After reading Ray Sigler's latest lament about how the Republicans also do not meet his standards of conservatism, I felt really bad for him and other Republicans. What he has failed to recognize is that the [arty has been infiltrated and diluted by non-Republicans who are actually preaching nothing related to entrepreneurship, self-reliance or freedom from Big Government. The element in control of the party is for liberty only to the extent that it meets their interpretation of Christianity.

Actually, they need their own party because the Republican Party does not meet the standards of "Religious Libertarians." A key trait of past Republican administrations has been the ability and willingness to negotiate and compromise for the good of the country. This edition of Congress is not about that.

We all know what the problems of today are, but 48 years ago the struggle we were choking over was civil rights. It was the right thing to do. but it was such a big change there was deadlock and rancor. Do you think President Kennedy should get credit for it? Maybe; maybe not. If it had not been for the willingness of the minority leader, Seen. Everett McKinley Dirksen of Illinois, it would never have passed. He was not all for it orginally, but later realized the necessity of it.

Ronald Reagan was the Great Negotiator and got his way most of the time without brute force but compromise We need that again. Holding a country hostage to protect the few is not the Republican way.

Joseph M. Reichert

Belleville