Reagan Wins Another Vote, to a Place in Congress
No one would ever have mistaken Thomas Starr King for a Democrat. A fiery Republican clergyman with an oratorical flair, King stood shoulder to shoulder with Lincoln during the Civil War, barnstorming California to preach the gospel of unity when the nation had split apart and secessionist feeling here was high as well.
Politicians, however, are nothing if not fickle in their affections. So it was that last week the California Legislature, at the behest of a Republican lawmaker, decided that a statue of King should be replaced in the National Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol by one of a more modern Republican with a similar gift for public speaking: Ronald Reagan.
The measure, which passed nearly unanimously just before the end of the legislative session on Thursday night, was hailed by State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, its Republican author, as a fitting nod to the Great Communicator.
“We have a lot of tributes that are existing and to come for Ronald Reagan,” said Mr. Hollingsworth, from Murrieta, between Los Angeles and San Diego. “But this is California’s contribution.”
Yet among those who remember King’s deeds — admittedly a select lot — there were hurt feelings.
“I find it very sad,” said Glenna Matthews, a King biographer and visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. “The whole idea of patriotic Republicans’ wanting to bump a patriotic Republican is trashing what history’s all about.”
Read entire article at NYT
Politicians, however, are nothing if not fickle in their affections. So it was that last week the California Legislature, at the behest of a Republican lawmaker, decided that a statue of King should be replaced in the National Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol by one of a more modern Republican with a similar gift for public speaking: Ronald Reagan.
The measure, which passed nearly unanimously just before the end of the legislative session on Thursday night, was hailed by State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, its Republican author, as a fitting nod to the Great Communicator.
“We have a lot of tributes that are existing and to come for Ronald Reagan,” said Mr. Hollingsworth, from Murrieta, between Los Angeles and San Diego. “But this is California’s contribution.”
Yet among those who remember King’s deeds — admittedly a select lot — there were hurt feelings.
“I find it very sad,” said Glenna Matthews, a King biographer and visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. “The whole idea of patriotic Republicans’ wanting to bump a patriotic Republican is trashing what history’s all about.”