O'Daniel News

The education of Wilbert Lee O'Daniel began after he was elected Governor of Texas. Until November 8, 1938, he was a pious flour salesman and promoter with a baritone voice. He believed that all Governors, State Legislators, Congressmen were great & good men, whose chief concern was the public welfare. He also believed what he read in the papers.

"And then," says W. Lee O'Daniel sadly, "I got to be Governor."

New to politics, new to public affairs, he made many a boner. Texas newspapers duly reported the boners. For the capital reporters at Austin, O'Daniel's press conferences were circuses in which they fed their victim mock questions and played up his answers as gags. Governor 0'Daniel was distressed but helpless. Please Pass the Biscuits, Pappy had been his campaign theme song; the correspondents made him out a puling Pappy who could not grasp even the elementals of applied political pap. But the Governor, despite all his campaign japery, took his office seriously, trusted in simple faith to make up for his numerous incapacities, believed still that he as a good man could prevail over a host of bad men. Prominent among the bad men, in Governor O'Daniel's harassed mind, were most Texas politicians, news paper publishers, radio station owners (who sometimes censored his explosive speeches before delivery).

Last fortnight the Governor took steps to right himself. From a Mexican station, he announced that he was about to launch the weekly W. Lee O'Daniel News. Rate: 25-c- for a trial four months. Object: ". . . to get the full and complete truth and facts to the people by means of a new newspaper." Texas dailies and radio stations liberally reported his announcement, his pungent criticisms of publishers and station owners, his invitation to his listen ers to solicit subscriptions. Last week the first issue was published at Fort Worth.

In standard, eight-column format, its four pages carried texts of O'Daniel statements, speeches, no criticism of Governor O'Daniel. "How do you do, ladies and gentlemen, and hello there, boys and girls" began The Governor's Own Column. Co-ed Daughter Molly O'Daniel opened her column (Molly and Her Pals) : "Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! "I still haven't gotten over the thrill. "Do you know something? "Daddy's going to run again for Governor! ! !"

Croaked the Dallas News, welcoming Publisher O'Daniel's competition: "The press . . . does not regard W. Lee as a bad man, merely as a well-meaning one who errs in judgment, especially of himself."

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