The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-09-24
DEFEATED IN 1880

Month after month, year a1ter
year, Cotton TaWm" would rear
his siX-feet-three on the Senate
floor and shout denunciations OF
the Pope, the Catholic church, AL
Smith, Wall Street, the Federal
Reserve Board, and the 1nterna-
tional bankers.
Picturesque and pungent, he
came in time to be a barn burner"
to whom no one in Washington
paid more than passing attention
except as one of the sights pointed
out by Capitol guides. But in Ala
bama he he'd forth on the hustings
in a manner which repeatedly
won him reelection first to the
House and then to the Senate, eX-
uding a stream of words without
end, woven together in pattern
of old-tine welkin-ringing oratory.
Then came the fall. In 1880
John Bankhead licked him. And
the issue which brought about his
downfall was Heflin's desertion Of
the Democratic national ticket in
1928, when AL Smith was the
Democratic nominee for President.
Helm supported Hoover.
In 1885 he tried a comeback,
running against Congressman
Miles Clayton Allgood for the
House. Joe StarneS beat them
both, and has been in the House
since.
GIVEN U. S. JOB
Cotton Tawm," his resources
gone, and law degree, his long
tailed coat and command of the
English language his sole stock in
trade, hung out his Shingle as a
lawyer. He became one of the
ghosts of Washington-the shadow
figures which, no longer in public
life, cling to its fringes in the hope
usually vair., that some new turn
of the wheel will restore them to
former glorieS.
A year ago, broke and politically
down, but not altogether out
Cotton Tawm" wrangled a job in
Washington. On July 20 he was
made special assistant to Attor.
ney General Homer Cummings
and assigned to the Land Division
of the Department of Justice, a
dumping ground for lame ducks
under all administrations.
He tried for weeks to see the
President, but a White House sec
rotary, so it was said and generally
believed, refused to give him ar
appointment. Somehow he man
aged to see him anyways the
story goes, when Mr.. Roosevelt
was on a speaking trip or some
other journey which took him
away from the White House. And
in the 1886 campaign Cotton
Tawm" was enlisted as a speaker
and Grated wherever it was thought
his voice and Negro dialect stories
for which he is famous, would be
effective.
OUT FOR SENATE
In January last he was reap
pointed in the Department of Jus
tice, on March l was appointed
again, and on July / his appoint
ment was continued finally tt
September ia week ago.
Then word came North that the
Klan was on the move again ir
Georgia and Alabama. Helm hac
never lost his Alabama contacts
And this week he announced him
self for the Senate.
Those who know their Alabama
politics say he is likely to win
Governor Bibb Graves, having ap
pointed his wife to serve ir
Blacks place ad interim, pending
an election to choose a successor
has decided at last accounts not
to enter the race himself. MOI
Is his wife in the running.
AS his chief opponent, "Cottor
Tawm" is opposed by Congressman
Lister Hill, one of the younger
crop of Southern politicians, 6
World War veteran who frs
came to the House in 1928 anc
has served continuously since
Hill is now chairman of thu
House Committee on Military AT