Later, congress and the 1965 heart seller immigration and nationality act. Next on American History tv, Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell gives a lecture on the rivalry between two kentucky politicians who served as governors and the senate. Senator mcconnell argues that the competition between Happy Chandler and Earle Clements led to the election of Thruston Morton. Well, thank you very much, robert. Its a real pleasure to be here today at transylvania. Want to thank president kerry and transylvania for hosting me here today. Happy to be veterans day here as well. I also want to acknowledge my good friend ben chandler. He and his family of course are descendants of one of the people im going to be talking about today. Kentucky has been extremely well served with ben as the executive director of the Kentucky Humanities Council and i want to thank him for sharing some of the anecdotes im going to use today. Finally, i want to thank chris mosher, all of whom have contributed in one way or another not only to the remarks today, but speeches ive been giving to prominent kentucky senators over the past few years. Two of these three men helped define kentucky politics for much of the 20th century. Both served as governor and as senator. Both were intensely ambitious men. Both rose from modest origins. Both were democrats born in western kentucky. Both were accomplished athletes in their youth and fine coaches thereafter. Both had a gift for remembering names and faces. And in true kentucky style, these two men carried on a feud that literally lasted f eed for decades. Those two men are Albert BenjaminHappy Chandler and Earle Clements. Despite their similarities, the two men in other ways could not have been more different. Happy was colorful and extrov t extroverted. Literally larger than life. He was elected in large part due to his charisma and absolute zest for campaigning. Clements was the opposite. Reserved, methodical, leaving nothing to chance. Happy was a great speaker. Clements was not. By and large, chandler was conservative and clements was liberal. The third man im going to talk about was a direct beneficiary of the chandlerclements feud, republican Thruston Morton. The chandlerclements divide was significant because for most of the 20th century kentucky has twice as many registered democrats as republicans. I might say parenthetically happily thats changing. What that meant of course is it was exceedingly hard for republicans to win elections. This occurred in the 1956 kentucky u. S. Senate race when the chandler and clements factions were literally at each others throats. This resulted in morton being elected to the senate in 1956, launching his notable Senate Career. But lets begin our story with the man known far and wide as happy. He was born into poverty in 1898 in henderson county. Chandlers mother left his family when he was a young boy. One of his earliest memories was following her, sobbing as she walked to the carriage that would take her away from the family for the rest of his childhood. Her departure meant chandlers father, a Hard Scrabble farmer, had to raise happy and his brother literally by himself. The boys soon had to go to work to help make ends meet. Chandler worked diligently on the farm and in school. His hard work paid off academically when he was admitted to a wellregarded college of you may be familiar with, transylvania. As chandler looked back, he said legend has it, i arrived in transylvania with no resources other than a red sweater, a 5 bill, and a smile. His fame nickname originated right here. The senior dubbed him happy. The nickname stuck. As chandler recognized, it could have been a lot worse. At least the senior didnt call him stinky. [ laughter ] chandler was a natural athlete. At one point playing semipro baseball. His lifelong interest and involvement in sports flowed naturally from that early activity. After having graduated from transylvania and completed law school, he went to coach football at the local high school. His move allowed him to meet his future wife, mildred watkins. Mildred was southern to the core. As happy recalled, she still thought the word damn yankee was one word. [ laughter ] after they wed in 1925, happy nicknamed her mama. Happy and mama would be married for more than 65 years. He quipped that the durability of their relationship was a great tribute to my patience. He once recalled telling a friend of a twoweek period in which he had not spoken a word to mildred. His friend, concerned by this news, asked what the trouble was. Happy responded, there was no trouble. He just hadnt wanted to interrupt her. [ laughter ] with his winning personality, happy soon entered politics. In no time he became a state senator and then in 1931 he was elected Lieutenant Governor where he served along side a fellow democrat governor. The two differed on a number of issues, however, including implementation of a sales tax, which chandler believed harmed the poor. They also differed on the need for primaries as opposed to conventions, of course, which would typically be controlled by the party bosses. Not surprisingly chandler favored primaries. What happened next displays one of chandlers signature traits, audaci audacity. Audacity. Under kentucky constitution at the time, if the governor left the state, the Lieutenant Governor became acting governor. In 1935 governor lathune made a big mistake. He departed kentucky to go to washington, leaving happy temporarily in charge. Happy seized the moment, called a special session of the legislature, and subsequently enacted a measure allowing candidates to be elected through primaries. This of course enraged lathune and while the governor was later able to block some of the impact of happys legislation, he could do nothing to dim the political stardom that happy had gained from this bold maneuver. Riding a wave of popular acclaim, happy ran for governor in 1935. Lathune limited to one term hand picked a candidate he hoped would defeat chandler in the democratic primary. That candidate was tom ray. And rays Campaign Manager was a young man named Earle Clements. This pitting of chandler versus clements in the 1935 case started a political feud that would have a profound impact on kentucky politics for more than a quarter of a century. It did so by crystallizing factionalism within the state democratic party. The end result of the 1935 governors race was that the 37yearold chandler was elected to the states highest office. Historians generally agree that chandlers first term as governor was among the most significant in state history. During the great depression, chandler helped get the state back on Firm Financial footing. He enhanced schools. He constructed hospitals and roads. He reorganized State Government and of course he repeated the hated sales tax. The problem for happy was that kentucky governors at this time could not run for reelection. Happy was young. He was ambitious. So he had to look beyond the Governors Mansion if he wanted to continue his public career. As a result in 1938, chandler showed his audacity once again. This time he challenged an incumbent democrat in the u. S. Senate primary. Now this was not just any ole garden variety incumbent mind you. It was the majority leader of the senate, alvin barkley. It proved to be shall i say a spirited contest. Its not in my text, but i remember the photograph thats been in kentucky history books for sometime. President roosevelt came down to make a speech for barkley, and happy jumped in the car with him. Literally jumped in the car with him, so the picture was taken. It had them all in there. You couldnt tell who roosevelt was for. [ laughter ] to give you a sense of how toxic shall i say the environment was, chandler at one point charged at barkleys allies had poisoned him. Chandler was a sight to behold. As one historian observed, chandler had few peers and no superiors. He had a prodigious memory and would call out spontaneously to friends in the crowd asking them for help or that of a relative. He would sing at a moments notice, particularly my old kentucky home. And he was a superb orator. Chandler used to say about his campaign speeches, i had a strong feeling that nobody is saved at 20 minutes. I made short speeches and i never told a dirty joke. In the end with the help of president roosevelt and the rival state democratic faction, which included Earle Clements, barkley defeated chandler in the primary. The other kentucky seat unexpectedly opened up. Chandler maneuvered himself to get appointed. He won a full term in 1942 to the u. S. Senate. His tenure in the senate was eventful for several reasons. He, for example, was an outspoken critic of americas Strategic Priorities in world war ii. In the aftermath of pearl harbor, he publicly expressed his belief that the u. S. Should pursue a japan first policy as opposed to focusing on the european theater of the war. As you recall, churchill was intent on the u. S. Fighting in europe first. In 1943 as a member of the military Affairs Committee chandler and several lawmakers went off on a 63day inspection of American Forces overseas. During the delegations voyage, chandler met Winston Churchill and he was able to smuggle his friend, comedian bob hope, in to meet the Prime Minister. But at the end of the day chandlers career on capitol hill demonstrates that the senate is not everyones cup of tea. It is a collegial, not an executive body. Chandler didnt like the senate because he wasnt the boss. And he probably doubly didnt like the senate because barkley was the majority leader. Given his dissatisfaction in the senate, when the offer came to become baseball commissioner in 1945, chandler jumped at the chance. He not only loved baseball, but being commission brought with it a pretty nice pay raise. He is probably best known for his role in the integration of major league baseball. He could have done as his predecessor had, which was to firmly oppose integration, but chandler did no such thing. He prevented ricky to go forward with bringing Jackie Robinson to the major leagues. He also expressed public support for robinson in the press and made clear to opposing teams that race baiting of robinson would not be tolerated. I would note that another famed kentuckian also helped robinson through this trying time. My childhood hero Pee Wee Reese of louisville. Over time, however, chandlers independence cost him support among the baseball owners. He was not reappointed and left after six years in office. After leaving the commissioners office, happy again felt the tug of politics. He decided to run for governor 20 years after his first governors race. In the primary he was challenged by a little known judge from Eastern Kentucky named burt combs, who had the exclusive backing of the democratic faction led by a named you guessed it, Earle Clements. It was a bitterly fought race, but chandler prevailed behind the slogan be like your pappy and vote for happy. Those were the good ole days. While chandlers second term as governor is not as well regarded as his first, it is notable that today bears his name. He was a supporter of racial integration. In 1956 he called out the National Guard during the tense 18day standoff to help integrate schools in western kentucky. Chandler would offer himself up three more times for the Governors Mansion but without success. Despite these setbacks in later life it was undeniable that chandler had become a living symbol of the commonwealth. In 1986 state journalists elected chandler of the kentuckian of the century, and chandler regularly appeared at senior night at uk basketball games to sing my ole kentucky home before the tipoff. He became only one of a handful of kentuckians to be elected to the Baseball Hall of fame. He lived until he was just short of 93 years old, passing away in 1991. Fittingly his last word was mama. Mama herself passed away four years later. Earle clements was born two years before chandler in 1896 down in morganfield in western kentucky. He was one of six children. His father was a farmer, a lawyer, and a local political leader. Clements attended uk where he was a football standout. He would later become a accomplished High School Coach as well. Attending seminars held by none other than rockney. He served in the u. S. Army in world war i. While he never served overseas, he rose to the rank of captain. Personality wise, clements was inscrutab inscrutable. He had a temper. He was not a great public speaker. One journalist describes his speeches as masterpieces of mediocrity. But he was an extremely hard worker and he was a tremendous political organizer and strategist. One longtime observer of the kentucky political scene said of clements, he may well have been the greatest political intellect of the 20th century in kentucky. Those who watch clements commented frequently his ability not only to see the result of each action, but the results of that results. Clements approach was subtle. He himself once remarked that he always preferred the quiet style of doing things. One gop rival said of clements, i think he solved the riddle of politics. Most of us stand in front of the curtain so we can take the bows. Earle stands in back of the curtain so he never gets the blame. Unlike chandlers meteoric rise in kentucky politics, clements assent was steady and gradual. He followed his father into public life and in the 20year period beginning in 1922 clements served as sheriff, county clerk, and then county judge of union county. Of his time as county judge, clement observed there was no better practical schooling in government than in that office. As a former county judge myself, i certainly wouldnt disagree. In 1927 clements married the daughter of a Prominent Union county official, sarah blue. The two would have a daughter named elizabeth who would share her fathers love of Public Service. She would later work as an aide to first lady Lady Bird Johnson and to second lady john mondale. After his long tenure in county governor, clements was elected to the state senate. Following a brief stint as a congressman during which he served with a promising lawmaker from louisville, clements declared for governor in 1947. It would look as if his republican opponent would in fact be morton, but morton decided against a run. Clements was overwhelmingly elected the commonwealths 50th governor. As governor, clements had many achievements. He succeeded in part because he worked closely with his former colleagues in the legislature and clements played hardball. As governor he would go to the house or Senate Chamber and if a legislator voted against him, clements would point his pencil at the dissident and make a mental note. The results, though, were undeniable. He created the modern state police and the state park system, and he took steps to integrate uk. Like chandler, clements left the Governors Mansion prior to the end of his term to pursue a senate seat. He was elected to fill the vacancy left by Albin Barkley when he became Vice President. Unlike chandler, clements thrived in the senate. He quickly became an ally of rising star and soon to be Senate Democrat leader Lyndon Johnson. After only three years in the senate, johnson promoted clements to the democratic whip. He had good relations with both conservative and liberal democrats. An important attribute in a closely divided senate. When the democrats would regain the majority in 1955, clements became majority whip. Clements served as party whip from 1953 to 1957. One of only three kentuckians to serve in that position. The others are wendell ford and myself. The whip is responsible for counting votes and trying to persuade senators to support legislation promoted by the Majority Party. I can assure you its a pretty hard job. Clements job got even harder however in july 1955 when majority leader Lyndon Johnson had a heart attack. This left Senate Democrats without a true majority leader for the last few weeks of the senate session. So for the next 29 days clements stepped into the breech and served as acting majority leader. All of this remember is in his first term. Clements had to try to lead the Senate Without appearing to be a usurper in lbjs absence, a difficult balance to strike. He also had to perform to the satisfaction of johnson. Can you imagine that . Who remained a demanding test master even from his hospital bed. After visiting with the bedridden johnson, clements reported back to fellow democrats on the majority leaders views regarding a particular piece of legislation. He would like the bill to be taken up yesterday and passed the day before yesterday. That was lbj. Nonetheless, clements succeeded in Holding Together the fragile democratic majority and his efforts garnered favorable reviews. The year 1955 was an important one for clements not only because of his work as acting majority leader. It was also important because Happy Chandler was running to recapture the governors office. Now clements remained a power broker in the state as head of one ke