Evening star., 1938-05-08
By JOHN C. HENRY.

BY JOHN G. HENRY.
THOSE who were quick, and more
than q little anxious, to decide that
the New Deal was on the skids are
finding it bit difficult to explain
away the convincing victory of Florida's
Senator Claude Pepper in the recent Demo-
cratic primaries of his State.
For the issue of the campaign was e!-
most exclusively New Dealism with the
victorious Senator Pepper flying the COL
ors Of an out-and-out Roosevelt man
while his principal opponent, the able law
yer-Representative j. Mark Wilcox, as
intrusion of the Roosevelt family in Flor
idas domestic politics. Yet when the votes
were counted Senator Pepper not only led
the pack, but had sufficient margin to elm
mate the need Of a run-off, which many of
the insiders had predicted would be neces-
sary. Since victory in the Democratic
primary Is virtually a one-way ticket to
Office. the administration leadership al
ready is including Pepper in its calcula-
tions of what might be expected from the
Senate
Beyond the political Implications how
ever, there are grounds for understanding
how the young Floridan-Senator Pepper
will not be 80 until September Of this
year-had the stuff" to beat of both Rep
resentative Wilcox and the equally ex-
perienced Dave Sholtz, former Governor
Of the State. For Pepper has achieved
all his successes the hard way, not only in
politics, but in life
Born Of Farm Family.
Born OF farm family in Dudleyville,
Ala, Claude Pepper is the oldest of four
children. A brother, Joe, is now studying
singing in New York while working in the
traffic division Of the National Broadcast
ing Co.; another brother, Frank, Is a SEN
ior at the University Of Florida. A sister.
Sara, teaches school in Jacksonville.
Like a majority of farm families the
Peppers were not burdened by excessive
riches and Claude doubled as a school
teacher in Dothan and steel worker in
Ensley before being able to supplement his
public school education with a spell at
college. Enrolling at the University of
Alabama, Pepper shared a job firing a
boiler for his lodging and waiting on table
for his meals.
In 1921 he graduated from the univer-
sity with law career beckoning and Har-
ward Law School being the immediate des-
tination. When he completed his law
school work in 1924 he was ranked among
the first half dozen students in his class,
a scholastic ranking achieved despite the
continuing requirement that he finance his
own education entirely. At Harvard he be-
came such an expert in waiting on table
that he served as manager Of one of the
Cambridge cafeterias during his final year
there.
Pepper and Salte
One Of the amusing anecdotes growing
out of his own name is recalled by Senator
Pepper in describing his law school days
at Harvard. During the year OF his man
agement of the cafeteria, group of Eng
lish college students visited America, and,
of course, included Harvard in their itin-
erary. During their stop in Cambridge,
young Pepper fell into conversation with
one of them during lunch hour
As the visitor prepared to leave, the
F1oridan extended his hand
eve certainly enjoyed our conversation
and trust we'll meet again." he said. my
name is Pepper
The English lad drew back and regarded
him suspiciously.
Are you jolying, old top?" he asked
MY name is Salte you know"
For a year after his graduation from
Harvard Law. Pepper taught law at the
University of Arkansas, but in 1925 he
entered upon his chosen profession in the
little lumber town of Perry Fla.
II was during his five years in Perry in
the troublous days OF the prohibition era,
that Pepper handled his most celebrated
law case.
Visiting the home of a suspected moon
sinner, two prohibition agents were killed
by the homesteader, man named Buchan-
an. Subsequently. Buchanan was convict
ed Of one murder and sentenced to life i'm
prisonment, then of the second murder
and sentenced to death by electrocution.
When the day of the scheduled execu-
ton, in 1880, arrived, the county sheriff
was i'll and the prison superintendent pre-
pared to double for him by pulling the
switch. The alert defense counsel, how
ever. recalled the Florida statute which
prescribed that such social amenities must
be performed by the sheriff only. A stay
was granted and the resulting legal delib-
erations have been going on ever since,
coming three times before the Florida
State Supreme Court and once before the
United States Circuit Court of Appeals in
New Orleans Meanwhile, Buchanan,
technically still in the death CELL is work.
ing on the chicken farm at the State
prison.
Shifted to Tallahassee.
Pepper transferred his law practice to
Tallahassee in 1880. His first fling at
politics was recorded in the previous year
when he became member Of the State
Democratic Executive Committee and was
elected to the Florida House Of Repre-
sentatives.
In 1884, he set out to prove the truth
Of boyish scrawl on the ofnce wall Of .
justice Of the peace to the effect that