Changes

==Republicanism==

==Republicanism==

Pegler exemplified a traditional defense of American values—especially [[republicanism]]—against powerful and corrupt government, in an echo of the Patriots of 1775.  Pegler depicted a dark conspiratorial world where criminal syndicates, corrupt union bosses, and Communists threatened the economic freedom of working Americans, while being protected and promoted by liberal allies in the New Deal.  Pegler criticized every president from Herbert Hoover to FDR ("moosejaw") to Harry Truman ("a thin-lipped hater") to John F. Kennedy for their failures to uphold the values of republicanism.  He also attacked the Supreme Court, and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as labor unions big and small.   

Pegler exemplified a traditional defense of American values—especially [[republicanism]]—against powerful and corrupt government, in an echo of the Patriots of 1775.  Pegler depicted a dark conspiratorial world where criminal syndicates, corrupt union bosses, and Communists threatened the economic freedom of working Americans, while being protected and promoted by liberal allies in the New Deal.  Pegler criticized every president from Herbert Hoover to FDR ("moosejaw") to Harry Truman ("a thin-lipped hater") to John F. Kennedy for their failures to uphold the values of republicanism.  He also attacked the Supreme Court, and the Internal Revenue Service, as well as labor unions big and small.   

==Downfall==

==Downfall==

Enamored of a reckless style of attack writing, Pegler grew careless of the facts after 1950.  His attack on writer Quentin Reynolds led to a costly slander suit against him and his publishers, as a jury awarded Reynolds $175,000 in damages. In 1962, Pegler lost his contract with King Features Syndicate, owned by Hearst after he started criticizing Hearst executives. His late writing appeared sporadically in obscure publications, including the John Birch Society's ''American Opinion'' and grew increasingly vituperative, violent, and unnoticed by the public that once read him eagerly.

Enamored of a reckless style of attack writing, Pegler grew careless of the facts after 1950.  His attack on correspondent Quentin Reynolds, where he referred to Reynolds as an 'absentee war correspondent' and said he was a 'war profiteer' and a 'coward' led to a costly slander suit against him and his publishers, as a jury awarded Reynolds $175,000 in damages. Reynolds used far left NYC trial lawyer [[Louis Nizer]] as his attorney. In 1962, Pegler lost his contract with King Features Syndicate, owned by Hearst after he started criticizing Hearst executives. His late writing appeared sporadically in obscure publications, including the [[John Birch Society]]'s ''American Opinion'' and grew increasingly vituperative, violent, and unnoticed by the public that once read him eagerly.

==Personal Life==

==Personal Life==

==Legacy==

==Legacy==

Like many older dissident journalists, Pegler has been neglected and largely forgotten for much of his crusading journalism. The bulk of his professional papers were donated in the 1950's to the [[Herbert Hoover Presidential Library]] in West Branch, Iowa.<ref>Pegler, James Westbrook. Manuscripts and Papers. Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. | https://hoover.archives.gov/research/manuscript-collections/pegler</ref>

Like many older [[dissident journalists]], Pegler has been neglected and largely forgotten for much of his crusading journalism. The bulk of his professional papers were donated in the 1950's to the [[Herbert Hoover Presidential Library]] in West Branch, Iowa.<ref>Pegler, James Westbrook. Manuscripts and Papers. Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. | https://hoover.archives.gov/research/manuscript-collections/pegler</ref>

==Publications==

==Publications==