The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
JUNE 11, 1954
HYDE PARK, Thursday—As the McCarthy-Army hearings go on in Washington, the public is gradually getting to see the character of the men who appear in this sad affair. Army counsel Joseph N. Welch's statement the other day that "until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty and your recklessness" evidently met with the approval of the audience, so there must be spreading a comprehension of the kind of men who are taking part in this seemingly never-ending hearing.
The only value that I can see coming out of all this is the realization by the public of the character of the various people appearing before the investigating committee. It should mean for the future a better understanding of the real objectives of some of our public figures, and that will mean an improvement in the people's ability to judge those they elect to represent them.
I was pleased that my son James won the Democratic nomination for Congress in his district in the California primary. There are always two steps in seeking public office—one, the primary campaign, and then the campaign for actual election—but victory in the primary is always encouraging to a candidate.
I am amused by the little altercation apparently going on between the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Chairman over support for my son and Rep. Robert Condon, who was also nominated in the California primary.
As far as I can remember, the Democratic National Committee has never had money to give any of the Congressional candidates except in very exceptional cases, when it was tremendously important to help one particular person.
I think, therefore, it is really an academic discussion since these two Democratic candidates for Congress, to whom National Chairman Stephen Mitchell said he would not send help, would not have received financial help in any case. Mr. Mitchell has now reiterated his personal opposition, but he does not vote in California, so he has done all he can and nothing more needs to be said.
Very charming flower arrangements were to be seen on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York when the 22nd Annual Flower Mart had its exhibition. Mrs. Chogesiti Isonishi arranged the flowers as they do in Japan.
It is part of every girl's education in Japan, whether she works in a factory or stays at home, to take a course in flower arrangement, and I have never been anyplace where every growing thing was more beautifully arranged. It might be a spray from a bush or it might be the smallest of flowers, but they are fitted into the scheme of decoration and are charming.
This flower mart is sponsored by the Outdoor Cleanliness Association, which tries to get us all to think about cleaner streets, purer air, and a more beautiful city. I think all of us are concerned about these things if we live in New York City, and we are glad to help to bring them about.
E.R.
(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1954, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROHIBITED.)
Names and Terms Mentioned or Referenced
Persons
- Condon, Robert Likens, 1912-1976 [ index ]
American politician
[ Wikidata | SNAC | USCongress ] - McCarthy, Joseph, 1908-1957 [ index ]
American politician; Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 to 1957
[ LC | ISNI | VIAF | Wikidata | SNAC | FAST | US Nat. Archives | ANB ] - Mitchell, Stephen A. (Stephen Arnold), 1903-1974 [ index ]
American lawyer and politician
[ LC | ISNI | VIAF | Wikidata | SNAC | FAST | US Nat. Archives ] - Roosevelt, James, 1907-1991 [ index ]
American businessman, activist, and politician; ER's and FDR's son
[ ERPP bio | LC | ISNI | VIAF | Wikidata | SNAC | FAST | US Nat. Archives ] - Welch, Joseph N., 1890-1960 [ index ]
American lawyer; Chief counsel for the US Army during the McCarthy hearings
[ LC | ISNI | VIAF | Wikidata | SNAC | FAST | ANB ]
Geographic
- [ index ] Hyde Park (Dutchess County, N.Y., United States)
About this document
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, June 11, 1954
Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007
Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project
Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.
MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.
TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.
XML master last modified on May 2, 2022.
HTML version generated and published on May 3, 2022.
TMs, AERP, FDRL