Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-09
Fiery Senator Lunger
Dies in Sleep at 73

Wllllhu GdIlBeT VI NUIIIl La
kota, the last 10 years of it in
the Senate, was at an end today
with his death at the age Of 70.
Senator LANCER died in his
sleep of heart failure yester-
day in his apartment at 2l0l
Connecticut avenue NV. The
body was found by a daughter,
Mrs. FRANKLIN Gokey of Fargo,
N. OAK, who had been staying
with him in recent weeks.
Senator Langer's body will be
taken to the Capitol tomorrow
to lie in the Senate chamber
from 10 am. to 4 pm. The
late Senator Joseph R. Nc
Carthy Of Wisconsin was the
last member whose body was
brought to the chamber.
The man who won the titles
of wild Bill" and maverick"
died a few hours after another
champion of the North Dakota
farmer, Arthur C. Townley, was
killed in an automobile acci-
dent near Minot, N. Oak. Mr..
Townley, 70, founded the States
Non-Partisan League but later
yielded the leadership of the
Republican splinter group to
Senator LANCER.
Senator Langer's personal
magnetism in his home State
was displayed last year when
he won election to a fourth
term in the Senate despite the
alienation Of his own party Or
ganization.
The Senator had been in il:
health in recent years. His lat
est illness came soon after his
wife Lydia. SO. died of cancer
last August 4. Because of her
illness, he refused to make any
campaign speeches last fall.
Senator hangers family re-
quested, instead of flowers,
gifts to the Crippled Children's
Home in jamestown, N. OAK,
or to st. Leo's Catholic Chari-
ties at Casselton, N. Oak.
Survivors in addition to Mrs.
Gokey, include three other
daughters, Mrs. j. Peter Schaef-
fer of Rye, N. Y; Mrs. D. King
Irwin of New Vernon, N. j.,
and Mrs. Kenneth holland of
Washington, and four sisters,
Mrs. Henry Woell of CaSSelton,
N. OAK; Mrs. Hattie McGurren
of Washington, Mrs. Morgan
Ford of Casselton and Mrs.
Joseph Beckerjeck of Seattle.
Ousted as Governor
For more than 40 years, Sen
ator LANCER was either foment-
ing or becoming involved in
controversies which, in their
darkest hues, included a Fed
eral Court conviction, custer as
North Dakota Governor and an
attempt to deprive him of his
Senate seat.
~ His Senate record was that of
a lone ranger, who almost GER
tainly went counter to the Re-
publicans on most domestic is
sues but was just as trenchantly
opposed to the Democratic ma
jority on matters Of foreign
policy.
Senator Langer's vote-getting
ability kept him in Office long
enough for the Craftsmanship
of the powerful Judiciary Com
mittee when President EiSen-
hover took Office in 1853 and
the G. o. P. controlled Con-
gresS.
This year Senator LANCER was
one of two Republicans to vote
against the confirmation OF
Lewis L. Strauss as Secretary
of Commerce. He and Senator
Morse, Democrat of Oregon,
were the only Senators voting
against passage of the COM
promise version of the labor
reform bill.
Opposed Aid Abroad
If Senator LANCER fought
stoutly for the farmer and
working man in this country,
he was just as opposed to
foreign intervention and aid
abroad.
He often said the vote he
priced most was one of the
: two cast in the Senate in July,
1915, against approval of the
United Nations Charter. Later,
he was one of seven who voted
against full participation Of
this country in the U. N.
Just before World War II
he opposed lend-lease. transfer
of so deStroyers to Great Brit
ain and extension of selective
service. After the war he was
against the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, the Mar
shall plan and foreign aid.
Virtually Wrote His Ticket
Heading the Non-Partisan
League, a splinter of the Re-
publican Party, Senator LANCER
just about wrote his own ticket
He showed his complete dis
regard for tradition in 1852
When President Eisenhower
visited North Dakota in 1852
Senator LANCER found he had a
speaking date in another par:
Of the State.
But when President Truman
went through stumping fol
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