Mr. President: I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national  condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national  suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dear. It is a condition that  comes from the lack of effective leadership in either the legislative branch or the  executive branch of our government. 
 That leadership is so lacking that serious and responsible proposals are being made that  national advisory commissions be appointed to provide such critically needed  leadership. 
 I speak as briefly as possible because too much harm has already been done with  irresponsible words of bitterness and selfish political opportunism. I speak as simply as  possible because the issue is too great to be obscured by eloquence. I speak simply and  briefly in the hope that my words will be taken to heart. I speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States senator. I speak  as an American. 
 The United States Senate has long enjoyed worldwide respect as the greatest  deliberative body in the world. But recently that deliberative character has too often  been debased to the level of a forum of hate and character assassination sheltered by  the shield of congressional immunity. 
 It is ironical that we senators can in debate in the Senate directly or indirectly, by any  form of words impute to any American, who is not a senator, any conduct or motive  unworthy or unbecoming an American -- and without that nonsenator American have  any legal redress against us -- yet if we say the same thing in the Senate about our  colleagues we can be stopped on the grounds of being out of order. 
 It is strange that we can verbally attack anyone else without restraint and with full  protection and yet we hold ourselves above the same type of criticism here on the  Senate floor. Surely the United States Senate is big enough to take self-criticism and  self-appraisal. Surely we should be able to take the same kind of character attacks that  we "dish out" to outsiders. 
 I think that it is high time for the United States Senate and its members to do some  soul searching -- for us to weigh our consciences -- on the manner in which we are  performing our duty to the people of American -- on the manner in which we are  using or abusing our individual powers and privileges. 
 I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and  defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the  Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by  jury instead of trial by accusation. 
 Whether it be a criminal prosecution in court or a character prosecution in the Senate,  there is little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined. Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism in making character  assassinations are all too frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore  some of the basic principles of Americanism -- 
 The right to criticize; 
 The right to hold unpopular beliefs; 
 The right to protest; 
 The right of independent thought. 
 The exercise of these rights should not cost one single American citizen his reputation  or his right to a livelihood nor should he be in danger of losing his reputation or  livelihood merely because he happens to know someone who holds unpopular beliefs.  Who of us doesn't? Otherwise none of us could call our souls our own. Otherwise  thought control would have set in. 
 The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be  politically smeared as "Communists" or "Fascists" by their opponents. Freedom of  speech is not what it used to be in America. It has been so abused by some that it is not  exercised by others. 
 The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty  people whitewashed. But there have been enough proved cases to cause nationwide  distrust and strong suspicion that there may be something to the unproved, sensational  accusations. 
 As a Republican, I say to my colleagues on this side of the aisle that the Republican  Party faces a challenge today that is not unlike the challenge that it faced back in  Lincoln's day. The Republican Party so successfully met that challenge that it emerged  from the Civil War as the champion of a united nation -- in addition to being a party  that unrelentingly fought loose spending and loose programs. 
 Today our country is being psychologically divided by the confusion and the suspicions  that are bred in the United States Senate to spread like cancerous tentacles of "know  nothing, suspect everything" attitudes. Today we have a Democratic administration  that has developed a mania for loose spending and loose programs. History is repeating  itself -- and the Republican Party again has the opportunity to emerge as the champion  of unity and prudence. 
 The record of the present Democratic administration has provided us with sufficient  campaign issues without the necessity of resorting to political smears. America is  rapidly losing its position as leader of the world simply because the Democratic  administration has pitifully failed to provide effective leadership. 
 The Democratic administration has completely confused the American people by its  daily contradictory grave warnings and optimistic assurances that show the people that  our Democratic administration has no idea of where it is going. 
 The Democratic administration has greatly lost the confidence of the American people  by its complacency to the threat of communism here at home and the leak of vital  secrets to Russia through key officials of the Democratic administration. There are  enough proved cases to make this point without diluting our criticism with unproved  charges. 
 Surely these are sufficient reasons to make it clear to the American people that it is  time for a change and that a Republican victory is necessary to the security of this  country. Surely it is clear that this nation will continue to suffer as long as it is governed  by the present ineffective Democratic administration. 
 Yet to displace it with a Republican regime embracing a philosophy that lacks political  integrity or intellectual honesty would prove equally disastrous to this nation. The  nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I don't want to see the Republican Party  ride to political victory on the four horsemen of calumny -- fear, ignorance, bigotry  and smear. 
 I doubt if the Republican Party could, simply because I don't believe the American  people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national  interest. Surely we Republicans aren't that desperate for victory. 
 I don't want to see the Republican Party win that way. While it might be a fleeting  victory for the Republican Party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American  people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the Republican Party and the  two-party system that has protected our American liberties from the dictatorship of a  one-party system. 
 As members of the minority party, we do not have the primary authority to formulate  the policy of our government. But we do have the responsibility of rendering  constructive criticism, of clarifying issues, of allaying fears by acting as responsible  citizens. 
 As a woman, I wonder how the mothers, wives, sisters and daughters feel about the  way in which members of their families have been politically mangled in Senate debate  -- and I use the word "debate" advisedly. 
 As a United States senator, I am not proud of the way in which the Senate has been  made a publicity platform for irresponsible sensationalism. I am not proud of the  reckless abandon in which unproved charges have been hurled from this side of the  aisle. I am not proud of the obviously staged, undignified countercharges that have  been attempted in retaliation from the other side of the aisle. 
 I don't like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish  political gain at the sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity. I am not proud  of the way we smear outsiders from the floor of the Senate and hide behind the cloak  of congressional immunity and still place ourselves beyond criticism on the floor of the  Senate. 
 As an American, I am shocked at the way Republicans and Democrats alike are playing  directly into the Communist design of "confuse, divide and conquer." As an  American, I don't want a Democratic administration "whitewash" or "cover-up" any  more than I want a Republican smear or witch hunt. 
 As an American, I condemn a Republican "Fascist" just as much as I condemn a  Democrat "Communist." I condemn a Democrat "Fascist" just as much as I  condemn a Republican "Communist." They are equally dangerous to you and me and  to our country. As an American, I want to see our nation recapture the strength and  unity it once had when we fought the enemy instead of ourselves.                    
 It is with these thoughts that I have drafted what I call a "declaration of conscience." I  am gratified that Sen. Tobey, Sen. Aiken, Sen. Morse, Sen. Ives, Sen. Thyke and Sen.  Hendrickson have concurred in that declaration and have authorized me to announce  their concurrence.