Letter to Editor: Background for McGovern clarified

To the Editor:

The Aug. 11 Argus Leader contained a feature article in which George McGovern eulogized former Sen. Daschle. The 1972 presidential candidate, acknowledging that Daschle could err on occasion, made reference to his own minister father’s frequent Scripture reference, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

McGovern, perhaps (or perhaps not) a bit short on memory, wrote “my Methodist father” in the Argus Leader story.

In an instant, I was reminded of my Aug. 20, 1972, letter printed in the Chicago Tribune in which I spoke of McGovern’s identical verbal slip about his “Methodist minister father.” McGovern was then campaigning for the U.S. presidency. I quote from my Tribune letter, “At the time of his death, Sen. McGovern’s father was a minister in the Wesleyan Methodist Church (now the Wesleyan Church), a distinctly different, smaller and more conservative denomination. I am sure both deceased parents of our junior senator would rest uneasily if they could know the “liberal” stance assumed by their ambitious son. He did not learn it at home.”

For the record, the Rev. Joseph McGovern was pastor of the Mitchell Wesleyan Methodist Church for a time around 1928. Also, his commemorative picture hangs in the Red Carpet Room of the present Wesleyan Church headquarters in Rapid City after he had served as Dakota District superintendent from 1907 to 1910 and again from 1915 to 1918.

George himself attended church at Sixth and Sanborn and once sang in a gospel quartet. In a recent year, he honored us by returning one Sunday morning to his and his father’s former church for a morning worship service.

I acknowledge that it was an astute political move as presidential candidate to identify himself with the better-known Methodist Church. His parents however, were Wesleyan Methodist, not Methodists.

I note from the 2009 DWU Web site that McGovern must have given corrected information to his library officials, noting his Wesleyan Methodist background.

Warren Thomas, Forestburg

Tags: our towns, george mcgovern, warren thomas, opinion, forestburg