NIXON WAS CAPE GUEST IN CAMPAIGN OF 1952

When all the pages of history are written on Richard Milhous Nixon, they will list many achievements and triumphs ... and a bit of scandal.

Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, may always be remembered as the first president in U.S. history who was forced to resign his office. But the good things, say those who remember him here, include his aptitude for foreign policy, his loathing of communism, his efforts to clean up the environment and his endeavors to end the Vietnam War.

"He was a master of foreign policy," said John L. Blue, a former newspaperman who covered Nixon when he made a whistlestop swing through Cape Girardeau as the vice presidential running mate of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. "He'll go down in history books as a great guy."

Nixon, president of the United States from 1968 through a year and half of his 1972 term, died Friday at age 81, having never recovered from a stroke he suffered Monday at his home in Park Ridge, N.J.

Nixon, a senator from California, was well known for his anti-communist efforts when he became a vice presidential candidate. During his eastern Missouri swing, he came into Cape Girardeau by train on Oct. 21, 1952, and left by plane.

A group of 10th Congressional District Republicans, headed by then Cape Girardeau County Republican Chairman, the late Rush H. Limbaugh Jr., met Nixon's 13-car campaign train at Festus, and rode back to Cape Girardeau, making stops at Ste. Genevieve and McBride before arriving in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Nixon was impressed with the crowd of more than 4,000 people that turned out for a noon meeting, commenting that for the size of the city, the Cape Girardeau rally was one of the best of his campaign.

During his stop here, Nixon lashed out at the Truman Administration and played to the need to have strong leadership to combat the spread of communism.

Nixon charged that Truman's lack of leadership had diminished the role of the United States as a military power and that "Red spies" had enabled Russia to get the atomic bomb five years earlier than it should have.

Nixon, who was speaking at Houck Field House, further contended that replacing Truman with Stevenson "would be replacing one weak sister with another."

"Nixon was a survivor ... a real politician," said Blue. "Later, during Nixon's problems with Watergate, the (Southeast) Missourian supported Nixon a long time until the Watergate evidence became so blatant we finally came out and said he should resign."

The Missourian was just one of many past Nixon supporters who finally urged his resignation. Among newspapers that eventually said the president's resignation would be his "best last service to his country" were the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Kansas City Times, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and William Randolph Hearst, editor-in-chief of the Hearst Chain.

Thad Bullock, now a candidate for 8th District representative, and his wife, Ruby, were in the crowd on that day in 1952.

"I remember his visit well," said Mrs. Bullock. "We had just opened a music store in Cape Girardeau."

Mrs. Bullock, who said she really wasn't impressed with the young Nixon, had an opportunity to shake his hand.

"Nixon will be reviewed favorably in many areas during his presidency and his years as vice president," said Peter J. Bergerson, chairperson of the political science department at Southeast Missouri State University.

"Foreign policy was his strong point," said Bergerson. "He loved it. It was Nixon who laid the foundation for relations with China and Russia. He will also be remembered for his effort to end the Vietnam War and his public welfare programs."

Bergerson added that Nixon was a consummate politician.

"I say this in a favorable sense," said Bergerson. "I admired Nixon's political savvy. He had a keen sense of understanding of American politics and government. He knew what it took to win."

Bergerson pointed to the ways that Nixon served the United State.

"He had a very illustrious political career. He was vice president eight years, he was a U.S. representative and senator. He was president," said Bergerson. "Few people have an opportunity to serve their country in all of those capacities."

Nixon's internal drive for politics was reflected during the years 1960 to 1968.

"He lost the presidency in 1960 in a close race after serving from 1952 to 1960 as vice president," said Bergerson. "Two years later, he ran for governor in California. He lost that race. But, he still came back in 1968 and was elected president."

In 1968, he did not receive 50 percent of the vote, but he won. Bergerson said he felt this was one of the things that eventually led to Watergate. "I think that in 1972, he wanted more than 50 percent of the vote. My own feeling is that he was insecure at this point, and this all led to the Watergate situation."

Former Missouri Gov. Warren E. Hearnes, of Charleston, said Saturday he was impressed with Nixon's farm policies.

"This (farm plan) is something he really excelled in," said Hearnes. "Nixon was an organized person ... I was not a personal friend of his, but I visited the White House about six or eight times and attended briefings, on topics from Vietnam to farm policy and other problems that faced Missouri."

"What I believe is that it is my generation that remembers Watergate and when we pass, a lot of it will be forgotten," said Hearnes, who added that the 1960s were turbulent times.

"There were riots in the big cities, Vietnam and students were under duress on campuses. These were difficult times for everyone. I could say a lot of things but I respect Nixon's family and I think for their sake we should let it go ... it's over with. It doesn't do us any good to rehash the situation. There were ups and downs ... let's remember the ups."

Steve Mosley, a history instructor at Sikeston High School, said persons claim to either love or hate Richard Nixon. Consequently, adds Mosley, he (Nixon) is often referred to as the best or worst president in American history. Critics say their hatred stems from his disgraced presidency. This may not be the case. The real roots of their alleged loathing may be from projected feelings about the war in Vietnam.

Admirers point to Nixon's foreign policy successes, such as the opening to China, detente with the Soviet Union, and the ending of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Critics, noted Mosley, stress the hypocrisy of his infamous, "I am not a crook."

"Additional time will have to pass before he can be judged dispassionately," said Mosley. "Journalist Tom Wicker put it best when wrote that Nixon was `one of us.'

"He was one of us, perhaps more than any other president," added Mosley. "Sometimes we love ourselves, sometimes we don't."

Tom Fowler, Missouri GOP chairman, said Saturday that Nixon's death was a great loss, not only for the Nixon family, but for Missouri, America and the world.

"He was one of our greatest presidents," said Fowler, "He had a firm grasp of what motivates people and how they behave. He took on the presidency at a time when our country was deeply divided over the Vietnam Ware and tahe upsurge of the drug-using counterculture. He was successful in bringing the war to an end, and in bringing about improved relations with Russia and China.

"I believe even his staunchest opponents agree that Nixon's intellect and statesmanship will be sorely missed," said Fowler. "He was truly one of the last great leaders of the 20th century."

During the past 20 years, Nixon succeeded in achieving a measure of redemption -- offering backstairs advice to his successors in the Oval Office, writing a number of best-selling books on foreign affairs, and making one last visit to Moscow.

Some of the information for this story was provided by Tonia Pennington of the Southeast Missouri News Service.