Dear Sen. Helms

Our 1990 exchange of letters showed a senator's delight in tweaking the press.

Jesse Helms went to the US. Senate in 1973, the same year I joined the Observer as an editorial writer. I cannot say that over the years we have become dose.

He has run for the Senate five times. The Observer' editorial board has never endorsed him (though in 1978 we didn't endorse his opponent, John Ingram, either). In a 1978 editorial, we called Helms "an informed, articulate advocate of a political viewpoint we don't share." That remains true.

A few years ago he called me "poisonous" He recently described me in a letter as someone who "obviously despises" him. I assume that's part of his continuing political war with the press and don't take it personally. I hope his first statement isn't true. I know the second isn't.

Though he has consistently declined my invitations to meet with the Observer' editorial board, in our occasional conversations he has been unfailingly cordial. After I helped the Jesse Helms Center with its book of editorial cartoons featuring him, he autographed a copy for my son.

Most of our contact has come through the mail. He is a witty and combative man who delights in tweaking the press. To give you the flavor of the relationship,here's an exchange that followed my inviting him to meet with the editorial board before the 1990 election.

April 23, 1990

Dear Ed:

Anent your letter of April 13, there may be some mutually convenient time during the campaign when I can stop by, but well just have to see.

In any event, reflecting upon the tenor and the ferocity of your editorials and news coverage for the past 18 years, I know you will forgive me for concluding that your minds are made up about the Senate race.

It may be that both you and I can spend our time somewhat productively. But as times goes by, we can assess that again.

Sincerely,

Jesse

April 26, 1990

Dear Sen. Helms:

We'd welcome you for a visit whenever it fits in with your schedule.

As to whether our minds are made up about the Senate race, a lot of that depends on the circumstances. In fact, I have always held out the hope that as you grow in wisdom and stature, you will come to see the world more the way we do. I will admit, rm not betting my son's college savings on the chance that"ll happen, but as we Baptists know, history is full of miracles.

At any rate, I've never thought I had to agree with my U.S. senator to benefit from talking with him. I do hope you'll drop by.

Sincerely,

Ed Williams

May 4, 1990

Dear Ed:

If you ever become disenchanted with The Charlotte Observer, or vice versa, I'll be glad to recommend you for a job writing for Johnny Carson. You have a fine sense of humor.

My folks really enjoyed that line, "As to whether our minds are made up" In fact, it barely edged out your suggestions that in order to "grow in wisdom and stature" it will be essential for me to "come to see world more the way we do." As Lou Holtz once said about your Raleigh counterpart: "They have the comic page for people who can't read, and the editorial page for people who can't think."

As for "benefiting" from talking with your U.S. Senator, bear in mind that I have repeatedly suggested that all of you editors might want to give me a ring and get my views on issues before launching into tirades. You have never once done so. Rich Oppel did come by once - and brought his Dad.

Any time you want me to write to Carson, let me know. But don't infer that I have any influence with him.

Sincerely,

Jesse

May 15, 1990

Dear Sen. Helms:

Senator, that [the assertion that I never called him] just isn't true. I've talked to you at least four or five times over the past half-dozen years, most recently when I was writing about you and the Robert Mapplethorpe photos. On that occasion you and I talked at least 10 minutes. You invited me to stop by for lunch next time I came to Washington, and you volunteered to send me some of the Mapplethorpe photos. I said I'd never thought of you as a distributor of such stuff. You sent 'em anyway, and urged me to print them. I didn't.

Observer Associate Editor Jerry Shinn (a former Observer Washington correspondent) tells me you wrote to one of our readers that you'd never met Jerry, when in fact he has met you and talked with you numerous times.

If I were a suspicious fellow, I might suspect you were trying to score political points by poor-mouthin' about mean ol' editorial writers who won't even show you the courtesy of talking with you. But I know that editorialists - yourself excluded, of course - are not memorable folks, so I assume you have simply forgotten these conversations. I hope this note jogs your memory.

Sincerely,

Ed Williams

May 22, 1990

Dear Ed:

Now let me set the record straight. You have never "given me a ring" - each time we've talked, it was I who placed the call, not you. I didn't "urge you to print" the Mapplethorpe photos, I asked only that you make them available to responsible citizens who might want to come by and see what I was talking about. And of course you didn't print them - and insofar as I know you never made them available to interested citizens.

As for Jerry Shinn, he must be a forgettable man. I don't recall ever having talked with him.

As for "poor-mouthin' about mean ol' editorial writers" (another line fit for Johnny Carson), I don't mind you folks being mean. It's when you get nasty in your bias that intrigues me.

Hang in there! You may get me yet. And the luncheon invitation still stands.

Sincerely,

Jesse

May 29, 1990

Dear Sen. Helms:

Senator, I know this could go on forever, given your proven hardiness in the fine art of filibuster, but I beg to differ with you again. When we talked about the Mapplethorpe photos, for example, I had called your office to get a copy of your amendment. Perhaps since I talked with someone else before I talked with you, you may not have known who initiated the conversation.

I remember Sen. Sam Ervin saying something to the effect that sometimes a good forgettery is more valuable than a good memory. Senator, it seems to me that when it comes to conversations with Observer folks, you've got a pretty good forgettery.

I do hope you'll stop by and see us before the election. And next time fm in Washington, III be ready for lunch.

Sincerely,

Ed Williams

June 8, 1990

Dear Ed:

You're right - this could go on forever. So this will be my final note.

I did not and do not know anything about your calling some unidentified person in my office .... My chief legislative assistant was sitting with me when I called the editors at Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte.

Since you have quoted Sam Ervin, let me do likewise. He was quite disgusted with The Observer because, he said, you folks declined to publish his side of the argument about the Genocide Treaty. So he told me that The Charlotte Observer reminded him of something Lum Garrison, a town character in Morganton, once said: "Those folks don't know nothin' - and they got that all tangled up." Hang in there, you may get me yet.

Sincerely,

Jesse

June 11, 1990

Dear Sen. Helms:

I'm beginning to worry about the memory problem in your office. You have forgotten Jerry Shinn. You have forgotten the other times I called you. Nobody in your office can remember my call on the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) matter.

Could somebody be putting funny chemicals in your office water cooler? (Come to think of it, that might explain a lot of things that come out of your office.)

Speaking of Sen. Ervin, whatever wranglings he had with The Observer about the genocide treaty were before my time. But I did have a good bit of contact with him after he had retired from the Senate.

Three years before his death, he sent me a long article in which he argued that South Carolina's claim to be Andrew Jackson's birthplace was spurious and North Carolina's valid. Since the article just arrived out of the blue, I wrote Sen. Ervin and suggested we condense it a bit and use it on Andrew Jackson's birthday, about five months hence.

A couple of days later I received a call from Sen. Ervin. He urged me to publish the piece immediately. "Why?" I asked. He replied with a chuckle, "Because I'm 85 years old, and I may not be around in five months."

We published his article the next week.

I also remember Sen. Ervin's comment about a jury that he bombarded with fact, analysis, biblical quotation, homespun humor and legal history but was unable to convince of the merit of his client's case. He lamented, "I had to teach them more than they were able to team."

Sen. Helms, I think we've taught each other about all we're able to learn in this correspondence.

My invitation to you is still open.

Sincerely,

Ed Williams

NCEW member

Ed Williams is editor of the editorial pages of The Charlotte Observer in North Carolina His e-mail address is ewilliams@ charlotteobserver.com

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