"What I Must Do"

"This is what I must do, and it is what my family wants me to do," said Charles Percy. "In order to spend as much time as possible with my family, my schedule will be less intense than before."

Thus, after a secluded fortnight in Woodside, Calif., the wan-looking Illinois Republican announced that he would resume his campaign this week for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Paul Douglas, 74. Both had suspended the race after the Sept. 18 murder of Percy's daughter Valerie--a case that remained a mystery last week--and Percy, 47, went out of his way to thank Douglas for acting "generously, graciously and with understanding."

It promised to be a considerably muted campaign. Before Valerie's murder, both candidates had been trading sharp-personal blows. Percy had labeled Douglas "a human power failure," while the Senator, who was trailing his opponent, had just begun to hit at Percy as an opportunist who had equivocated on open housing and Barry Goldwater. The tone of the race from now on was suggested by Percy last week: "It is essential that the critical problems and great opportunities facing our people be thoughtfully explored."

Well aware of the great tide of public sympathy that has arisen for him and his family, Percy urged Illinoisans to vote their minds, not their emotions, in November. Said he: "There can be only one question in this campaign--who will make the better Senator for the people of Illinois."

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