Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-05-19
Personal Glimpse
Of Jack Garner
By Old Friend

A rare. intimate glimpse of John
Nance Garner. the man. Is contained In
column entitled Perspective" written
in News Week magazine by Editor Ray.
mond Motley. former assistant secretary
of State under President Roosevelt
ITS true that Mr.. Garner Is pictur-
esque." he says. But he's picturesque
only because his method Of life. which
Is simple and natural. contrasts so weird
ly with the sham living that goes on In
Washington. So far as can see. he's
a man who lives his life as he wants to
live It II he were the manager Of .
ranch or the president Of bank or the
publisher Of a newspaper with no pos
sible political ends to serve by quaint.
ness he would still do Just about as he
does.
He doesn't live simply because he
wants to get votes. He lives that way
because he Is simple man. He refuses
to 60 out to dinners because he wants
to 60 to bed early and get up early. He
smokes cigars because he likes cigars.
He goes hunting because he likes to hunt
The Garner scheme Of things shouts
to the world: Here ammo mystery. no
deception. just man trying to do his
job. Speaking politically. IL that's what
you want. OK. II 1t isn't what you want,
good-by and no hard feelings.
There's nothing cheap or unreal
about al this. No man who's putting on an
act can serve in the Congress Of the
United States for IS years and still keep
the affection and respect of his discern.
ing colleagues.
"Mr. Garner doesn't read an awful
lot. except the newspapers. He learns
lot from talking to people. The gar.
den Of his mind Is carefully pruned
Now that it's become fashionable
again to salute the flag and stand up
when The Star-Spangled Banner Is
played. II can be said with impunity
that no man loves his country with more
unabashed fervor than Mr.. Garner II
he seems to be less concerned about re.
sounding phrases like Americas destiny
in the world than some others are. that's
because he's so passionately anxious to
see America believe in itself He's con.
WINGED OF the durability Of democracy
as way Of life for the American people
He knows that any danger democracy
faces in the United States comes not
from without but from within - when
people grow careless. Indifferent. tired.
Mr.. Garner is no nineteenth-century
free trader. He believes in protection for
American farmers. for American indus.
try. He believes that the concentration
Of financial power witnessed in the last
generation was bad for the country. But.
unlike Borah and Brandeis. he doesn't
look with horror on big business. He
takes the view that probably some bust.
nesses are more efficient when they're
big and some businesses are better for
the public when they're little. and that
it's the governments job to try and find
out which are which. He profoundly be.
lieves that much Of the early New Deal
legislation was sound. but he shrewdly
points to lack Of conference in its later
phases
Hes for organized labor. but made
no secret of his alarm over such excuses
as the Shutdown strikes: to him. the sit
down strikes were nothing more or less
than forcible seizure Of private prop.
erty. He's against the continuous growth
Of spending in the government-not only
because he sees financial chaos at the
end OF such course. but because spend
ing has been accompanied by increasing
executive indiscretion.
mo man HIS exercised more power
in Congress over 'he years than Mr.
Garner. 1t is power that does not rest
on patronage The vitality Of his mind.
the ripeness Of his political judgment.
the warmth Of his affection. his unfailing.
unmitigated honesty have compelled the
admiration Of Republicans as we'll as
Democrats. Of radicals and conserva-
tives. Fasteners and Westerners All
this despite the tradition that the Vice
Presidency is role Of impotence.
Mr.. Garner has made throne out
Of political sarcophagus."