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Let Us Judge . . ." But mostly, the people of Mercer Island wanted Stenhouse to stay despite the record disclosed by the House Subcommittee's visit. "We urge," said a spokesman for the county Young Republicans, "that individuals who have made candid and complete disclosures be given every fair consideration." Pleaded a doctor: "Let us judge a man for what he is and not for what he has been. Let us cherish a man's right to his past and respect what he has come to be in the present." Stenhouse spoke last at the school-house meeting. "I realize I made a mistake," he said. "I believe we have the power to show people throughout the world that we have a better way than the Communists."
By last week John Stenhouse, one of the 750,000 mostly anonymous Americans who at some time in their lives joined the Communist Party, had made his decision. For the time being at least, he was going to stick it out on Mercer Island and on the school board. "In the long run," he said, "I suppose this is just one of those things you have to live out."