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McCarthyism" may have been the deciding factor in Tuesday's big Republican gains, four professors said last night. At the same time, another group agreed that the Republicans were better off not having complete control of Congress.
Robert Amory, Jr. '36, professor of Law, said that the McCarthy issue "certainly was the deciding one in states like Maryland, Wisconsin, Indians, and California." He was joined in this opinion by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. '38, associate professor of History.
"The result of the elections will be to convince Republicans that McCarthyism pays off," Schlesinger added. "This will inflame the worst elements of the party--others will tend to feel that McCarthy was right."
Victory for McCarthy
Although he was pleased to see the results in Ohio, Dean Mason of the School of Public Administration stated that the general picture "showed a victory for McCarthy around the country." Mason explained that he felt organized labor was growing too strong as a pressure group, and thus wanted to see Taft defeat Ferguson. "I am worried, however," the Dean said, "that the nation's elections will have an adverse effect on our foreign policy."
Samuel H. Beer, associate professor of Government, agreed on the importance of McCarthyism in the elections: "I fear," he said, "that it is effective, or that many politicians will now feel that it is important."
Even though they did not win, Republicans may be better off now than in 1946, when they controlled Congress, Arthur N. Holcombe '06, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government, felt. "They have neither the power nor the responsi- bility they had in the 81st Congress."
He also believed that Tuesday's results pointed to a close election in 1952. Schlesinger felt the opposite, stating that the "consequence (of Tuesday) will be a roaring Democratic victory next time," as in 1948 after the 1946 G.O.P. victory.
"It is extremely healthy for the Republicans that they do not have to call the legislative turn," McGeorge Bundy, lecturer on Government said, agreeing with Holcombe and with Amory who expressed the same view
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