Evening star., 1936-11-04
Garner Keeps Human Touch
Rise of cactus Jack" Began in Humble Surround
ings-Retring Nature Retained in
High Office.

such. His committee assignments
were Of minor nature during that Pc
riod. He first had the thrill Of sitting
in the Speakers chair in 1905, when
he was called upon once to preside in
the absence of its regular occupant.
He kept his eyes on that chair from
that time onward.
Garner gave active support to
Champ Clark when the latter waged q
fight for liberalization OF the House
rules in 1909, and when Clark was
made Speaker four years later, Gar
ner became one of his right-hand men.
He declined en- offer of the chairman
ship of the Foreign Affairs Committee
and accepted. instead, a place on the
important Ways and Means Commit
tee.
Fought Harding's Policies.
During most Of this early service in
the House Garner continued to stay
out of the hmelight. When Warren
G. Harding entered the White House.
however, he stepped to the forefront
In a fight against Harding's policies.
He aligned himself with the con-
servative faction in the House in most
matters, opposing woman suffrage Che
always insisted that woman's place
was in the home). the soldiers bonus.
the child labor amendment and other
liberal acts.
Garner was one of the first to crit
icize Harding's appointment Of An
drew Mellon as Secretary OF the Treas
ury and he led the attack on Mellon
through Coolidge's administration. He
secured establishment in 1925 Of q
nom partisan committee on Internal
Revenue Taxation in connection with
his campaign against Republican tax
policies.
In 1928, after 25 years continuous
service in the House, Garner made
his first definite overtures for the
speakership. He failed in this initial
drive, but he realized his ambition in
1881 when the Democrats obtained q
slim ma jority. Newspaper men declare
he smashed four gavels during his
urSI week IN Lle CldlT.
After his elevation to the speaker
ship his friends in Uvalde organized .
Garner for President" club, with an
eye toward the 1882 convention. News
papers began to discuss his chances
as q possible nominee. Finally. on
January II, 1882. the Hearst papers
came out for Garner In the midst Of
the battle between AL Smith and
Franklin D. Roosevelt for the nomi-
nation.
Announced for Presidency.
He did not formally announce him.
self as q presidential candidate until
q week prior to the 1882 convention
at which time he made 1t plain he
did not care to be nominated for the
vice presidency, post that some had
suggested for him.
He was nominated for President by
Senator Tom Connally Of Texas. who
called him "a man of the people "
Garner obtained 80 votes on the first
ballot from the Texas and California
delegations. Roosevelt was far in the
lead. The second and third ballots
did not increase his standing mate
rally. During recess of several
hours o compromise was reached be-
tween the Garner and Roosevelt
forces, and on the fourth ballot
William Gibbs McAdoo announced
that Garner has released his support
ers to Roosevelt. Under this deal
Garner was proposed for the vice
presidency on the following day. and
he was nominated by acclamation.
Gamers retiring nature. his shun-
ming of the spotlight Of public affairs
during his term as Vice President
caused some wits to refer to him as
the New Deals forgotten man." In
deed, there were some indications that
Cactus Jack" did not fully approve
of some Of his chiefs policies.
It was brought out during the Black
lobby inquiry this Spring that John
Henry Kirby, prominent Texas Demo-
crat who opposed the New Deal. hac
asked Garner longtime friend
''how long" he was going to "tolerate
the apostasy Of the Roosevelt admin
istration to the cardinal principles o1
the Democratic party and the no
torious contempt for the plain term.
of the Constitution"
Reply Was Revealed.
Gamers reply was quoted in thu
hearing As follows:
Dear John Henry: Your favor 4
just called to my attention.
you can't do everything you want
to, and I can't do half what I woulc
like to do. You can't control every.
body you would like to, and am ir
similar hx. I think that answers
your question"
During the early part of the Roose'
welt campaign for reelection Garnel
remained in seclusion In Texas. H.
broke his silence on October II O
this year. however, when he broad
cast from his home in Uvalde q radit
appeal for the return of President
Roosevelt to the White House.
II do not pretend" he said In tn,
address. that everything done by thil
administration was destitute Of er'
rors. but ! do insist that the mistakes
were mere fly specks compared with
the aggregate soo4 that was accom-
phsned M