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Roosevelt said, “Why wouldn't he do at all, Frank? What's the matter? He's an able man, a Justice of the Supreme Court, has had a great record, has been elected many times.”

“Well, he's a Southerner,” said Frank Walker.

“I know, but the hatchet's been buried between the northern and the southern Democrats, hasn't it?”

They both looked as though they hated to go on any further, but finally Frank Walker said, “Well, Mr. President, you just can't avoid the fact that Jimmy Byrnes was born and brought up a Roman Catholic and that he changed his religion when he was in his twenties, for reasons which are his own business. They're not mine, but changing his religion did help him out. He has better standing in South Carolina as a Protestant and he married a girl of the best family, which he wouldn't have been likely to do as a Catholic.”

“Well,” said the President, “so what?”

“Well,” Frank said, “there's great prejudice against Roman Catholics in Protestant circles.”

“Yes, but he's changed,” the President said, “He's a Protestant now.”

“Yes, I know,” said Frank, “but....”





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