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.McElroy resigned, and shortlyafterward eight treasury agents spread out across the city seeking thethreads of his multifarious dealings.In addition to juggling the city saccounts he had juggled money to himself: the agents discovered hisuse of a real estate agent, H.H.Halvorson, as a funnel for money,and that between 1933 and 1938 the city manager had failed to report$274,263.15, upon which $62,326.27 was due.On September 14, 1939,subpoenas were issued for witnesses to appear before the grand juryon September 18.On September 15, McElroy died, of uremia andheart disease, having appealed his case, as the head of the treasuryagents put it, to a higher court.41The collapse of the machine was acutely embarrassing to SenatorTruman.His first instinct was to defend his mentor, and a KansasCity Star reporter took his photograph in his office standing next toa signed picture of Pendergast.He told the reporter he would notdesert a sinking ship.According to the Star the senator amended hisremark about the destination of the ship; he said he did not wish toleave a ship in distress.Truman was in a near impossible situation.Shortly before the de-bacle he took Jim Pendergast to see Farley.In his presence Jim askedFarley to intervene.Truman called Farley later and apologized.42President Roosevelt pushed him again, unmercifully, just beforePendergast fell.After the president lost the fight over the SupremeCourt he sought a law allowing him to reorganize the executivebranch of the government by executive act, subject to congressional 60 / Truman and Pendergastveto within sixty days.The proposed law had the sponsorship ofthe nation s leading political scientists.Basically the idea of reorga-nization was a good one.The timing, however, was deplorable.Areporter from the St.Louis Globe-Democrat who was close to Truman,and after World War II wrote a short biography of the former senator,described the situation graphically: The new fight was wideningand deepening the party rift of 1937; almost half of the Democratswere in open rebellion and Roosevelt s leadership, sunk to its lowestlevel, was drifting still lower. 43 Privately Truman and many othersenators, given President Roosevelt s lackadaisical administrativemethods, did not find the proposal important.What they saw wasa presidential effort, following failure of court reorganization, toshove another such proposal down their throats.When the vote cameup on reorganization the president faced the possibility of anothertie vote, as over the Barkley-Harrison contest.The closeness mightwell have been arranged to humiliate the president; most tie votesin the Senate are not accidents but managed affairs.Whatever, theembattled president turned on Truman, who was in a weak position,and shoved him.Truman was in Missouri when the presidential request came inMarch of 1939.He was speaking to the state legislature in JeffersonCity on the theme of good government.After the senator s addressthere was a luncheon, at which members of the legislature werepresent.Governor Stark came for the luncheon, but did not talk tothe senator.Afterward Truman received telephone calls from Farleyand the president s press secretary, Stephen T.Early, asking him toreturn immediately to cast his vote.Farley and Early told Trumanhis vote was crucial.The senator took a dangerous night flight through a snowstorm,and arrived to cast the deciding vote.He arrived also in a furiousmood, believing the administration was showing no respect becauseit thought it did not need to do so.Many years later when Truman sprivate papers opened, an account of what happened was discov-ered.The senator after voting called Early and snapped at him: Well,I m here, at your request, and I damn near got killed getting here byplane in time to vote, as I did on another occasion.I don t think thebill amounts to a tinker s damn, and I expect to get kicked in the just as I always have in the past in return for my services. Well, Senator, said Early, what is it you want? Collapse of the Machine / 61 I don t want a thing, said Truman. My vote is not for sale.I vote my convictions, just as I always have, but I think the Presidentought to have the decency and respect to treat me like the Senatorfrom Missouri and not like a office boy, andyoucan tell himwhat I said.If he wants me to, I ll come down and tell him myself. All right, Senator, said Early, I ll tell the President. 44Nor was this the end.The president responded by inviting Trumanto the White House the next day, where there was a very uneasyconversation.As was his wont, Roosevelt showed friendship for theMissouri senator, and interspersed his concern and goodwill withthe commentaries he intended to make.He thanked Truman for hiscontribution to the important bill that passed the Senate because ofTruman s vote.But throughout the conversation he showed detailedknowledge of what was going on in Kansas City.He mentioned avisit to Washington of Police Director Higgins.He inquired afterPendergast s health, which Truman assured him was excellent.Hebluntly stated that he intended to clean up Kansas City politics.Not long afterward the federal attorney for western Missouriwas in Washington attending the annual conference of U.S.districtattorneys.While there Milligan called on President Roosevelt.Aftercomplimenting the attorney on the excellent work of his office FDRsaid, I told Harry Truman the other day that he had better get awayfrom that crowd out there. Milligan, to be sure, knew what crowdthe president was referring to.45 The president was telling a Trumanenemy a point that, in better circumstances, he might have reservedfor the senator. 62 / Truman and PendergastTo view the complete page image, pleaserefer to the printed version of this work.The 1922 campaign.Harry S.Truman Library.Judge Truman andMargaret, 1924.Harry S.TrumanLibrary. Collapse of the Machine / 63To view the complete page image, pleaserefer to the printed version of this work.The Truman family, 1920s.Harry S.Truman Library.A dinner for the senator-elect and his family, First Christian Church,Independence, December 17, 1934.Harry S.Truman Library. 64 / Truman and PendergastTo view the completepage image, pleaserefer to the printedversion of this work.In 1902, Thomas J.Pendergastwas superintendent of streetsin Kansas City, by appointmentof Mayor James A.Reed, laterU.S.senator.Pendergast liked to have hispicture taken in a hat.Harry S.Truman Library. Collapse of the Machine / 65To view the completepage image, pleaserefer to the printedversion of this work.The Pendergasts in Paris, 1935.Wedow Collection, Western HistoricalManuscript Collection, Kansas City. 66 / Truman and PendergastTo view the complete page image, pleaserefer to the printed version of this work.The Democratic National Convention, Philadelphia, 1936.Left to right:Senator Truman, Pendergast, James P.Aylward, unidentified, James A.Farley,unidentified.Harry S.Truman Library.1908 Main Street,Pendergast s office.Wedow Collection,Western HistoricalManuscript Collection,Kansas City. Collapse of the Machine / 67To view the complete page image, pleaserefer to the printed version of this work.The opening of the St.Louis National Horse Show Arena, September 27, 1937.Left to right: St.Louis Mayor Bernard L.Dickmann, Governor Lloyd C.Stark,Senator Bennett Champ Clark, Senator Truman.Witmer Collection, WesternHistorical Manuscript Collection, St.Louis. 68 / Truman and PendergastTo view the complete page image, pleaserefer to the printed version of this work. No Place for a Kiddie Car, a Daniel R.Fitzpatrick cartoon in the St.LouisPost-Dispatch, March 29, 1940
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