Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-07-14
Fight Over Court
Likely Too Much
For The Arkansan

,Con.inncu from Page One)
suffered several heart attacks in re-
cent months. Calver further said that
when Robinson made the address
which touched off fiery Senate debate
on the court issue, he became very
pale and apparently cut his address
short.
Tentative plans were made to send
Senator Robinson's body to Arkansas
tomorrow evening.
AS word of his death spread over
the capital, many of his colleagues
went to the Robinson home. The first
to arrive were Senators Harrison,
Democrat, Mississippi, and Walsh,
Democrat, Massachusetts.
The sudden death of Robinson
shocked the capital and threw the adj
ministrations legislative program in
to turmoil. Robinson had personally
been in charge of the administration S
two major legislative campaigns to
enact President Roosevelt's bill to re-
organize the court and the executive
department. His colleagues generally
had expected his appointment to the
Supreme Court to fill the vacancy Gre
ated by the retirement of Justice Van
Devanter.
Representative Warren, Democrat,
North Carolina, said of Senator Rob
insons death: II am shocked at the
untimely passing of this great Amer
lean, whose close friendship I have
valued and esteemed for many years"
Three Offices in Two Weeks.
Congressman, governor of his state,
and United States senator within the
brief space Of two weeks was the
Unique experience of Joseph Taylor
Robinson, of Arkansas.
With a wide political background
in which this rather remarkable cir
ctmstance was the outstanding cpl
sode, Mr.. Robinson rose to the leader
ship of his party in the Senate Ia
leadership virile and ggressive-and
later came to be one of the "dark
horse possibilities in those turbulent
days of the McAGoo-Snith deadlock
in the 1924 Democratic national con-
vention.
A diplomat as we'll as a fighter, the
Arkansan was able as Senate leader
to weld the conflicting forces within
his party into solid rank to meet
the political enemy. He possessed the
wide parliamentary knowledge, the
political sagacity and the driving
power to make the most of every po-
litical situation that arose on the Sen
ate floor.
All in all, he probably was one of
the most aggressive leaders the Dem
A.. - L. =.
GRAFTON. Possessing robust physique
and thundering voice, he would
charge down on the enemy across the
aisle as though to rend them by sheer
physical power. He could not be bluff
ed, but he knew when he was licked
and could retire from the field with
grace.
Born at Lenoke county, Arkansas,
Aug. &c, 1872, Mr.. Robinson was sent
to Congress at the age Of thirty, and
was serving his fifth term there when
On January II, 1913, he resigned and
was inugurated Governor on January
16. Twelve days later the State Leg
istlature elected him to the United
States Senatn and he took his seat on
March 10, 1913.
The people of his State were not
wholly pleased at his sudden eleva-
ton to the Senate, but he made good
there and the storm had passed be-
fore he came up for reelection with a
result that he was renominated over
the opposition of one of the ablest and
most popular men in the State.
BY that time Robinson had been in
politics in his home state for thirty
years, having served as State legisla-
tor at the age of twenty-five, and as
Presidential elector in 1900, before go
ing to Congress, where he spent ten
years. He was lawyer, and had built
up a fine practice in his State.
Chosen as a delegate to the Demo
cratic national convention in San
Francisco in 1920, he expected to be
more active there than the thousand
and one other delegates, but the party
leaders. facing mad scramble by a
score of candidates for the -iioniha-
ton, decided it was necessary to
have a two-fisted permanent chair
man and the Arkansan got the call
Taking charge of the convention as
if he had been born to the job, Rob
inson stood up under the trying grind
of forty-four ballots during days and
nights. The record he made there had
no small part in his selection three
years later as the Democratic leader
in the Senate when Oscar w. Under
wood laid down the reins.
Before attaining to the leadership
the Arkansas put through a bill for
reorganization of the Interstate Com
merce Commission; assisted with leg
islation for creation of the Federal
Trade Commission, and had charge of
the child labor law which the Su
preme. Court subsequently declared
unconstitutional.
He also had been active in Indian
and military questions, and in 1915
just before this country entered the
World War, he was instrumental II
the reorganization of the entire avia
tionssection of the Signal Corps.
Senator Robinson was especially in