Letters, Dec. 18, 1939

Required Reading

Sirs:

YOUR REVIEW OF CARL SANDBURG'S NEW LINCOLN BIOGRAPHY IS GORGEOUS AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN EVERY SCHOOL IN THE LAND. SANDBURG RICHLY DESERVES THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE FROM THE SWEDISH ACADEMY.

HENRY S. HENSCHEN

Washington, D. C.

Sly Jest

Sirs:

Harvard Law School's Story Professor of Law, T. Reed Powell, doubtless feels honored by your attributing to Mr. Justice Holmes Mr. Powell's sly jest as to Mr. Justice Butler's feelings about the procreation of imbeciles in perpetuity [TIME, Nov. 27]. Romantic legends certainly have gathered round Holmes's name; but even a casual reading of his opinion in Buck v. Bell and of Mr. Powell's digest thereof in his Police Power essays, published—as I recall—in the Virginia Law Review, will uncover the source of this one.

As to Mr. Justice Butler's enjoying this jest, those of us who have been exposed to Mr. Powell's pungent blasphemy doubt whether the Justice ever could have read anything written by the Professor.

TIME'S law is accurate, but from TIME'S facts I dissent.

GERALD P. ROSEN

Los Angeles, Calif.

>To give devilish-witted Prof. Thomas Reed Powell his just due, the crack originated thus: Justice Holmes (reading decision): "Three generations of imbeciles are enough." Prof. Powell (adding thereto in the Virginia Law Review, June 1931): "Mr. Justice Butler dissents."—ED.

Once Was Enough

Sirs:

Long have I enjoyed Letters, but never have written.

Your quotation of Lippmann (TIME, Nov. 27, p. 13), ". . . there never was a President who did not want to be elected for a second term . . ." needs correction.

In the Allan Nevins edition of the diaries of James K. Polk, U. S. President, 1845-49 (up to then our youngest President; seven successive terms a Congressman; Speaker of the House; Governor of Tennessee; President at 49) are found the following entries:

Wednesday, 24th December, 1845—In re conference with Senator Turney of Tennessee:

"... I remark . . . that I have no doubt both Mr. Benton and Mr. Calhoun apprehend that I may be a candidate for reelection, for which there is not the slightest foundation My mind has been made up from the time I accepted the Baltimore nomination, and is still so, to serve but one term and not to be a candidate for reelection."

Tuesday, 2nd November, 1847—". . I have now passed through two-thirds of my Presidential term, and most heartily wish that the remaining third was over, for I am sincerely desirous to have the enjoyment of retirement in private life."

Saturday, 29th January, 1848—recording visits from two Senators: