OCR Text |
Show Merry-Co-Round By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT 8. ALLEN BUTTE, Mont. An old, old human drama it being reenacted in this state. It, is the ancient struggle of David and Goliath. Go-liath. It is being waged againat a majestic panorama pano-rama of mighty mountain ranges and vast plain-land, plain-land, far from the center of public interest. But the conflict is the moat poignant in national politic poli-tic today. In the role of Goliath is Senator Burton K. Wheeler, generalissimo of the fight against the president's court bill. In the role of David is a 27 -year-old congressman, Jerry O'Connell. Up to a few months ago the suggestion that they would aoon be engaged in mortal combat would have seemed fantastic to both. Wheeler was the famed left-wing crusader, the nemesia of the "Ohio Gang," the running-mate of the elder Senator La Follette,' a potent chieftain in the councils of the Democratic party. O'Connell was an unknown freshman in congress. Then, out of the blue, Roosevelt sprang his supreme court reform plan. Wheeler, whom he had counted on a a certain supporter, recoiled first in indignation, then in fury. And as the fight intensified, this rift became increasingly bitter and personal, until finally Wheeler openly allied himself with the conservative elements he had battled for two decades, and led them to a tinging defeat of the new deal standard-bearer. Changed Wheeler A favorite expression of "Old Bob" La Follette Fol-lette was: "A liberal can't go wrong on one fundamental fun-damental issue and keep his hands clean." Wheeler's hostility to the court bill seemed to effect a profound change in his entire view-' view-' point. Once an aggressive friend of labor, he now sat silent during the grilling senate attacka on the national labor relation's board. During the close fight over the wage-hour bill he announced an-nounced that unleaa it child-labor provision were revised to suit him he would vote againat it. And when the low-coat housing measure was under consideration, he voted for the Byrd amendment drastically curtailing it effectiveness. effective-ness. In Montana evidence of Wheeler' change of position was even more dramatic. Anaconda Copper For two decades he had fought the Anaconda Copper company, the dominant business interest in the state. And it had fought him. On both tide the enmity was fierce and vengeful. But last spring a strange thing occurred. In the newspapers Anaconda own. Wheeler began to be acclaimed a great atatesman. His anti-ed-mimatration speeches were printed at length, hi picture frequently displayed, and when he returned re-turned in June to make a commencement day speech whole editions ef the paper were devoted de-voted to him. Previously, the company papers would not even report announcements of his meetings. Like most of the other liberal leaden in Montana, Mon-tana, O'Connell at first did not take teriously Wheeler't break with the White House. But when the Anaconda publications started hailing him at a hero, O'Connell law red. Personal Enmity O'Connell' enmity of "The Company" la fierce and personal. Hi father wa an Anaconda Ana-conda miner killed in a strike when Jerry was a boy. Anything the company stand for, or anyone it approve, i anathema to him. From the moment the company paper began puffing Wheeler O'Connell declared war on him. He also declared war on Wheeler'a right-hand right-hand lieutenant. Governor Roy Ayre. Between Ayre and O'Connell there ha long been bad blood. Ayre as a state Judge had ousted a pro-labor pro-labor sheriff and broken the strike in which O'Connell father waa slain. Young O'Connell ha alway held Ayre partially responsible for hi father' death. With Wheeler off the reservation. O'Connell lost no time in opening fire on both him and Ayre. At first. Wheeler paid no attention to the attack. But when a big political rally during dur-ing his June visit proved a dud. and he heard that O'Connell waa planning a statewide (peaking (peak-ing tour after congress adjourned, the entor at up and took notice. David was making menacing gestures with hit sling and Goliath wa taking no chances. (Copyright, 1937. for Tha Telegram) ... |