2/24/2011:
William ‘Wild Bill’ Langer was once again creating a stir on this date in 1954. Langer, arguably one of North Dakota’s most colorful political figures, made headlines across the nation for his attempts to block the confirmation of Justice Earl Warren to the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Time Magazine declared Langer the “Bilbo of the North,” in reference to the then-infamous master of filibuster, Senator Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi.
Although many critics of Warren had sent letters in protest to the Senate, the majority of congressmen realized that the most were “…obviously from cranks,” and refused to acknowledge the outlandish accusations. Langer, however, declared that the criticisms would not allow him to confirm Warren’s appointment without adequate investigation.
As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Langer had the power and influence to block the Justice’s confirmation; as many fellow Senators pointed out, however, Langer and Warren were actually close friends, and Langer had even supported Warren in his earlier bid for President. The reason for Langer’s behavior appeared to reside in his own state of affairs; the Senator demanded tighter control of all federal patronage in North Dakota. Langer had been close friends with President Truman, who allowed Langer to conduct most of North Dakota’s affairs as he wanted, especially concerning the appointment of federal officials. When President Truman left office, however, the newly-seated President Eisenhower was not nearly as accommodating, nominating four North Dakota postmasters without consulting Langer, as well as denying Langer’s motion to appoint two of his supporters for federal court positions. Langer’s outrage at the Eisenhower administration had been growing recently, and it seemed that blocking Eisenhower’s appointment was the Senator’s best plan for revenge. Many Senators expressed their outrage at the situation, calling Langer’s behavior a “…course of action that smears the Chief Justice of the United States and makes the nation a laughing stock.” Langer, meanwhile, presided over his subcommittee without budging, “cackl[ing] with glee and chomp[ing] his [Cellophane-wrapped] cigars.” When asked about his motives by a Times reporter, Langer replied, "I'm the senior Senator from North Dakota, son. I've got to teach them something. What would you do if you were the senior Senator from North Dakota?"
Despite Langer’s best efforts, Warren was confirmed by the Senate on March 1st, making him the 14th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Dakota Datebook written by Jayme L. Job
Sources:
Time Magazine, “National Affairs: Bilbo of the North.” Monday, March 1, 1954. (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,819477,00.html)
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Wild_Bill.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_G._Bilbo