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State Capitol News ReportB GEORGE DOUTHIT Slat** en*. BureauLITTLE ROCK - When Sen. John. L McClellan an nounced at a press conference here on Nov. 21 that hewas retiring at the end of this term on Jan. 3. 1979. hewas looking ahead to at least one more full year in the U.S. Senate You can imagine the shock to the state at his sudden death last Monday.When he retired it had been anticipated that the once powerful Arkansas delegation in the U.S. Congress would be shot to pieces. That day came sooner than expected. There are intelligent, sophisticated people in the seats now but they don’t have the expe rience and expertise and power wielded back in the days of Senators John McClellan and J William Ful-bright and such congressmen as Wilbur Mills. Oren Harris and E C. Took” Gathings. These men knew where the power lay and how to use itMcClellan’s death came one week to the day after his press conference announcing his retirement from the Senate. He was taking himself out of the 1978 race so that thos people aspiring to the seat could ‘‘go at it.”He said that he did not plan to participate in the selection of his successor, but he reserved the right as a citizen to do so if he felt like it It was little likelihood that McClellan would have taken a hand Knowing the veteran senator, his friends said he would very defi nitely have ‘‘gone fishing” on that day-or days-if there is a runoffMcClellan, answering a newsman’s question, said health wasn't the reason he was retiring He quoted a verse that said there comes a time to aspire, a time to achieve and a time to retire At the age of 81’ he de cided it was time to quit But all his friends knew that his health had deteriorated-not to the extent of impending death, but that he should not try another cam paign Recently a pacemaker was implanted to give his heart a steady beatMcClellan went to the Senate in 1948 He had two tough races to hold his seat Former Gov Sid McMath took him on in 1954 in a tough race and Gov David Pryor, then a Congressman, challenged him in 1972In 1954 Arkansas saw a hot summer of politics. McMath was contesting McClellan and an unknown newcomer. Orval Faubus. was taking on Gov Francis Cherry for a second termMcClellan removed McMath from contention in the first primary but Faubus and Cherry went into the run-off The result is well known history Faubus won and as a result of the school desegregation crisis stayed on for six terms.To know McClellan was to know a man of toughness and a fierce fighter 1 had many dealings with him not all of them pleasant he never forgot or forgave anyone who crossed him McMath and I were both in that boat.McClellan was embroiled in a controversy in Wash' ington and had come home for the weekend My editor sent me to talk with him and he decided to explain his side of the controversy. Later he said he told me it was off the record, but after 1 wrote it he called me up on the phone and chewed for 30 minutes minutes for writing itHe never forgave McMath or Pryor for opposing him And to mention either man’s name in his pres ence was to draw an instant rebuke and change of subjectMcMath said of McClellan “he served a long and distinguished rereerv*ifttoMath « private citizen free of politics, but Pryor may run tor McClellan’s seat Pryor issued a very careful statement, saying “it is unlikely that we will see a man of his stature again.”All of the top political people came forth with the customary statements, but a man much lower than any of them said “All John McClellan wanted to be was a great senator, and he certainly was that ” I will agree
Newspaper Details
Benton Courier
Benton, Arkansas, US
Thu, Dec 01, 1977
Page 2
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Star A.
AL, USA 22 Jan 2025
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