Dear Sen. Helms.Our 1990 exchange of letters showed a senator's delight in tweaking tweaking Vox populi Fine-tuning to produce optimal results the press. Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. (born October 18, 1921) is a former five-term Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was considered one of the leading figures of the modern "Christian right". went to the U.S. Senate in 1973, the same year I joined the Observer as an editorial writer. I cannot say that over the years we have become close. He has run for the Senate five times. The Observer's editorial board has never endorsed him (though in 1978 we didn't endorse his opponent, John Ingram
The Venerable John Ingram (1565-1594) was an English Jesuit and martyr from Stoke Edith, Herefordshire, who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I. , either). In a 1978 editorial, we called Helms "an informed, articulate advocate of a political viewpoint we don't share." That remains true. A few years ago he called me "poisonous." He recently described me in a letter as someone who "obviously despises" him. I assume that's part of his continuing political war with the press and don't take it personally I hope his first statement isn't true. I know the second isn't. Though he has consistently declined my invitations to meet with the Observer's editorial board, in our occasional conversations he has been unfailingly cordial. After I helped the Jesse Helms Center with its book of editorial cartoons featuring him, he autographed a copy for my son. Most of our contact has come through the mail. He is a witty and combative man who delights in tweaking the press. To give you the flavor of the relationship, here's an exchange that followed my inviting him to meet with the editorial board before the 1990 election. April 23, 1990 Dear Ed: Anent a·nent prep. Regarding; concerning: "This question remains a vital consideration anent the debate over the possibility of limiting nuclear war to military objectives" New York Times. your letter of April 13, there may be some mutually convenient time during the campaign when I can stop by, but we'll just have to see. In any event, reflecting upon the tenor and the ferocity of your editorials and news coverage for the past 18 years, I know you will forgive me for concluding that your minds are made up about the Senate race. It may be that both you and I can spend our time somewhat productively. But as times goes by, we can assess that again. Sincerely, Jesse April 26, 1990 Dear Sen. Helms: We'd welcome you for a visit whenever it fits in with your schedule. As to whether our minds are made up about the Senate race, a lot of that depends on the circumstances. In fact, I have always held out the hope that as you grow in wisdom and stature, you will come to see the world more the way we do. I will admit, I'm not betting my son's college savings on the chance that'll happen, but as we Baptists know, history is full of miracles "Of Miracles" is the title of Section X of David Hume's An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (1748). The text In the 19th-century edition of Hume's Enquiry . At any rate, I've never thought I had to agree with my U.S. senator to benefit from talking with him. I do hope you'll drop by. Sincerely, Ed Williams May 4, 1990 Dear Ed: If you ever become disenchanted dis·en·chant tr.v. dis·en·chant·ed, dis·en·chant·ing, dis·en·chants To free from illusion or false belief; undeceive. [Obsolete French desenchanter, from Old French, with The Charlotte Observer, or vice versa VICE VERSA. On the contrary; on opposite sides. , I'll be glad to recommend you for a job writing for Johnny Carson
sense of humour, humor, humour . My folks really enjoyed that line, "As to whether our minds are made up". In fact, it barely edged out your suggestions that in order to "grow in wisdom and stature" it will be essential for me to "come to see world more the way we do." As Lou Holtz This article is about the American football coach; for other people named Lou Holtz, see Lou Holtz (disambiguation). Louis Leo Holtz (born on January 6, 1937 in Follansbee, West Virginia) is an author, television commentator, motivational speaker, and former NCAA football head once said about your Raleigh counterpart: "They have the comic page for people who can't read, and the editorial page for people who can't think." As for "benefiting" from talking with your U.S. Senator, bear in mind that I have repeatedly suggested that all of you editors might want to give me a ring and get my views on issues before launching into tirades. You have never once done so. Rich Oppel did come by once -- and brought his Dad. Any time you want me to write to Carson, let me know. But don't infer that I have any influence with him. Sincerely, Jesse May 15, 1990 Dear Sen. Helms: Senator, that [the assertion that I never called him] just isn't true. I've talked to you at least four or five times over the past half-dozen years, most recently when I was writing about you and the Robert Mapplethorpe photos. On that occasion you and I talked at least 10 minutes. You invited me to stop by for lunch next time I came to Washington, and you volunteered to send me some of the Mapplethorpe photos. I said I'd never thought of you as a distributor of such stuff. You sent 'em anyway, and urged me to print them. I didn't. Observer Associate Editor Jerry Shinn (a former Observer Washington correspondent) tells me you wrote to one of our readers that you'd never met Jerry, when in fact he has met you and talked with you numerous limes limes plural limites (Latin; “path”) In ancient Rome, a strip of open land along which troops advanced into unfriendly territory. It came to mean a Roman military road, fortified with watchtowers and forts. . If I were a suspicious fellow, I might suspect you were trying to score political points by poor-mouthin' about mean ol' editorial writers who won't even show you the courtesy of talking with you. But I know that editorialists -- yourself excluded, of course -- are not memorable folks, so I assume you have simply forgotten these conversations. I hope this note jogs your memory. Sincerely, Ed Williams May 22, 1990 Dear Ed: Now let me set the record straight. You have never "given me a ring" -- each time we've talked, it was I who placed the call, not you. I didn't "urge you to print" the Mapplethorpe photos, I asked only that you make them available to responsible citizens who might want to come by and see what I was talking about. And of course you didn't print them -- and insofar in·so·far adv. To such an extent. Adv. 1. insofar - to the degree or extent that; "insofar as it can be ascertained, the horse lung is comparable to that of man"; "so far as it is reasonably practical he should practice as I know you never made them available to interested citizens. As for Jerry Shinn, he must be a forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget man. I don't recall ever having talked with him. As for "about mouthin' about mean ol' editorial writers" (another line fit for Johnny Carson), I don't mind you folks being mean. It's when you get nasty in your bias that intrigues me. Hang in there! You may get me yet. And the luncheon invitation still stands. Sincerely, Jesse May 29, 1990 Dear Sen. Helms: Senator, I know this could go on forever, given your proven hardiness in the fine art of filibuster filibuster, term used to designate obstructionist tactics in legislative assemblies. It has particular reference to the U.S. Senate, where the tradition of unlimited debate is very strong. It was not until 1917 that the Senate provided for cloture (i.e. , but I beg to is an elliptical expression for I beg leave to; as, I beg to inform you s>. See also: Beg differ with you again. When we talked about the Mapplethorpe photos, for example, I had called your office to get a copy of your amendment. Perhaps since I talked with someone else before I talked with you, you may not have known who initiated the conversation. I remember Sen. Sam Ervin saying something to the effect that sometimes a good forgettery is more valuable than a good memory. Senator, it seems to me that when it comes to conversations with Observer folks, you've got a pretty good forgettery. I do hope you'll stop by and see us before the election. And next time I'm in Washington, I'll be ready for lunch. Sincerely, Ed Williams June 8, 1990 Dear Ed: You're right -- this could go on forever. So this will be my final note. I did not and do not know anything about your calling some unidentified person in my office.... My chief legislative assistant was sitting with me when I called the editors at Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte. Since you have quoted Sam Ervin, let me do likewise. He was quite disgusted with The Observer because, he said, you folks declined to publish his side of the argument about the Genocide Treaty. So he told me that The Charlotte Observer reminded him of something Lum n. 1. A chimney. 2. A ventilating chimney over the shaft of a mine. 3. A woody valley; also, a deep pool. Garrison, a town character in Morganton, once said: "Those folks don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. nothin' -- and they got that all tangled up." Hang in there, you may get me yet. Sincerely, Jesse June 11, 1990 Dear Sen. Helms: I'm beginning to worry about the memory problem in your office. You have forgotten Jerry Shinn. You have forgotten the other times I called you. Nobody in your office can remember my call on the NEA NEA abbr. 1. National Education Association 2. National Endowment for the Arts NEA (US) n abbr (= National Education Association) → Verband für das Erziehungswesen (National Endowment for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Independent agency of the U.S. government that supports the creation, dissemination, and performance of the arts. It was created by the U.S. ) matter. Could somebody be putting funny chemicals in your office water cooler? (Come to think of it, that might explain a lot of things that come out of your office.) Speaking of Sen. Ervin, whatever wranglings he had with The Observer about the genocide treaty were before my time. But I did have a good bit of contact with him after he had retired from the Senate. Three years before his death, he sent me a long article in which he argued that South Carolina's claim to be Andrew Jackson's birthplace was spurious and North Carolina's valid. Since the article just arrived out of the blue, I wrote Sen. Ervin and suggested we condense con·dense v. con·densed, con·dens·ing, con·dens·es v.tr. 1. To reduce the volume or compass of. 2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten. 3. Physics a. it a bit and use it on Andrew Jackson's birthday, about five months hence. A couple of days later I received a call from Sen. Ervin. He urged me to publish the piece immediately. "Why?" I asked. He replied with a chuckle, "Because I'm 85 years old, and I may not be around in five months." We published his article the next week. I also remember Sen. Ervin's comment about a jury that he bombarded with fact, analysis, biblical quotation, homespun humor and legal history but was unable to convince of the merit of his client's case. He lamented, "I had to teach them more than they were able to learn." Sen. Helms, I think we've taught each other about all we're able to learn in this correspondence. My invitation to you is still open. Sincerely, Ed Williams NCEW NCEW National Conference of Editorial Writers member Ed Williams is editor of the editorial pages of The Charlotte Observer in North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. . |
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