjudges? When Mr. Nixon was sworn in as President, we were in the midst of one of the most destructive and expensive wars our nation had ever been engaged in. Evidently, President Johnson could not develop a formula to conclude the war so he left the White House a brokenhearted man, and 1 believe President Johnson felt he was turning the nation over to a man who had the ability and determination to conclude this terrible war that was claiming 300 precious American lives weekly. Could this have so embarrassed the Democrats they are trying to blot out this great accomplishment? When Mr. Nixon was sworn in, there were 543,000 troops in Vietnam; the cost of the war was running at S32 billion a year; and there were no plans to conclude the war. However, Mr. Nixon quickly formulated a plan to conclude the war that started under a Democratic Administration. No only did he live up to every promise he had made and reduce the number of; troops in Vietnam from 543,000 to zero, he secured the release of all of our prisoners of war who were deteriorating in dungeons in laroff lands. My, my, but what an accomplishment for a great American President. When Mr. Nixon was svvorn in as President, crime was running rampant in this country we love so much. He is slowly but surely bringing crime under control. Will this trend be reversed by present-

day court decisions? What is the explanation for a judge to sentence a man to 35 years in prison for the Watergate break-in, a crime that was not an act of personal violence, and in the same city or perhaps in the same court, a prejudiced judge released those who have confessed to armed robbery, rape and arson, maybe with the trial judges blaming society for the criminal acts. Where is justice? When Mr. Nixon was sworn in as President, the Supreme Court was so distorting the Constitution by erroneous interpretations, that they were turning our nation into a socialistic state. Mr. Nixon is replacing such Justices with men who render opinions based upon the Constitution, and such a court will ultimately benefit all Americans. Mr. Nixon is trying hard to put our fiscal affairs back on a business basis, but somehow without exception, every time he moves in that direction the liberals and social-istic-minded try to embarrass him and stop him, and in too many instances they have been successful. May I refer you to the infamous Daniel Ellsberg, who no doubt should have been convicted of treason for stealing top-secret documents and passing them along so that they came into the possession of the Communists. He peddled them to the left-wing press and doubtless others. Instead of being convicted of treason, what happended? A liberal judge set him free without a completed trial. Where has he been recently? In Washington, appearing before a Senate committee receiving almost a hero’s welcome. We are in trouble in this country. We are being misled, and some of our best people are having their minds slowly but surely shaped by prejudiced commentators, and the radical segment of the news media. From experience, I can tell you that America’s national broadcasters are obliterating anything favorable to our President, spending their time clouding issues, making false accusations and in some instances, downright misrepresentations. I do not condone what some of President Nixon’s aides have done, but remember that they did not break into Democratic headquarters looking for silver or gold. It was a political act. Doubtless, they were looking for political information. Without attempting to defend their actions, these actions did not involve security of our country. I am thoroughly convinced that President Nixon

had no knowledge whatsoever of the Watergate break-in. Let us prosecute the guilty, but not involve our President when there is no indication that he had any knowledge of their actions. Now, how about Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. He is a liberal Democrat. He was Solicitor General in the Cabinet of President John F. Kennedy. When the U.S. Court of Appeals sustained the lower court, in effect it said to our President, comply with the decision or offer an acceptable compromise. As we read the record, we see where Senator Ervin, Senator Baker, the Attorney General and the President had reached a compromise and had "prepared to submit it to Judge Sirica. We are also led to believe that Judge Sirica would have accepted the compromise, enabling the President to protect the confidentiality of the Presidency, but then this liberal, vindictive Democrat, Archibald Cox, balked. In effect by his actions, he said I am after a full bucket of blood, nothing less. So, the President had to fire him. May 1 say again I believe deeply, based upon facts, that President Richard M. Nixon’s integrity is unimpeachable. It is almost unbelievable that this great man has been able to accomplish so much for America with the prejudiced commentators, the radical element of the news media, the Communists and other left-wingers out to destroy him. President Nixon’s troubles began when he started fighting Communism and with his success in putting that all-time Communist, Alger Hiss, in jail. I could have remained silent during this crisis had I

been a political coward thinking only of the Democratic party and my personal political interests. Certainly I would have been spared some critism, but to have been silent would have violated every principle by which 1 have lived my life. I sincerely believe that in the end right will prevail-if not before mancertainly before God, and I am just as convinced that in the end the position I have taken in support of my President will be the correct one. Repeating, at no time has President Nixon been in noncompliance with the laws of our land. However, our great President, because of public pressure and the misunderstanding of the American public, including some members of the judiciary, is on the verge of being forced to violate his obligation by revealing highly sensitive and confidential information. It is to be regretted that some members of the judiciary do not look at executive privilege in the same manner as lawyer and client privilege, confidential audience between priest and parishioner and highly confidential conversations between man and wife. Again, where is justice and reason, and how far will the lunatic fringe go to destroy a great President? I am a lifelong Democrat, but I am an American first. I shall support rights as I understand it. I am proud that my President has the courage, wisdom and determination to do what is right, knowing well that his greatness will shine as a bright example to generations yet'unborn, and when finally he has gone to his reward. hundreds of millions of people throughout the world will know that this world is indeed a better place in which to live for President Nixon’s having lived in it.

Fourth Man Is Sentenced

WAUKEGAN, 111. AP-A fourth man has been sentenced for the 1972 killing and robbery of an off-duty soldier near Highland Park and the attempted murder of an Indiana truck driver. Donald Taylor, 21, was sentenced Monday to 40-to-120 years in prison by Judge Harry D. Strouse Jr. in Circuit Court. Taylor was convicted by a jury Nov. 30 of murder and robbing Army Spec. 5 William Richter, 23, who was sitting in his pickup truck on the shoulder of Interstate 94 near Highland Park. In separate trials last year, the four also were convicted of the attempted murder of James Davis, of Portage, Ind., w ho at the time of the slaying was asleep in his truck about 30 feet down the road. Michael Clark, 21, and Darrell Peaty, 20, were sentenced to40-to-120vearson Feb. 7 for the same crimes.

Buell Ross, owner of 3-D Auto Supply Co., probably first such piece of equipment to be Greencastle, left, and Bob Grimes, auto used in the state and said that his business will specialist at the local outlet, look over their have sales and service of the device. Grimes new Autoscan-an instrument for testing and— will be in charge of instruction and servicing tuning engines to meet state and federal along with running the Autoscan at eh 3-D regulations. Ross noted that the Autoscan is testing station.

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