The Whistlestoppers

"When Harry sees our signs," said the first HLU'er, "he's sure to come to our cocktail party at Lowell House," "Yeh, suce he'll come. He's got nothing better to do," grumbled the second. "Stranger things have happened," stated the third. The other two pressed their faces against the car windows.

At Haverhill thousands packed the square, but they were mostly school children. Above, on a bridge, was the railroad station, with microphones and a loud-speaker. A train whistle blew and the crowd cheered; it was the President's train. The five HLU'ers pushed their way to the front of the crowd and hoisted their placards. There were six signs, so they asked a small boy to hold one. The signs read: "Harvard's for Harry," "Because if Ike's Elected--," "Joe McCarthy for Attorney General," "Fred Hartley for Secretary of Labor," "Chiang Kai-Shek for Secretary of State," "John Bricker for Secretary of Commerce."

President Truman's gold-framed glasses glinted in the sun as he spoke. "The last time a President came through here was forty years ago . . . . William Howard Taft, and the Republicans haven't changed since then . . . . " But no one was listening; the children shouted and nudged each other. "Here, child, get on your toes and see the President." "Ike, Ike, Ike," screamed a small group. The President frowned, and spoke louder. "I like Harry!" said a little girl, "but I can't hear him." The President stopped. "You kids yellin' so loud ought to think a little." The crowd screamed. "Use your' brains instead of your mouths." They yelled and clapped.

The train started and people left the square. "Look," said a teen-age girl pointing at the Joe McCarthy sign, "They're Republicans." "You know," said the first HLU'er, "these signs really don't make much sense. They were all right when Taft came, but they don't make much sense now." "Do you suppose Harry saw the signs. We were too near him," said the second. "I gave a policeman a note to give to Harry, asking him to our cocktail party. I asked him to give us his answer at Lawrence."

There was a traffic jam in the center of Lawrence. People seemed to flow down the streets to the train station, and the papers afterwards said there were 50,000 there. The HLU car was jammed between two others, and a policeman wouldn't let it pass. "The President's probably talking already," said the first HLU'er. "Let's get out of here, and go straight to Malden," said the second. "But he's going to give us his answer here," said the third. "And anyway this is his biggest speech. It will last half an hour. We can get there in time." "But there's no place to park," said the second, who was driving. "Anyway I'm hungry. We'll meet him at Malden. He'll remember the signs." "I don't think we should use the signs any more," said the first. "Wait and see," said one who had been quiet. "We'll meet an SDA man who is helping to organize the crowd in Malden, and he'll tell us whether or not we should use the signs."

At Malden, close up, you could see the President was wearing heavy make-up. On his face was eye-brow pencil and rouge; his jowels sagged, and he looked very old. "Now all I want you to do is examine the record . . . . See how Republicans have voted in Congress . . . . then go and vote for your own interest . . . keep things the way they are . . . vote Democrat." The crowd was with him. "Let me introduce my biggest asset." Truman was beaming. "Margic, come here." Margaret waved. Then, one by one, the welcoming committee stopped up to the platform and shook hands with the President and his daughter. When they had finished, the two on the platform stood waving. The train didn't move. They fixed their faces into grins, and they stood there for ten minutes. "I like Ike, I like Ike, I LIKE IKE!" screeched a nine-year old, "Husb child, why do you shout that?" asked an old woman. "That's what they pay me for, and I LIKE IKE . . . ."

"I think he was right," said the first HLU'er. The signs had no meaning." "The President wouldn't have seen us anyway," said the second. "We were too far back." "Maybe we can bring them to Boston tonight," said the third. "I don't want to go to Boston tonight," said one of the others. "Well, then, we'll use them when Ike comes next week."