McCarthy :: essays research papers

While I cannot take the time to name tout ensemble of the men in theState Department who reach been named as members of theCommunist party and members of a spy ring, I have here in my snuff it a rock of 205 that were known to the Secretary of theState as being members of the Communist party and whonevertheless are still working and shaping the policy ofthe State Department. (Bayley, 1981,p.17)This story is held responsible for sparking the McCarthyism era.The incidents following it, represent a journalistic period paralleledto the Christian views of the Spanish Inquisition a time period of markembarrassment and horror never to be forgotten.     Later McCarthy said the get along he gave in his speech was not 205 but 57.The fact is that Desmond had a compose copy of the speech before McCarthy gaveit, but he could have changed the number to 57 when he actually presented thespeech. Regardless, the number 57 would have been just as shocking as 205. Thereporters ethics and/or practices were questionable in handling this story.Why he did not ask to see the list of 205 Communists? If he did, score mayhave been different, for as McCarthy said himself "what he held in his hand wasthe Byrnes garner, not a list."(Bayley, 1981, p.24) If Desmond had reported thatMcCarthy was holding a letter, not a list, the newspapers would have handled thestory much differently. A letter from one person to another, which suggestsunfit employees, would have made much less news than the illusion of an actuallist of names.     This lack of verification, was one of many press blunders that followedover the next few weeks. In general the press poor practice would be carriedout for the next fivesome years. "I have here in my hand,..." was a phrase that"became more popular than a famous toothpaste slogan,"(Belfrage, 1973, p.117)which he used on an infinite number of occasions to refer to documents he wouldpull from his bri efcase to support wild accusations. The legitimacy of thedocuments much like that of the accusations seemed never to have been verifiedby the reporters on sight. The Byrness letter that McCarthy pulled out onFebruary 9, 1950 was one of these unchecked documents. The content of theletter gives us insight into McCarthys ability to manipulate the facts, andcover his tracks just enough so that an unambitious, careless reporter wouldhelp him spread his word.     The letter from which the number 205 is extracted is dated 26 July 1946,from Secretary of State James F.