The Congressional speeches of Gerrit J. Diekema, with editorial comment
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Abstract
The congressional speeches of Gerrit J. Diekema are the basis of this study and have been transcribed directly from the Congressional Record. Only those speeches and comments which were deemed illuminating as to the political and personal philosophy of Diekema are included. The speeches are of historical value for two reasons. First, they provide insight into the attitude of a Conservative Republican during the Progressive period. Secondly, the speeches indicate that a Congressman could be swayed in his support of party causes by the needs of his home district. Thus, the picture emerges of the typical congressman paying less attention to the great debate among Congressional leaders and showing more concern over parochial issues than is generally indicated in the histories of the period.