The producers news., 1926-01-15
LET'S GIVE THE MAN A CHANCE

Editor Producers News:
/ Dear Sir:
/ l have noted in several issues of
/ the News, what I may call an "un-
+ dertona of criticism of B. K. Wheel
er, although undertone is hardly the
proper term for the criticism which
the News puts forth.
l am writing this letter not SC
much as a defense of Wheeler as to
try to be helpful to the News for l
think too highly of the paper to wish
to see it become merely a critic of
a man because he is in office. Neither
Is it my desire to try to dictate the
policy cf the News.
The point which l desire to stress
is simpy this that in my opinion you
are attribuing motives or actions to
Wheeler of which even his opponents
can not yet be certain.
Now let me say in advance that
aside from the political question l
count B. X. Wheeler a friend and ev-
en- though a man Is a friend / try to
judge him on his record politically
and to keep my friendship for him
from influencing my judgment as to
his value to the public.
1 first became acquainted with
Wheeler when he was U. S. District
Attorney and [ was in Jail on a fake
charge of pro-Germanism. At that
time | had occasion to wire him de
manding a speedy trial or release,
and setting forth the facts which had
not been brought TO his attention By
those who caused my arrest. Ny wire
was sent on Sunday evening and on
Tuesday morning l was released.
Now this was only one Of dozens and
possibly hundreds of such cases with
which he had to deal during the war
period and I believe it is greatly to
his credit that he would not allow
the paytrioteers to prostitute his Of
fee to their desires to satisfy per
sonal or political grudges.
In 1920 Wheeler was a candidate
; for Governor and was defeated bg
: the A. c. NJ, who at that time were
still in control of the political situa-
tion IN the state. His election to the
: Senate in D can be accounted foI
only by the fact that the republican
candidate was a weak sister and that
the combined support Of Democrats
and Nonpartisans served to thwart
: the wishes of the A. c. N.
have followed his record through
5 the pages of the Congressional Rec
ord and have found him voting with
/ the progressives on practically every
| measure of Importance and it must
not be overlooked that he was respon-
sible for the fight made to keep Cum
Minis of Iowa, author of the Esch-
Cummins Railroad law off the Inter
state Commerce Committee of the
Senate.
Organized labor all over the nation
should be thankful for the service he
? rendered in kicking the labor-baiters
Daugherty and Burns, out of office
and no one can deny that he was the
2 chief instrument through which that
was done.
Now as to his stand on the tariff
r and the world court, I am not so sure
that a tariff On copper would be bene-
fetal to the workers of Montana. VIII
I you undertake to show just how il
would work to the workers advant-
age? If you will do this I viii (thc
lay no claims to being an authority
attempt to pick a few flaws in yOul
argument for | think there is room
for argument on both sides of this
question. As for the World Court,
noted a few days ago that Senator
Norris Of Nebraska, who as a pro
greSSlve ranks as high as LaFollette
has slgnified his intention to vote fCi
= the Court. Would you say that he
, has become reactiOnary on that ac-
: count? For my part I doubt if Nor
! rls made that statement and I am
expecting at any moment to see tine
statement cOntradicted. Personally ]
; am not hostile to a World Court, bu;
simply to THE World Court. / be-
: lieve that the Nation should first de-
= monstTate the ability of the govern
ment to secure justice for its citizens
; before entering a world court to Sc
) cure justice for all nations.
To get down to Wheeler's more re-
cent record. he made the statement
! on December 21st, to the Senate that
he opposed the confirmation of Wood
: lock for the interstate commerce COM
1 mission for the reason that he believ-
ed that the public was entitled to rep-
resentatiOn on the commission instead
} of the railroads.
] The charge which the adnnin;stra-
tlcn brought against Wheeler in re-
tallatlon for his ousting of Daugber-
. ty has been proved to be a frameuu
as most progrsssives were convinced
S from the start that it was, and i
: seems to me that with four wears If
his term still ahead of him he will
? have ample opportunity to make OF
mar his public record. So suppose
Z we reserve judgment for a while and
r see just what he will do. I am will
ing to admit that up to the present
Wheeler has no constructive legis-
lation to his credit, but when you find
a rotten building occupying the site
on which you desire to build you have
struction begins.
In closing wish to say that 1 think
/ too highly of the Producers News ano
, its power for good in the state, Ia
wish to see it become merely a We
S hicle for the "outs" criticism of the
6 ems"
4