The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-01-26
%. Max Gardner S
Resignation Now
Winning Acclaim
Quit National Committee.
ship To Avoid lncon-
sistency Is Said
By j. c. BASKERVILL
Ti.- ',mcs- News bureau
Sir Walter Ho,s!

Gardner in resigning as mem
Der of the National Democratic
committee last. October because
he believed membership on the
committee was inconsistent with
his law practice in Washington
is. being given nationwide atten'
ton as a result of the recent
stir in Washington because of the
political activities of some mem.
bers of the National Democratic
committee who have not resigned
from it. For while only slight
attention has been paid to Gard
ner's resignation here in North
! Carolina, coming as it did months
in advance of the present shake
! up in Washington as a result Of
which President Roosevelt has
openly suggested that members
of the National Democratic COM
mittee either resign or close
their law offices and cease prac-
ticing on the strength of their
alleged political influence, pap
ers in other states have been
pointing to Gardner as having
done months ago what is now be-
ing suggested for others.
More than a column is devot-
ed to the action of former Gov
ernor Gardner, with the implica-
ton that the example set by him
is being commended by the White
House to some of the members of
the National Democratic COM
mittee who are practicing law in
Washington and who have not
yet resigned from the committee,
in a story in the New York Her
aid Tribune, of Friday, January
10. The story is by one of The
Herald Tribune's st f f cores
pondents in Washington and
quotes in their entirety Gardner:
letter to President Roosevelt
when he submitted the resigna-
ton on October II, 1888, also
+: the letter from the president to
; Gardner accepting his resigna-
ton. Incidentally, the latter
from the president to Gardner
begins Dear Max" showing the
evident esteem in which Presi-
dent Roosevelt regards him.
The letter from the president
to Gardner, in which he expresses
his personal appreciation of his
action in resigning his commit
tee, and which was made public
along with Gardner's letter of re-
signation by the White House is
as follows:
The White House,
Washington, Oct. %. 1888
"My Dear Max:
81 want you to know Just as
nearly as possible how much /
appreciate your fine letter of
October II.
"While l regret sincerely hav-
ing you withdraw as National
Committeeman from your state,
l know the motives which prompt
you and the reasons you have for
taking this action. 1t is good to
have friends who are actuated
by high principles. -.
Thanks for your personal 10y
atty and you know, of course,
how utterly | will always count
on that.
Every sincerely,
Franklin D. Roosevelt"
The Harold-Tribune story also
! carried in full Gardeners letter
to the president in which he said !:
81 am taking the liberty to en-
close herewith my letter of resi-
gnation as Democratic National
committeeman for North Caro-
lima. 1t speaks my conviction of
duty" yt~
The letter of resignation, of
course, was to State Chairman j.
Wallace Winborne of the North
Carolina Democratic committee
and dated as of October IL,
1888. The Herald-Tribune also
reveals the fact Gardner express
! ed the desire and intention to
resign as National committeeman
when he first decided to go to
Washington and open law offices
there, before President Roosevelt
was inaugurated, but that he was
persuaded not to resign at that
time by Josephus Daniels of Ra-
leigh and at present U. S. ambas-
sador to Mexico, for fear it might
cost North Carolina some patron
age opportunities. That is the
only reason Gardner delayed his
resignation.
That Gardner is being held up
by the president as an example
of what all contentious members
of the National Democratic COM
mite eshould do if they want
to practice law in Washington, is
clarely indicated in this story,
which plainly says. evidently with
White House sanction:
"That the president 'apprecia-
tes' the attitude of lawyer-mem-
bers (of the comniittee) who re-
signed on their own initiative,
he made clear in letter compli-
mentnig Mr.. Gardner on his re-
signation from the national COM
mittee."
The story also added that it
was Through White House in
itiative" that the exchange Of
letters between the president and
Gardner became available, thus
indicating that the president was
willing to have all the details