Blind Mans Huff

Magnus ("Magnavox") Johnson, onetime Senator, brought a contest more than a year ago against Thomas David Schall who was elected from Minnesota in his stead. Magnus accused Schall of having collected funds from bootleggers to finance his 1924 campaign. Magnus, in brief, wished to return to the Senate. After unanimous report of a subcommittee, the Senate last week voted--and there was no opposition--vindicating Schall, declaring him entitled to his seat. When the vote had been taken with no opposition, it was agreed not to print the record of committee hearings.

Then Senator Schall rose. He is in his 50th year, the son of David and Mary Ellen Schall and has been practicing law in Minnesota since he was graduated from St. Paul College of Law in 1904. Three years later an accident with an electric cigar lighter made him blind for the remainder of his life, but he persevered in his career. In 1915 he was elected a Congressman. After ten years service in the House, he was sent to the Senate.

The blind veteran declared: "Yesterday I dictated a short statement. If I had my sight, I would read that statement. Not having it, I would like to borrow the eyes of the clerk for a few minutes in order that the statement may go into the RECORD."

The Vice President. "Does the Senator desire to have the clerk read the statement?"

Mr. Schall. "I do."

Then the clerk began to read: "Mr. President, the so-called contest has ended in the only way it could end. It never had any basis, in fact, and was manifestly political from the beginning. It is the first move in a well thought out and extensively organized, highly financed plan of malicious character assassination, calculated in its fulfillment to accomplish my defeat next election. . . . Suffering these outrageous and unfounded accusations in silence, I did not then realize, as I do now, that the best way to get rid of skunks is to allow them to come out into the open where you can get a shot at them. The framers of this persecution expected no positive results except to hold me with it while they attracted public attention and smeared me with their slime. . . .

"Donald Hughes, well known in Minneapolis as a conscienceless shyster, was placed in charge of the case because of his cunning ratlike tendencies and his extensive association with crooks and perjurors, for I leave it to the committee if any real lawyer, knowing the facts, would have touched the case. Mr. Edgerton, a high class, reputable lawyer, was called in of counsel from another city to lend respectability to the crooked, unprincipled, blackmailing pettifogger, Hughes."

Senator Ashurst interrupted, using his learned silver tongue to pour oil upon the waters: "Allow me to appeal to the Senator from Minnesota to withdraw this speech. I know only too well how the feelings surge and how tumultuously the passions rage when a man is falsely attacked, but I will say to my friend from Minnesota that as the years roll on he will regret this speech. "

The virtues of defeat are patience and fortitude, and the vir tues of victory are magnanimity, forbearance, and restraint."

Senator Schall replied: "If there is any Senator on this floor who wants to question any statement, I will prove it. Of course I do not want to be obstreperous, but in the hearings is testimony of their own witnesses that the gang back of this persecution constantly referred to me as a damned blind bastard. ... I demand justice here and the right to be heard for four minutes after my enemies took weeks to besmirch my character. ... It is hard enough to fight without sight. The spleen and heartlessness of their constantly referring to me in this way shows it is hate, not cause or facts, that has prompted these complaints to be entered against me, not because I am blind but be cause my conscience sees. It is not the eyes that make men. They do not count for so very much if we keep the soul clean. . . . Since I was a little boy of nine I have earned my own living. Through my own efforts I put myself through com mon school and high school and the University of Minnesota. I am self-made. It may be a poor job, but it is my own. All that I have and all that I am is compassed in my character and square dealing; and if I allow this slander to go unexplained, I would not be doing justice to myself or the people of my State."

The clerk went on reading. Part of the remainder of the statement said: "So far as Magnus is concerned, he never knew what it was all about. He was only the marionette who kicked and waved his hands and opened his mouth according to the tension of the string."

When Mr. Schall had finished, the Senate decided that on account of his remarks, it was best to order the record of the contest before the committee to be printed.