 |
| Sen.William E. Borah |
To me, William E. Borah seems an anomaly. A legendary figure: a man serving the state
of Idaho as Senator who became known and beloved nationally. Known for his ability to deliver rousing and mesmerizing
speeches, he used the speaker’s podium as a means of presenting his bold and
unwavering views. I try to imagine a
Senator today being regarded so well – a Republican, Borah had the support of
the Democratic Party in some of his
re-election campaigns. No one from Idaho
now lives in that spotlight.
And to imagine the world where speeches were not only
routinely well attended but also were reprinted in the leading papers of the
day. Definitely not the world we live in
today. In this series I hope to further
explore these differences and, as I make my way through the book Borah
of Idaho by Claudius O. Johnson, hope to note how, if in any way, Borah
evolved over his life and career.
His principled reaction to a pork-laden bill in the Senate –
one that had a healthy chunk of pork for Idaho in fact – is indicative. The River and Harbors
Act of 1914 “carried an appropriation to deepen and clear the channel of
the upper Columbia River” (158). The bill
would throw money at projects in wasteful way and Borah thought the Columbia
project could be carried out in a more cost-effective way. When the Commercial Club of Lewiston asked
Borah why he would not support the bill, he replied:
“It
is indefensible both as a matter of policy and by reason of the notoriously bad
items or projects covered by the bill.
Anxious as I am to see a rivers and harbors bill passed, I find myself
unable to compromise upon a measure which to my mind is indefensible from the
standpoint of official decency and public morals. {…] I would like to feel that
I have the support and endorsement of the people of Lewiston . . . But whether
I have the support of the people at home or not, I must oppose this bill in its
present form.”
Later the revised bill passed and Lewiston got its project –
perhaps Borah knew the next bill had a better chance of getting passed and used
the first bill as an opportunity to grandstand.
But he was the one, allied with others, who did the work to change the bill.
Still, a public pronouncement of his intent with reference to
“official decency” and “public morals”.
And he was listened to. American
citizens today don’t
even like politicians, let alone take what they say at face value. As we move forward, let’s see if what Borah
says remains to be held in high esteem by the public.
No comments:
Post a Comment