Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-03-11


Jay Franklin. Thus I have
no quarrel with Senator Clark Of
Missouri, who stated under con-
gressional immunity that I sign my
self Jay Franklin" instead of using
my full signature of u. Franklin
Carter" because 7 do not wish to
dishonor a fine old American name.
Since Missouri also produced a
writer who asSuredly did not select
the signature of Mark Twain" 10
avoid bringing dishonor on the nsme
of Samuel Clemens, I assume that
Senator Clark merely wished to eX-
press his disagreement with my at
titude toward the aid-to-England
bill and that this particular sena-
torial smear was put out without
personal malice on the part of the
Senator.
Yet I feel impelled to rise to a
point of high personal privilege and
object to Senator Wheeler of Mon
tana's reference to my columns in
the course of the debate on amend
ments to the lease-lend plan. I DO
so particularly because he oiled his
stiletto with some complimentary
remarks about my being "one of the
great columniStS of this country;
man who always has advance and
inside information as to what is GO
ing on in the inner circle"
Denies Wheeler Charge.
For Mr.. Wheeler followed this
praise with the statement that
was sent out during the campaign
by New Dealers to my State Mon
tana) to tell the people there whom
they should elect to the various
offices two years ago. He came out
there and campaigned, and, as a
matter of fact, made speeches for a
member Of the other House, who was
defeated"
This statement is exactly 100 per
cent false. l was not sent TO Mon
tana by New Dealers to tell the peo-
pie whom they should elect in 1893.
/ made no speeches for any member
OF either houses Of Congress in Mon
tana or anywhere else. Instead. 7
was sent out by the National Broad
casting Co. to make series of radio
/ talks on The State Of the Nation"
| in 1888 and I spent a total of four
days motoring through Montana to
the Pacific Coast. One of these talks
was delivered over the Wheeler radio
station in Butte, under the super
vision of a Wheeler man-Mr. Ed,
Craney. This was my only public
utterance in Montana. The text Of
this radio script is on file at N. B. c.,
at the Wheeler radio station at
Butte. and in my office. I defy
Senator Wheeler or any one else to
show that this talk correspondent in
the slightest degree with the Sena-
tors charge that "campaigned and
made speeches for" a member of the
House Of Representatives.
Quotes Part of Speech.
In 1888, Mr.. Wheeler was not
running for reelection. Here is the
only reference I made to Montana
politics in the course Of 15-minute
broadcast on general social and eco
nomic conditions in that State:
g. the State seems solid for Roose-
welt and for the New Deal. Mon
tana Liberals tell me that Senator
Burton K. Wheeler, the anti-Roose-
welt leader in the whole region-they
say that Mr.. Wheeler is slipping,
that all his speeches are on the de-
fensive, and that he may not run
for reelection in 1910 Knowing
Senators, find this latter statement
very hard to believe. But liberal
Montanans say that Mr.. Wheeler
can be beaten. if they can find the
right man. My tip to you is to
watch a man named Left Ericsson in
Montana politics from now on. He
is the White Hope of the New Deal
liberals in the State which has sent
Mr.. Wheeler to Washington for Is
long years Montana is capable
of creating real political leaders Of
sanity, restraint, and wisdom. The
late Senator Walsh was such a man,
and it is my personal belief that
Senator Murray of Montana is cast
in similar mould"
All Of this brings up very curious
point: Either Mr.. Wheeler is so
ignorant of the details of politics in
the state of which he is the all
powerful political boss that he ut
tiers these misstatements in blunder-
ing good faith-which seems I'M
likely-or his political ghostwriters
are deliberately misleading him
which also seems unlikely-or he is
Intentionally inventing facts" (His
words were "aS a matter of fact'O
to serve some obscure purpose of his
own.
In conclusion, I should like to
state that I see nothing wrong,
under democracy, in any citizen
supporting or opposing any candi-
date for any public Office anywhere
in the United States. For that
reason, I am still eager to know
why Senators make statements in
the course of these great debates"
which are serving to discredit repre-
sentative government and to sup
port Hitler's theory that democracy
Is in decay.
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