The Daily Alaska Empire

The Washington Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON

(Copyright, 1948, by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.)

WASHINGTON-
Sulkiest North Carolina delegate at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia was Sen. William B. Umstead, the only U. S. Senator who had been denied renomination by North Carolina.

Umstead was defeated in the recent primaries by North Carolina's great war Governor, Melville Broughton, and his irritation over that defeat was popping out all over him at Philadelphia.

Meanwhile North Carolina delegates told this significant story of Umstead's defeat.

Shortly after his appointment to the Senate, following the death of Sen. Josiah Bailey, Umstead called a meeting of the State Democratic Committee to tender his resignation as chairman.

The meeting was held just after the death of ex-Governor O. Max Gardner on the eve of his departure for London where he was to have served as Ambassador to the Court of St. James.

At the Democratic State Committee meeting various speeches were made by Umstead and Gov. Gregg Cherry, who had been elected Governor through Max Gardner's support-but not one word was said in tribute to the late ambassador. Nor was any resolution offered in his memory.

After the meeting broke up, one member recalled the fact that no tribute had been paid to Max, and was almost floored when one of the Umstead henchman replied: "We planned it that way. Now we control North Carolina."

Another meeting of the Democratic State Committee was held last May, but again no tribute or resolution was offered to the late Max Gardner.

When the North Carolina Democratic Convention was held later, an old friend of Gardner's offered a resolution from the floor, and a beautiful tribute was paid.

Meanwhile, ten lifelong friends of Max Gardner had become indignant over the obvious intention to slight his memory. Eight of them previously had intended to support Senator Umstead for re-election. All of them were located in strategic parts of the State, and all of them also wielded important political influence. So they began a quiet campaign to elect ex-Governor Broughton.

How much they contributed to the 24,000 majority which Broughton got over Umstead will never be known, but it was probably substantial.

At Philadelphia, Mr. Umstead, the man who is about to become an ex-Senator, whispered to his friends that he would be a candidate for Governor of North Carolina four years hence. But the men who loved Max Gardner-and they are many-vow that time will never come.