National Affairs: Joe's Blow

Representative Joseph Clark Baldwin is a blueblood, a clubman, a bon ivant, friend of kings and minor potentates. He can write and draw with both hands and both feet simultaneously (after first re moving his shoes) and has occasionally done so in legislative assemblies. As a graduate of St. Paul's and Harvard, and a man with a natural flair for festive living, he enjoys association with First Families, likes good clothes, fine horses, fine wines. Son of a rich family which lost its fortune, he is often almost broke, lives in genteel and sprightly style by doing public-relations jobs for big busi ness.

As a Congressman he represents Manhattan's lone Republican stronghold, the 17th ("Silk Stocking") District. But his earnest Republicanism is as individual as his taste in cravats. Says he: "I could not . . . enjoy a damned good dinner and wine unless I were doing all in my power to get better housing for the people in the slums."

In Congress, Joe Baldwin* has tried to do more than that. Since he reached the House in a 1941 by-election, he has jumped political party fences as often and agilely as a spring lamb. In the 79th Congress, out of 57 major party votes, he has bolted 21 times (he voted against perpetuation of the Dies Committee, against emasculating the Full Employment Bill, against returning the USES to the States, against crippling the OPA).

A Thousand Times No. Last week New York's Republican Secretary of State Thomas J. Curran, who is Tom Dewey's leader in Manhattan, asked Joe Baldwin to liquidate himself politically, get out of the House of Representatives.

Joe Baldwin rejected the invitation promptly. "They said I didn't represent the Republicans in my district. My opinion is to the contrary. They've been trying to get rid of me for four years. They want me to toe the line on reactionary measures and I won't do it."

The Silk Stocking Congressman then threw some hardheaded political arguments at his critics. "You can't be elected by reactionaries in my district. There are only 29,000 Republicans. ... I was elected by 77,000 votes, which means that about 50,000 independents voted for me. For years you have had to be a reactionary to get nominated in the Republican Party and a liberal to get elected."