Margaret Chase Smith - Revision history

RobSmith at 23:25, October 8, 2025

2025-10-08T23:25:26Z

LT at 23:13, August 21, 2021

2021-08-21T23:13:50Z

LT at 23:13, August 21, 2021

2021-08-21T23:13:32Z

LT: /* U.S. Senate */

2021-08-20T12:37:16Z

U.S. Senate

LT at 12:34, August 20, 2021

2021-08-20T12:34:57Z

LT: /* U.S. Senate */

2021-08-12T23:41:05Z

U.S. Senate

LT: /* McCarthy */

2021-08-12T23:40:38Z

McCarthy

LT: /* Legacy */

2021-08-12T23:38:33Z

Legacy

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2021-08-12T23:36:35Z

McCarthy

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Legacy

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 The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people whitewashed.  But there have been enough proved cases, such as the ''[[Amerasia]]'' case, the [[Hiss]] case, the [[Coplon]] case, the [[Harry Gold|Gold]] case, to cause the nationwide distrust and strong suspicion that there may be something to the [[McCarthyism|unproved, sensational accusations]].
-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 [[Manhattan project|vital secrets]] to Russia [[Venona|through key officials of the Democratic administration]].  There are enough proved cases to make this point without diluting our criticism with unproved charges.
+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 [[Manhattan project|vital secrets]] to Russia [[Venona|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.

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 '''Margaret Madeline Chase Smith''' (December 14, 1897 – May 29, 1995) of [[Skowhegan, Maine]], was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress. She replaced her late husband Clyde Smith in the House of Representatives 1940–49, and was elected to the Senate in 1948, serving 1949–73.
-From 1953 to 1959, Smith's senatorial colleague was [[Frederick G. Payne]], who shared her style of Moderate Republicanism.
+From 1953 to 1959, Smith's senatorial colleague was [[Frederick G. Payne]], who shared her style of Moderate Republicanism.<ref>June 18, 1952. [https://www.nytimes.com/1952/06/18/archives/payne-has-stood-as-a-progressive-identified-with-mrs-smiths-wing-of.html PAYNE HAS STOOD AS A PROGRESSIVE; Identified With Mrs. Smith's Wing of Maine Party While Brewster Is Old Guard]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved August 21, 2021.</ref>
 ==Political career==

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 }}
 [[File:Smith-mc.jpg|thumb|260px]]
 '''Margaret Madeline Chase Smith''' (December 14, 1897 – May 29, 1995) of [[Skowhegan, Maine]], was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress. She replaced her late husband Clyde Smith in the House of Representatives 1940–49, and was elected to the Senate in 1948, serving 1949–73.
 ==Political career==

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 ==Political career==
 ===U.S. Senate===
-Smith was a liberal-leaning Northeastern Republican (or "[[Rockefeller Republican]]"). She was notably honest, independent and courageous. Her concern for national defense during the [[Cold War]] led to service on the House Naval Affairs Committee and later several subcommittees of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
+Although her late husband was considered a [[conservative]],<ref>FascinatingPolitics (October 18, 2020). [https://fascinatingpolitics.com/2020/10/18/the-true-senate-female-firsts-hattie-caraway-margaret-chase-smith-and-maurine-neuberger/ The True Senate Female Firsts: Hattie Caraway, Margaret Chase Smith, and Maurine Neuberger]. ''Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History''. Retrieved August 20, 2021.</ref> Smith was a liberal-leaning Northeastern Republican (or "[[Rockefeller Republican]]"). She was notably honest, independent and courageous. Her concern for national defense during the [[Cold War]] led to service on the House Naval Affairs Committee and later several subcommittees of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
 Smith led the fight for granting women regular status in the armed services during 1944-48. After passage by the Senate in 1947, a bill providing for regular status for women encountered opposition in the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee from several members who would agree only to reserve status for women. Through adroit political maneuvering, Smith forced the issue to the floor, thereby demonstrating that regular status had strong support in the House and ultimately insuring the passage of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948.<ref>See Sherman (1990)</ref>

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 }}
 [[File:Smith-mc.jpg|thumb|260px]]
-'''Margaret Madeline Chase Smith''' (December 14, 1897 – May 29, 1995) of Skowhegan, Maine, was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress. She replaced her late husband Clyde Smith in the House of Representatives 1940–49, and was elected to the Senate in 1948, serving 1949–73.
+'''Margaret Madeline Chase Smith''' (December 14, 1897 – May 29, 1995) of [[Skowhegan, Maine]], was the first woman elected to both houses of Congress. She replaced her late husband Clyde Smith in the House of Representatives 1940–49, and was elected to the Senate in 1948, serving 1949–73.
 ==Political career==

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 ====McCarthy====
 She is remembered for her famous Declaration of Conscience in the 1950s in which she stated:<ref>[http://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/margaretchasesmithconscience.html Margaret Chase Smith -- "Declaration of Conscience"]. ''American Rhetoric''.</ref>
 {{Cquote|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.

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 ==Legacy==
-"Maggie's List", a political action committee founded in [[Florida]] in 2010 to help elect conservative women, is named after her.<ref>[http://maggieslist.org/meetmaggie Meet Maggie]. ''Maggie's List''.</ref>
+"Maggie's List", a political action committee founded in [[Florida]] in 2010 to help elect conservative women, is named after her.<ref>[http://maggieslist.org/meetmaggie Meet Maggie]. ''Maggie's List''.</ref> However, it's important to note that Smith was largely a [[Moderate Republican]] throughout her political career.
 ==Further reading==

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 ====McCarthy====
-She is remembered for her famous Declaration of Conscience in the 1950 in which she said:
+She is remembered for her famous Declaration of Conscience in the 1950s in which she stated:<ref>[http://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/margaretchasesmithconscience.html Margaret Chase Smith -- "Declaration of Conscience"]. ''American Rhetoric''.</ref>
-{{Cquote|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.
+{{Cquote|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.
 The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people whitewashed.  But there have been enough proved cases, such as the ''[[Amerasia]]'' case, the [[Hiss]] case, the [[Coplon]] case, the [[Harry Gold|Gold]] case, to cause the nationwide distrust and strong suspicion that there may be something to the [[McCarthyism|unproved, sensational accusations]].
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 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.<ref>http://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/margaretchasesmithconscience.html</ref>
+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.
 }}