After reading Steven F. Hayward’s new biography “M. Stanton Evans: Conservative Wit, Apostle of Freedom,” it made me wish there were more people like Evans. I wish it not simply for his conservative and free-market beliefs, but because of his ability to stick to his beliefs and defend them as a writer and journalist, even when—especially when—those who stood by him with those same beliefs withered under pressure or “charitably” gave ground.
When it comes to biographies, Hayward’s can be considered brief at 400 pages. The author starts where Evans’s collegiate studies began: during his scholarship at Yale University. But there is enough precursor of his pre-college days to understand the effect his parents, particularly his father, had on his thinking.
A Man at Odds
Given that perceived (if not real) rigidity, Evans appeared at odds with just about everyone. If anything, he was equal in his disdain, especially for politicians across the political aisle, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to John F. Kennedy to Richard Nixon. He did have great hope for Barry Goldwater, though that glimmer of hope was quickly doused in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson’s win.When Nixon was elected in 1968, Evans proved prescient in his views of the new president, along with his staff. While many other conservative pundits were cheering a return of a Republican leading the executive branch, Evans was reticent and predicted accurately a Republican White House that would be more liberal than desired. Hayward shows that Evans was never the man who went along to get along. He had a vision for what politics was and how Republican politicians often played to conservatives only to leave them out in the cold post-election.
Evans practically predicted the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s, even though the revolution turned out to be less revolutionary than he had hoped. While the mainstream media hounded Reagan and his political enemies tried to ruin him, Evans proved a strong and honest ally.
Developing Conservative Thinkers, Doers
It was the power of Evans’s thoughts, put to paper, that helped preserve the conservative movement despite election defeats and during post-election lulls. Hayward shows a man who never let the grass grow under his feet. Evans didn’t simply wish for more conservatives, he helped develop them through groups like the American Conservative Union (ACU), of which he was chairman during its early years, and the Young Americans for Freedom. The Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC), hosted by ACU, was one of his initiatives.
A Conservative Contrarian
It is difficult to peg Evans because of what makes him quite the contrarian. There is no doubt he enjoyed a good verbal chess match, as he would debate notable liberals on occasion (but always with a cool and respectful demeanor). Perhaps his father had taught him that politicians are hardly worthy of their word, whether that is because they don’t mean what they say or because the sway of Washington proves too powerful to remain true to their ideals.It may be that Evans was simply a political pessimist or cynic, always prepared for the foot to drop. Despite the pessimism or cynicism or political realism, this biography shows a man who was constantly hopeful for what lay around the conservative bend. There was always tomorrow, or rather, there was always today, and he encouraged those who were on the Right to keep pressing. His influence and successes decades later prove that people were not only listening, but were also doing.
As he pulled off to the side from journalism, his work continued in literature. He would write “The Theme Is Freedom: Religion, Politics, and the American Tradition,” which was, as Hayward put it, “his complete, valedictory statement of his distinct political philosophy.” He would also write “Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America’s Enemies,” and co-authored “Stalin’s Secret Agents: The Subversion of Roosevelt’s Government.”
An Enjoyably Rigid Subject
Hayward has written an enjoyable book about a man who at times comes across as too rigid and harsh. Many conservatives take pride in their ability to compromise with liberals or libertarians, often showcasing their will to bend when the wind is right. Evans was a different breed and Hayward expresses that unapologetically.There were times it seemed Evans would do this simply to get a rise out of people, but as I neared the end of this biography, I realized that Evans was simply a model of consistency.
I’m not certain I agree with the subtitle of the book, “Conservative Wit, Apostle of Freedom.” After reading this work, Evans seemed more of an “apostle of conservatism,” and I find that unlikely to be equated with freedom. His wit does show in the book, but not to the point it deserves a line on the cover (although there is a list of his best quips at the end of the book).
Ultimately, Hayward has written a biography about a man who, while reading through the beginning and toward the middle, I wasn’t certain was worthy of a biography. But having finished this brief one and understanding the impact he made and continues to make even after his death on the conservative movement, I am convinced he is worthy of one much larger.
