E. Wallace Chadwick - The Battle For A Second Term

The Battle For A Second Term

On March 31, 1948, in a speech to the House, Congressman Chadwick vociferously defended the European Recovery Plan, otherwise known as the Marshall Plan. "If there ever was a bill before the House in the two short years of my service here with which I have no difficulty, it is this bill for European recovery," he declared. "It is the only plan (to save Europe from Communist domination) that is offered short of a shooting war."

He also tempered his remarks by stating he was confident that the American and Soviet people could find common grounds for settling their political differences peaceably.

His speech was described by the News of Delaware County as "ringing, bluntly worded...that drew salvos of applause from the floor and a packed gallery, as well as personal commendation from Democratic Minority Leader Sam Rayburn".

None of this really mattered back home in the smoke-filled living room of John McClure. The War Board had selected former state representative Benjamin James to oppose Chadwick and a bitter primary fight ensued, with Chadwick supporting Guy G. deFuria for state senator and two incumbent state representatives and a third independent Republican, Carl E. Mau.

The county newspapers took a pro-Chadwick stance, often giving his statements and frequent radio addresses prominent front page coverage. At one point, charges flew that the War Board had a billboard erected in Chester that read: "A VOTE FOR GUY deFURIA IS A VOTE FOR A DIRTY GOVERNMENT. WE KNOW HIS KIND." The Chester Times story covering this read: "Smear Billboard Against deFuria Erected in City". McClure was so moved by the story that he wrote a letter to the editor, which was published on the front page, denying personal responsibility for the billboard, blaming the incident on a campaign worker who had a personal grudge against deFuria. He further admonished Congressman Chadwick, stating "Even in a political campaign people have the right to expect common honesty in a candidate."

To its credit, the Times printed Chadwick's rebuttal next to the letter, along with a statement from the newspaper, which read in part: "The fact remains that Mr. McClure is responsible for the acts of his agents just as he is responsible for the worst campaign of smear which present members of the Chester Times' staff have ever witnessed."

Another controversy ensued on April 21, when a Republican congressman from Philadelphia, George W. Sarbacher, Jr., addressed a rally held by McClure at the Media Armory and spoke against Chadwick. "This country badly needs veterans of the caliber and ability and forthrightedness of Ben James," Sarbacher, a former Marine captain who was first elected in 1946 while still on active duty, told the crowd of 1,500.

According to the Daily Times, "it is the first time in the memory of the oldest members of the delegation that one Pennsylvania representative has gone into another's district to campaign against him." What puzzled observers was that the relationship between Sarbacher, at age 28, the youngest member of the Congress, and the much older Chadwick had been totally amicable. There was widespread belief that the Philadelphia congressman had been ordered to appear at the rally by McClure's counterpart, Austin Meehan, boss of the huge city G.O.P. machine. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, members of the state's Republican delegation were "very bitter" and intended to protest this action to Governor James H. Duff. At their weekly luncheon in Washington, no formal action was taken by the congressmen to sanction Sarbacher, due to the presence of guests, including some students and former congressmen Wolfenden and Roland Kinzer of Lancaster County. Wolfenden was reported to have been very ill, having attended the luncheon in a wheel chair. Congressmen Lichtenwalner, Bucks County, McConnell, Montgomery County, and Hugh Scott of Philadelphia demanded a "showdown" with the Governor.

As a result, Sarbacher was reportedly "placed on ice for a year", receiving no assignments from the delegation. He was then defeated in the general election by William J. Green, Jr., as Meehan's machine continued to lose ground to the Democrats.

Also, in April, Chadwick sued McClure to prevent the latter's use of the name of the Republican Party of Delaware County on campaign literature. The effort of the McClure organization to drape themselves with the cloak of decent and honorable Republicans is illegal... and it constitutes deliberate fraud against the Republican voters of Delaware County," Chadwick charged in one of his customary radio addresses. "Under the law, and under the rules of the Republican party, the Republican Primary belongs to all qualified Republican voters," he continued. "There are plenty of people who think I am a better Republican than McClure. At least, I have never brought my party into disrepute..." Apparently, the county judge hearing the case did not share those views and dismissed the case.

He also gave another radio speech, playing on public fears of Communist subversion, denouncing Communism as the "deadly enemy" of America, "godless" and out to "conquer the world". Perhaps due to his votes for a strong national defense, he was endorsed by John G. Pew, the wealthy president of Sun Shipbuilding.

National columnist Drew Pearson even wrote that House Republicans were rooting for Chadwick's reelection. Pearson stated that they were "hoping he will not be replaced by another cypher", since his predecessor, Wolfenden, was not very visible in Washington. Colleague Congressman Plumley of Vermont even wrote a letter of support to the Times, but none of the support and accolades outside of the district really mattered. What mattered was the support of one man, McClure, which Chadwick simply did not have.

The Chester Times invited the four candidates for Congress and state senate to issue final statements on election eve. Congressman Chadwick's statement of 364 words stated that his "record is an open book" and that "opposition to me stems solely from factional politics". He decried the misrepresentation of his record as favoring annexation of the suburbs by Philadelphia. "If McClure and his candidate for Congress had any desire to be fair in this campaign, he would have told you how Ben James would have voted differently than I voted, had he been in Congress...They cannot tell you that I ever voted for any single law which was not beneficial to the people of this county..."

In contrast, the low-profile James issued a terse, sixteen word statement: "We will win. I am confident the Republican voters will nominate me by a substantial majority." Guy deFuria's statement was about as lengthy as Chadwick's, charging that the county G.O.P. chairman, Arthur Bretherick sent letters to "state job-holders threatening their jobs in violation of the governor's announced position of non-interference in Primary elections...Among those threatened are Civil Service employees (protected against political interference by law) and persons subject to the Federal Hatch Act."

DeFuria's opponent for state senator, and later to be congressman himself, G. Robert Watkins, also issued a sixteen word statement similar to that of James.

When the results were tallied, Chadwick had lost to the colorless James, by a sizable 47,790 to 40,165, according to the Times. This time, his losses in the bigger towns were too much to be overcome by his popularity in the smaller ones. He lost Haverford Twp by 1,100 votes, Upper Darby by 600, his opponent's hometown of Radnor by over 1,100 votes, but ironically, improved his showing in Chester by 600 votes.

His running mates for state office also lost. Once again, the McClure Machine proved that once all of the stops were pulled in an election, it was invincible.

In a front page editorial on April 28, the Times stated that Chadwick was defeated "because he did not conform to the will of one individual, namely McClure. Money and effort must be spent like water to suppress any change in the pattern of machine dictatorship which has dominated and continues to dominate both Delaware County and Chester."

It was clear to many that the loss of such an able and dedicated public servant was another sorry chapter in the saga of county politics.