Presidential Papers, Doc#1689 To Herbert Brownell, Jr., 13 January 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #1690

Document #1689; January 13, 1956
To Herbert Brownell, Jr.
Series: EM, AWF, Administration Series
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVI - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part IX: "Concerning my political intentions"; December 1955 to April 1956
Chapter 18: On "an almost normal schedule"

 

Memorandum for the Attorney General: Attached is a copy of a memorandum left with me by Congressman Reed this morning, when he visited me in company with Congressman John Taber.1

With respect to the disbarment proceedings that were instituted against Mr. Rubenstein some months ago, both Reed and Taber vehemently declared that not only was Rubenstein completely exonerated, but that the whole affair was deliberately instigated by political opponents. I believe he said the referee in the case was a man named Warren or Warner, who had been a member of the New York Supreme Court.2

On the other hand, Taber said that after a conversation he had held with Morgan, the latter misrepresented Taber's statements so markedly as to make it appear the act of an unbalanced man. Taber described Morgan as nervous and completely lacking in poise.3

1 Reed's "Memorandum in Regard to Judicial Vacancy on the United States District Court for the Western New York District," n.d., is in AWF/A, Brownell Corr. Daniel A. Reed and John Taber, both Republican representatives from New York, had met with the President and General Wilton B. Persons at 9:30 a.m. in an off-the-record discussion of Joseph Rubenstein as a candidate to succeed the late Judge John J. Knight on the United States District Court for the Western New York District. Rubenstein, a practicing attorney from western New York, was Chautauqua County Republican chairman.

2 In his memorandum endorsing Rubenstein, Reed had argued that the chairman of the New York State Republican Central Committee had made "a commitment" to him regarding the next vacancy on the court. Despite the fact that the Republican county chairmen of the Seventh and Eighth Judicial Districts had both endorsed Rubenstein, he said, the name of state assemblyman Justin Colfax Morgan had been submitted to the Senate. Reed charged Morgan's supporters with acts of "coercion and intimidation" and scored the Republican state leadership for practicing "racial discrimination and bigotry." On the controversy see New York Times, January 26, 27, 1956.

3 We have found no reply in EM from Brownell, but on January 25, Eisenhower would resubmit Morgan's name to the Senate, which would approve the appointment.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Herbert Brownell, Jr., 13 January 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1689. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/1689.cfm

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