Profiles in Courage Woodrow Wilson Part 2

and how goes the battle in the subcommittee hey I just heard something that disturbs me mr. president no thank you it's a rumor at the moment and it may not come up but for your own sake as well as mr. Brandeis I urge you to be as candid with me as possible and take it easy George in a fail well I don't like being a lawyer to clients who may not have given me all the facts well this spying will what is it this is a very difficult question to ask mr. president but have you ever known a woman named mrs. Peck oh yes of course I have she was a friend of the first mrs. Wilson did you ever give her any money I didn't give her money in the sense that I made her a gift of it she had some properties in New Yorkers mortgages I bought her she needed the money because her son was gravely ill where's mr. Brandeis the lawyer who acted for you on that matter mr. Brandeis no cause he wasn't what is this Anderson well rumors I have heard it mr. president and you must forgive me for repeating it is that you and mrs. Peck had an illicit Leah song that you wrote her some letters that she threatened you with a breach of promise suit if you did not agree to marry her that the price calling off this threaten suit was the amount seventy-five thousand dollars do that mr. Brandeis was the person who acted for you not matter and that this is the reason you have nominated him to be a justice on the Supreme Court bench mr. president there is enough truth in this rumor concerning you and mrs. Peck to make it seem credible credible to him mr. president if you did give not getting blown and certainly not in consideration of dissuading her from threatening me with a breach of promise suit the whole rumors disgusting and basis but there was a financial arrangement between universes picture and mr. Brandeis was not the attorney no of course he was not and mr. Anderson the amount of money involved with 7500 dollars not 75 thousand dollars and the money was given in exchange for two parcels of real estate in the Bronx and not for any bundle of love letters mr. president I didn't know this had happened but why should you have was a purely personal matter mrs. Peck needed money she had the security for it I loaned it to her and held the security mr. president this story can be most damaging a lie like that it is well known that the truth never catches up with a lie mr. pres I urge you most earnestly under these extraordinary conditions to let me ask mr. Brandeis to withdraw his name I wouldn't dream of it I'm surprised you'd even suggest it directly and now let's talk about the real problem which is how are we going to get the votes of these three Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee that's my idea that the best man to get to Leo vermin would be Josephus Daniels Daniels no Senate Overman very well and he's a persuasive man and super Gregory yes sir Joe Daniels would be fine I did not see danger do you know what the beginning to call the president takes bad boy george i want you to go to Boston and see Brandeis I'll tell him what the roommate is and what the risk is to the president and get him to withdraw his own name that's the story mr. Brandeis as it is being spread all over Washington does the president know the story mr. Henderson yes he does I told him myself and what did he say it was to use his exact words arrant nonsense then sir I will merely added his malicious nonsense I didn't come to you because I believed it mr. Pratt vice president doesn't realize how dangerous malice can be the Attorney General and I agree that it could be fatal to the President and to his campaign for re-election in November we don't feel that it will impair your own chances for the seat on the court but the president's chances in November could be hurt this is still a Puritan country mr. Brandeis you don't have to remind me of that mr. Anderson not in Massachusetts all right then we will be faced with the prospect of a lot of desperate men who are convinced they can find enough Puritans who will believe a maliciously dirty tale about the President of the United States and on the basis of this danger what is it you wish me to do shall I come out publicly and deny this story went home mr. Brandeis please don't do that we don't want to give this story anymore currency than it has then what do you propose I should do about it mr. Gregory and I felt that you might withdraw your name mr. Anderson if I thought that by withdrawing my name I could spare the president any embarrassment in connection with this falsehood about mrs. Peck I would do so instantly but the withdrawal of my name will not stop the spread of this poison will it well perhaps not but and in fact by withdrawing my name it might add to an otherwise unconvincing tale don't you think I have not considered that prospector then I suggest you do mr. Anderson Woodrow Wilson is a fighter and so am i and before you ask two fighters to surrender you'd better come up with a more frightening danger than this if the president asked me to withdraw I will do so at once but until you bring me his message that he is disposed in that direction or until you bring me some evidence that I am obliged to accept as a deterrent I am in this fight to the end in May twentieth nineteen sixteen President Wilson was aboard a train for Charlotte North Carolina on the same train was Wilson's friend Josephus Daniels sign to talk to Leo vermin crucial member of the Senate committee voting on the Brandeis appointment will you do me a favor Lee I will if I can I hope you know that well this train is gonna make a stop in Salisbury tomorrow morning I want you to see Wilson asked him to come out there on the platform and make a brief speech to the people of South will go on in his compartment and ask him yourself Lee after all you are a united states senator and this is your state where traveled through I did ask him Joe it seems he's saving his voice for that big meeting in charlotte tomorrow evening oh well I guess the president knows what's best room self Joe Salisbury is my hometown I can't get Wilson to make a speech in my own hometown how's that gonna look for me they may get the notion you don't rate very high with the president so you know that's not so of course not Lee why Wilson said himself I have no better friend in the United States Senate then my good friend from North Carolina leo then he will speak joke well I'll ask him but when you ask favors are the president you got to be prepared to give favors what favor could i possibly get him well Lee I think you you put your mind on it very high you might come up with an answer is the president really interested in mr. Brandeis I knew you'd think of just what would please the president I told senator Overman that I was loaded with only one cartridge this morning which was to be exploded at Charlotte but I am very glad indeed to give you my cordial greetings and to say how happy I am to find myself in celle des allemands hometown reason to be proud of your senator and I am very glad indeed to give him the tribute of my praises and if he will allow me to add it of my friendship Thank You mr. president one down and three to go shortly after Wilson's return Charlotte like a crucial mem committee senator james O'Gorman in a surprise call to the White House walk staying saturday Lara I've got to see the president's the matter of life and death EMS both had the theaters had it written on their execute in American citizen can you imagine the call of the British I tell you TT if we can't get the prison staff tonight they'll murder him I don't think it helped me out with a few details for a senator an American system fully naturalized mind you clot innocently caught in the uprising in Dublin is going to be executed by the British tonight at midnight I tell you Joe that every irish american society is up in arms and I don't blame them you and I and everyone knows the long history of the Irish struggle for independence everyone knows the long and bloody right to the British rule in Ireland everyone knows better than I my name is Timothy is he mayor forgot in the heat of the moment yes yes of course you're a good Irishman Joe they tell you the president has got to intervene it's a matter of common humanity a matter of Defense of American rights the rights of Liberty well I'm sure the president will act the moment I tell him what's at stake a human life is at stake so is your political life in New York senator isn't it yes man who saves the life of a an irish-american snatches the mouth from the mother the British executioner's axe well he did he'd be quite a hero among his constituents with me tamaki you've got something in your mind yeah I never i was thinking of you senator Lee the man who saves the life of what is then Lynch Jeremiah see Lynch man who saved the life of Jeremiah seal in shoulder US Senator obtained stay of execution for for Irish American patriot British Court foiled over the net Allah grant in the papers look at now wouldn't you like to delight and please the president senator what what I mean if you if you can leave you consider that he's going to do you and Jeremiah's he lends such a great favor I mean saving mr. Lynch's life and putting a little life into your political career what do you want double date I'd want anything about anything but I know the the president wants to see Louis Brandeis on a Supreme Court I understand why do I have to sit sit right here and I'm off to see the president right now do you you you did want me to go right to him senator Obama did you all right go ahead and comity you might hurry the man's another Irishman you know one man tell the deciding vote in the Senate committee senator she'll of tennessee senator shield is here mr. president Oh ask if you come in please it's good of you to come to see me tonight senator I appreciate it you tell me that you're at a dinner party yes mr. president but it's always a pleasure to be called the White House sit down please senator are intending to ask you to the White House for some time now but within great pressure done I expect great pressures you know this war in Europe is very serious tell me senator what is the sentiment in Tennessee about this war in Europe well sir the sentiment in Tennessee is to keep hands off oh I see Thank You senator for coming over I hope possibly next time you may be able to bring mrs. shields video I would like that we'd like that well senator shields went out of here with a cigar in his face and then grin from here to here did you offer a meat and potatoes great platters full didn't exactly gobble them down but refused an either what is the committee voting on his recommendation of the senator Kerry McCauley said they may get to it may 23rd or 24th make sure the 24 the four mugs the John shields doesn't vote for his appointment whole thing can go down the drain it's an odd country we have a red-eye drinking politician from Tennessee can keep a man like Louis Brandeis off the Supreme Court there's no guarantee that Henry Cabot Lodge won't invoke senatorial courtesy when it comes up to the Senate I'll bet you ten dollars he will I folk lodge does I'll run him out of the Senate and so far back into that day you'll never be heard of again on the hands two men now Jonathan all we can do is wait we shall now vote on the recommendation of this committee to the United States Senate on the appointment of Louie gambits Brandeis the United States Supreme Court to occupy the seat vacated by the late joseph rickard lamar you'll indicate by a votive I that you recommend that a point and conversely nay that you disapprove the great will now call the roll editor William de Borah nay Senator Charles de cobre I senator frank p Brenda ji nae and awaited his children senator Clarence Clark and a giant bee work mang anna james day O'Gorman there is a dunkin you pleasure I senator George Sutherland the david i woke I an early as Overman I that I wouldn't be doing him senator Albert be coming senator Cummins has deposited a proxy with the chairman and his Hoda's name and in a game hey tree hi I man Henry half-measures I no no no no nay nope we can Cahill hi Senate Judiciary Committee has voted the recommendation of mr. Louie Timbits Brandeis the United States Senate by a majority voted ten to eight and no one appears to have crossed party lines well I suppose unity is a virtue of sorts gentlemen the recommendation of this committee shall be made to the whole body of the Senate been a long and arduous task and I thank you separately and collectively for your efforts this committee is adjourned when June first the Senate voted on the committee's recommendation can confirm the nomination by a vote of 47 222 and I did that ten dollars senator lodge would invoke senatorial courtesy you did oh thank you I wonder why he didn't just buy those New England mysteries like clam chowder on monday june fifth nineteen sixteen Louie Timbits Brandeis appeared for the first time on the bench of the United States Supreme Court as an Associate Justice the record of his service in that court is public and distinguished bearing out every hope that his friends and supporters expressed throughout the long fight to confirm his appointment the hero of Justice Brandeis elevation to that bench was the 28th president of the United States Woodrow Wilson who had risked his career his administration and his re-election first to summon forward a great jurist and in to support him when every force friendly and hostile was bent on making Wilson retreat Woodrow Wilson's refusal to retreat was an act for which every American every person who loves justice may be proud these stories of past courage teach they can offer hope and they can provide inspiration but they cannot supply courage itself for this each man must look into his own soul