What They Deserve

Illinois Republicans went to the polls this week. On primary eve, it seemed certain they would get the just deserts of people who do not interest themselves in politics before party bosses pick the candidates: having no other choice, they renominated their incumbent Senator, C. Wayland ("Curly") Brooks. As good U.S. citizens, tired of Congress' old mistakes and eager to get on with the war, they had spent a futile day. They had exercised their vote, but not their right to choose their own candidate.

The voters knew they were getting no statesman. Senator Brooks was one of the bitterest of pre-Pearl Harbor isolationists, a loud, rabble-rousing opponent of Lend-Lease, of draft extension, of revision of the Neutrality Act. Brooks, a veteran of three defeats for other offices which his sponsor, the Chicago Tribune, had sought for him, had squeaked through to victory in 1940 while the electorate's eyes were focused on the more important Roosevelt-Willkie campaign. In 17 1/2 months in the Senate his only achievement had been membership on the hapless isolationist committee which had tried to smear the movie industry as "warmongers."

But at the polls the voters had a Hobson's choice. Against Brooks stood only pudgy, uninspiring State Treasurer Warren Wright, who was not only undistinguished but indistinguishable in the Illinois political ruck. Brooks had the machine support of Illinois regulars, and the daily gushing support of the Tribune, which had tried to make him seem a hero second only to General MacArthur.

Only a man who could set voters on fire could beat Brooks. Wright was not the man; indeed, he was running mainly for the experience.

How had things come to such a pass? The Chicago Daily News and the Sun had sniped away interminably at the Tribune, while the really big game-the all-important Senate seat-slipped through. No one had done either the leg work or the straight thinking necessary; the people were left helpless before a blunt fact: of all the 7,897,000 people in Illinois, none but Curly Brooks and Warren Wright were presented for the Republican Senate nomination in this year of great need.

As usual, the Democrats had done little better: the. Chicago Times had popped valiantly away for big, New-Dealish Economist Paul H. Douglas; but no one had had much to say either for or against the Kelly-Nash candidate, Democratic Congressman Raymond S. McKeough.

The moral was dreadfully plain to all the U.S. (where the same thing would happen State by State if the people let the bosses run things): if the people and press fail, they will get the kind of Congress they deserve, and the kind of Government they deserve.

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