The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-06-25
BY ROBERT TALLEY
NEA Service Writer

one Of the greatest comebacks in
history lie behind him Now
ex-senator Jim Reed, a gray
haired veteran past the allotted
threescore-and-ten, is making his
final bid for public honor.
Missouri's "favorite son" in
the race for the Democratic
nomination is one of the oldest
men ever to seek the highest prize
within the gift of his party.
If he should be elected in No
vember, the honor would come
within a few days of his list
birthday.
Jim Reeds record has been one
of the most remarkable in the
history Of political comebackS.
Twelve years ago, after he had
broken with President Woodrow
Wilson on the league of nations
issue, he was rotten-egged in Ard
more, Okla, condemned by the
North Carolina legislature as "a
traitor who ought to be shot"
threatened in Arkansas with be-
ing ridden out of town on rail.
rid Us of Reed" clubs rose
overnight in his home state, he
was upbraided by millions in his
own party, and even barred from
the Democratic national conven-
ton at San Francisco.
That was in 1920, when it
seemed every mans hand was
turned against him. With dismal
prospects for success, Jim Reed
came up for reelection to the
senate in 1922.
From his sick bed at Wash
ington, Wilson sent a scathing
denunciation of Reed and an APP
peal for Missouri voters to elect
his Democratic opponent.
Jim Reed met this problem as
he has met every other problem
in his long career, by fighting
... Fighting, fighting, fighting;
everything I've ever got in this
world I've had to fight for" he
once said. e..
Instead of trying to make
amends, he fought the League of
Nations with far more bitterness
than therefore, changed Missouri
Democrats to his way of thinking,
and was reelected triumphantly
by $4,000 majority.
When Reed finished this term
in the senate-his third-he re-
tired voluntarily on March 4,
1929, after having represented his
state in the upper house of con-
gress for eighteen consecutive
years.
He returned to Kansas City to
resume the practice of law.
TN 1928, Reed was put forward
Il by Missouri as her "favorite
son" for the presidential nomina-
ton, which Al Smith won almost
by reclamation at Houston.
In 1882, he again is the states
'favorite son" candidate, with
MisSouri's SO convention votes
pledged to him-at least, for the
first few ballots.
"We will have in due course of
time return to normal condi-
TONS" Reed says. But the adj
vance toward prosperity will
come from the grass roots. It
will be born of the energies of
our people.
1T never can be conferred by
the government. We are suffer-
ing, not from want of necessities
or even luXuries, of life, but from
a disarrangement and temporary
paralysis of our economic ma
Chinery.
These conditions may be traced
largely to governmental plumbers,
both here and throughout the
world"
Nor does Reed, always a wet,
forget prohibition. He says it is
costing the nation many millions
of dollars yearly. in lost taxes,
necessitating huge expenditures
for futile attempts at enforce
ment, and is promoting the in
terestS of the bootlegger and the
criminal.
Here is typical example of
the brand of biting sarcasm for
which Reed has always been IA
nous.
I'm his speech of acceptance,
Mr.. Hoover said The poorhouSe is
vanishing from amongst us. We
shall soon, with the help of God,
be in sight of the day When pow
erty will be banished from this
nation
Evidently" Reed continues,
with a smile, God has dissolved
the partnership"
THROUGHOUT the long story
4 of his life there appears re-
peated proof of Jim Reeds state
ment: Fighting, fighting, fight
ing everything I've ever got
in this world I've had to fight
for"
His struggles began early Or
phaned at by the death of his
father, he and an older brother
had to fight to support their
widowed mother on farm in