Evening star., 1941-12-07


Democratic nominee. Franklin D. Roose-
welt. She sent Mr.. Rosenman.
Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Rosenman saw
much of each other during the next few
months, and when Mr.. Roosevelt was
elected Governor he asked young Mr..
Rosenman to become his legal counsel.
Mr. Rosenman hesitated. He wanted to
run for the State Senate. He asked the
advice of one of his chief sponsors, State
Senator Nathan Straus. who is now
United States housing administrator, and
Mr.. Straus told him to hitch his wagon
to Mr. Roosevelt's star.
And this he did. His chief qualifica-
tion besides being an extremely able
lawyer. was his ability to act as a liaison
man between Gov. Roosevelt and Tam
many Hall, whose mutual associations
were strained He could be depended on
to carry messages straight each way.
Turbulent years followed. and the Gov
ernor's legal counsel was in one of the
hottest spots. Mr.. Seaburys investiga-
tionS were going on; Mayor Jimmy Walk
er was hauled before the Governor to
answer charges. Political dynamite mines
were planted all around.
Named to Court Vacancy
Mr.. Rosenman grew closer to the Gov
ernor all the time. He and the Governor
would sit up late with Mrs. Roosevelt on
Thursday nights, when condemned men
were executed at Sing Sing, in order to
be on hand for an instant call in case
Of a clemency appeal. Mr.. Rosenman
and Mrs. Roosevelt used to invelgle the
Governor into card game to try TO take
his mind of the narrowing ticking Of
the clock
The Governor would appear to laugh
and forget the time. He showed no
aWareneSs of the hour when midnight
struck and the executions began. But
promptly at 2:3O m, when they nor
maliy were over, he would invariably lay
down his cards and say, We'll, let's stop"
In March, 1882, Gov. Roosevelt had
the opportunity to give the 36-year old
Sam Rosenman the gift he most desired
when a vacancy occurred on the Su-
preme Court bench. The governor made
this statement when he appointed him
to the unexpired term:
This act Of mine today is one Of the
most unselfish things Of my life, because
[ am cutting off my right arm ." During
the past three years Mr.. Rosenman has
been of very intimate and essential help
to NE personally in the conduct of the
administration. His wide knowledge of
the law is combined with liberal social
viewpoint on all problems of modern
government
Suggests Advisory Council.
The term of the bench expired in
February of the next year and Mr. Ros-
eHman resumed law practice. His first
partner was Susan Brandeis, the daugh-
ter of the late Supreme Court justice.
In July Of 1888 he was reappointed by
Gov. Lehman to fill another unexpired
term. and in the fall Of that year he was
elected for a full term. The nomination
in that election came only after pro-
loneed resistance from Tammanv. which
seemed by then to have cooled toward
Mr.. Roosevelt's protege.
Rosenman and the governor one night
In the spring of 1882 were planning the
campaign for the presidential nomina-
ton, trying to figure out program to get
the country out of the economic de-
preston. and it was then that Mr.. Rosen-
man suggested that Mr.. Roosevelt ought
to have an economic advisory council.
Instead Of relying on the usual poll
tlcians to plan his speeches and CAM
palgn, borrow the best brains of the
universities. Mr.. Roosevelt agreed, and
the brain trust was born.
On Flight to Chicago.
Mr.. RoSenman has been at Mr.. Roose-
velts side during practically all of the
crises and critical periods that followed.
During the Democratic convention, while
the other advisers went to Chicago, Mr..
Rosenman stayed with the candidate
| and was "the man at the other end of
the wire" when any one called from the
convention headquarters. After the long,
breathless wait, word of the nomination
at last came through. and Mr. Rosenman
was at the candidates elbow when he
hurriedly enplaned for Chicago. While
the plane tossed and bucked headWinds,
the two labored over the acceptance
speech, cutting and revising to make it
| tit the party's platform
Rosenman always had turned up in
| washington when there was trouble
brewing or project was to be launched
he went on cruise down the Potomac
with the President in September of 1888.
a critical period for the N. r. A. He
was at the dinner table at the White
House that night in 1886 when the presi-
dental advisers were having pre-
convention gathering-the night that
Moley and the President had the tiff
which ended their friendship.
No Entangling Alliances.
Rosenman-jocularly dubbed Sammy
the Rose by the President at that time
was the only man who was asked to
criticize the style and language of At
torney General Homer Cummings court
reorganization bill. He was on another
! cruise with the President in July, 1910,
| just before the Democratic convention,
when the third term was a burning
| issue.
He is at the White House whenever an
| important speech is being prepared,
| helping the President to select and as
| semble his material from all the mass
OF suggestions and data which are pro-
vided him. Those who are in a po-
sition to know, however, say that neither
| Rosenman nor any one else actually
writes an important Roosevelt address
The President, they insist, writes his
| own speeches.
The smartest thing Sam ever did