The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-05-03
Presidential Campaign Portraits-NO. 81
Senator Thomas J. Walsh
Investigation of Oil Leases Won Walsh
Fame and Made Him Presi-
dental Candidate

Hoover has been likened to a
beaver, Borah to great bear,
Norris to an owl. Walsh-he of
the frosty hair and icy eyes-makes
one think Of Siberian tiger.
Like Al Smith, Walsh is a Cath
Ollie, but there all similarity ends.
Walsh is dry" serious, reserved,
even cold, shakes hands frigidly and
is obviously the kind Of man who
never slapped anybody on the back
in his whole life. Gov. Smith may
be "Ar" to millions, but Walsh is
Senator Walsh" to everybody.
Nor is there any love lost be-
tween the two, according to their
closest friends. Privately, Walsh
is said to have expressed his dis
like for Smith in strong terms.
Regardless Of the personal as
pect. Senator Walsh has turned the
spotlight on gigantic bribery and
official corruption and given his
party one of the greatest issues in
history for the 1923 campaign.
True, the oil scandal was an issue
in 1924 and proved a washout. but
at that time the Republican Nation
al Committee had not been linked
with $260,000 of the ill-gotten prof
it's Of Teapot Dome, advanced by
Sinclair. Nor had Senator Borah,
with his usual knack for embarrass-
ing his party. begun collection Of
his famous conscience fund" to pay
honl, tho Nsveo1a,,. ,V,nnnv-
Long Experience with Oil
Walsh has had experience with
oil ever since he was 10 or IL years
old, having been employed as boy
to light street lamps in his nome
town Of Two Rivers, Wis. There
! he was born on June IL, 1859, the
son of a poor Irish immigrant who
had come to America few years
before from Catholi: colony IL
Ulster, north Ireland.
He was educated in the public
schools. Later, he taught school
saved his money and entered tn,
University of Wisconsin to stud!
law. Upon his graduation in 1888
he went to Redfield, S. d., tc prac
tice law with his brother. He wa.
married in 1889 and in 1890 he de-
cided to try his luck farther west
stopping at Helena, Mont. Their
he made his home.
Walsh won local fame as a law
yer in suits against Montana's biz
copper mining companies and thi
led to a political career. In 190'
he was beaten for Congress, in 1911
he was beaten for the Senate, bu
in 1912 he ran again. He wa
elected and has been in the Senat'
ever since.
Supported Wilson
| The World War found Senate
Walsh one of President Wilson
most trusted supporters and closes
advisers. In 1916, he managed Viii
sons western campaign from head
quarters in Chicago. After the wal
he took a leading part in the Senat
fight for American entry into tn
League Of Nations and other meas
ures that Wilson desired. At on
time or another, Wilson broke wit
nearly every one of his closest ad
visers-but Walsh remained hi
friend throughout.
In those days, Senator Walsh
hair was coal black. He wore
set Of long, dropping mustaches-
something like the handle bars o
q bicycle-that gave him somethin
of a walrus or piratical appearance
Then one day, the unexpected haI
pened-the dropping mustache wa
clipped to something little more tina
toothbrush size. So it remains tx
day, though it is no longer black br
gray.
II 1922 and 1923 came the fir
rumblings Of the oil scandal, an
Walsh started on the road that VIZ
to make him . national figure.
| About the time that control Of II
oil reserves was transferred fro
the Navy Department to Secretal
Of Interior Fall and Teapot Don
leased to Harry Sinclair, strani
rumors came to certain western Sci
ators. These rumors limited tn