The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-07-02


Washington.-Out In Montana, Lam
don enthusiasts are organizing RE
publican Typical Prairie State" clubs.
Word Of this activity has just reached
Democratic members OF congress from
Butte and Helena, and 1t Is. they ad-
nit privately, rather disturbing. In
fact. 1t Is giving good deal OF con-
Germ to Senator James e. Murray, who
Is up for reelection this year and up
to now had not contemplated any par
ticular trouble In winning six more
years In the senate.
Montana has not elected Repub-
lIcan senator since the Bull Moose
split of 1919 Even in the wet wave
of 1880. Senator Thomas ]. Walsh,
Democrat, was easily reelected.
Nor Is Montana by any means
typical prairie state" 1t comes much
closer to being a typical mountain
state. While 1t is more noted for Its
mining, 1t has good deal OF cattle
country, as have Its neghhors. Idaho
and Wyoming.
The significance OF the fact that
this typical prairie state thing has
been taken up there Is 1t Is appar-
emily resented all over the West. not
as slur on Kansas. which OF course
was meant. but as slur on all the
country west OF the Hudson river,
made by a typical Tammany polifi-
cian.'
All of which makes the real story
OF this slip. which may prove historic,
OF some Importance.
The speech was originally written
by Charley Michaelson, not for James
A Farley, who delivered 1t. but for
Secretary OF Agriculture Henry A.
Wallace. who comes from Iowa. Had
Wallace delivered the speech there Is
no certainty that 1t would have been
picked up, though the phrase lends IT.
self to use.
The terrible part OF 1t lies not In
the phrase itself-though no one par-
ticularly rellshes being called "typi-
cal"-but In the fact that 1t came
from a New Yorker. People sensed
that 1t was a slip, but that 1t was the
kind OF slip that reveals the real
thought OF the person making II. II
lust crops to the surface when the
writer, or speaker. Is really trying tt
make another point, but Is more re
vealing OF the slant OF mind OF the
writer than the thought he Is trying
to convey In the context.
Edited by Early
When 1t was decided that this par
ocular speech was to be delivered b,
Farley and not Wallace, the documen
was sent over to the White HOUSE
Tor approval. There 1t was CAREFUL,
read, and edited, by Steve Early, sec
rotary to President Roosevelt, and II
charge. among other things. of pres
relations.
Early did not skip over the TYP
ical prairie state" line. He was
shocked by It. and carefully crossed
out the whole paragraph containing
It. Whereupon he returned 1t to Far
ley's office.
Now comes one OF those frequen
cases In government life where 1t
customary to blame the stenographe
though all the reports about 1t ar
different. But at any rate, Earle
wanted the manuscript neatly type
not showing the savage editing don
by Early.
SO a new draft was made, and
and behold, there was the "typief
prairie state line when 1t was con
pleted.
Those concerned are not talkini
but 1t Is whispered that Michaelso
defended the line, and induced ga
ley to put 1t back. Which puts bot
Farley and Michaelson on the spo
the former for yielding and the latte
for arguing.
Steve Early was furious. He ma
more work than can reasonably
expected of any one since the VI
cancy left by the death of Louis How
has not been filed And the idea
his reading speeches and editing ther
only to have his deletlons restore
angered him aside entirely from al
stupidity involved.
But the Republicans out IN Mo
tana. not to mention Kansas, see
pretty we'll pleased.
Note-hlchaelso was brought
In San Francisco. which thinks ev,
less of typical prairie states than Ne
York.
, Another Hamilton
Back In the days when Woodrt
, Wilson was President there was
closely knit group of Republican me
. bers from what Is popularity call
unstate New York In the hou
, of representatives They loved pc
, ties for its own sake, as some IN
like golf, and some poker. But tn
were really business men before tn
we're politicians.
, One OF them. Charles Nj. Hamiltt
: from the little town Of Ripley, In