DINNING WITH US SENATOR WILLIAM LANGER
DINNING OUT WITH US SENATOR WILLIAM LANGER FROM NORTH DAKOTA
I was about eight years old when my parents went on a winter vacation. We stopped in Springfield Illinois and visited the tomb of Lincoln. After that we stayed at the home of Jack Murphy in Washington DC. Mrs. Murphy was a relative of my half brother Clayton Hanson. Mr. Murphy gave us a tour of Washington and he told us we could visit the Senate and see the senators debate. My father Bob Hanson went to the office of Senator Langer to see if we could get tickets. We were seated in the outer of office of the Langer’s office with the secretaries. Langer heard us talking and he came out and invited the Hanson family in to visit. I remember my father telling Langer who was a Republican that he voted for him. My father told him he was life long Democrat. We got the tickets and went to the senate debate on a law on margarine. Langer gave a speech on margarine. After that, he invited us to dine with him in the Senate dining room. He got us the table that Lincoln dinned at and I sat in Lincoln’s chair.
Why do I tell this story that took place around 1950? Do you think you could drop in to visit your Senator and get an invite to dine with him at his expense? You would have an army of lobbyists with bundles of hundred dollar bills in front of you inviting him to dine on the most expensive foods in the world.
I know that Langer was for the people and not the rich. When he was the governor of North Dakota he declared a moratorium on the foreclosing of farmers mortgages during the Great Depression. The bankers hated him.
Was there a shortage of lobbyists in 1950? Perhaps Langer wouldn’t dine with them and rather hear from the common people.
I was about eight years old when my parents went on a winter vacation. We stopped in Springfield Illinois and visited the tomb of Lincoln. After that we stayed at the home of Jack Murphy in Washington DC. Mrs. Murphy was a relative of my half brother Clayton Hanson. Mr. Murphy gave us a tour of Washington and he told us we could visit the Senate and see the senators debate. My father Bob Hanson went to the office of Senator Langer to see if we could get tickets. We were seated in the outer of office of the Langer’s office with the secretaries. Langer heard us talking and he came out and invited the Hanson family in to visit. I remember my father telling Langer who was a Republican that he voted for him. My father told him he was life long Democrat. We got the tickets and went to the senate debate on a law on margarine. Langer gave a speech on margarine. After that, he invited us to dine with him in the Senate dining room. He got us the table that Lincoln dinned at and I sat in Lincoln’s chair.
Why do I tell this story that took place around 1950? Do you think you could drop in to visit your Senator and get an invite to dine with him at his expense? You would have an army of lobbyists with bundles of hundred dollar bills in front of you inviting him to dine on the most expensive foods in the world.
I know that Langer was for the people and not the rich. When he was the governor of North Dakota he declared a moratorium on the foreclosing of farmers mortgages during the Great Depression. The bankers hated him.
Was there a shortage of lobbyists in 1950? Perhaps Langer wouldn’t dine with them and rather hear from the common people.
posted by Sigurd Throan at 7:02 AM
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