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The Wheeling Intelligencer
May 2, 1960

Humphrey is Boosted by Gov. Freeman

The Governor of Minnesota in Wheeling yesterday took sharp issue with Gov. Underwood as he concluded his whirlwind stumping tour for presidential candidate and long-time friend, Sen. Hubert Humphrey.

Gov. Orville Freeman, friend of Humphrey since college days at the University of Minnesota, emphasized that neither Humphrey nor Sen. John Kennedy were attempting to capitalize on West Virginia's misfortunes.

He said however, that a judicious program instituted by the federal government as well as the state, could have rel(i)eved much of state's unemployment woes. Freeman is a firm believer - and he indicated Sen. Humphrey shares his views - that spending (pump priming, some people call it) is a cure for much of a state's ills.

The federal government has fallen considerable short of its responsibilities he believes, and left this business of seeing to the individual economy of the states up to the states themselves. He said that those states which did not actively carry on a program of building schools, colleges, hospitals and public parkers were not bearing the burnt of their own bad business.

"It was shocking" he said "that Eisenhower vetoed the distressed areas bill. It is similar to the mutual security bill he sponsored except that we are sublimating the poverty in some sections of our own country to that in foreign lands."

The Governor explained that his, as well as other Minnesota notables, tour through West Virginia in behalf of Humphrey was strictly of their own initiative and expense.

He said that Humphrey, in his opinion, is the most capable man in America today.

Speaking of finances, which he denied was a campaigning issue "just a fact," the governor recalled the days when he and Humphrey attended the Univ. of Minnesota together. Freeman, a quarterback on the Golden Gopher teams of the 1932-1935 era recalled how he worked at mopping a hospital for 20 cents an hours while Humphrey worked in a corner drug store for 25 cents.

Asked about his appearance at the Democrat rally Saturday night in St. Joseph, a small Marshall county community noted for its large percentage of Catholic families, Freeman laughed as he told of meeting a priest wearing an outsized Kennedy button.

Freeman said he, of course, was wearing an equally large Humphrey pin. They went to the priest's home and talked for some time and afterwards "I was still wearing my Humphrey pin and he hadn't laid a hand of his Kennedy's button." Reverting again to his favorite topic of adequate taxes and an economy that uses prudent leadership, he concluded, "If you spend money, you make money. People displaced by automation do not deserve to be casualties."

"That is up to their leaders."


Sen. Kennedy Loses Voice Under Strain

Sen. John F. Kennedy, suffering from a throat infection which be blamed on the stress and stain of the West Virginia tour, continued his "whisper campaign" last night before an enthusiastic Weirton audience.

Relying on his brother, Ted, for most of the speaking chores, the Democratic presidential candidate appeared before over 1,000 members of the Weirtonian Lodge, No. 183, Order of Italian sons and Daughters of America at the Weirton Community Center.

He added fuel to the fire of his feud with Gov. Underwood, belittled reports that Teamster prexy Jimmy Hoffa could sway any West Virginia voters and paid tribute to the beauty and prosperity of Weirton.

Referring to a statement by Weirton Mayor David T. Frew that the per capita income of Weirton was the highest in the state, Kennedy said it sounded much better than the protests your governor has been making this past week.

Asked of the Teamsters an "I wished the national television networks could carry the picture of the assets of this county."

Announcement of their support of Sen. Humphrey, Kennedy said, "I think the people of West Virginia do not want Hoffa determining who is to be their nominee. The Teamsters, through Hoffa, intervened in Wisconsin and the people there rejected that intervention. I don't think the people anywhere want Hoffa determining who will be the president of the United States.

Earlier yesterday in Parkersburg, Ted Kennedy told an outdoor crowd estimates at 4,000, that Humphrey "has not the slightest chance of being elected President of the United States." Ted stressed the importance of this stat's primary to his brother's presidential hopes saying "the people in West Virginia have an opportunity to name the Democratic nominee."

Kennedy returned to the prosperous Ohio Valley manufacturing section of the state after campaigning last week in the unemployment-harassed southern coal mining counties.

Humphrey was in Washington Sunday but was scheduled to arrive in Parkersburg this morning to resume his campaign. Kennedy appeared a noon reception in Ravenswood. [sic] 30 miles down the Ohio from Parkersburg then visited a meeting of federal employees in Parkersburg before the city park rally.


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