I"
VOL. XLVI.-NO. 14,416.
PORTLAND, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1907.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
-
1
r
r
FORAKER GALLS
TORS
Asks for Primary in
Ohio on Presidency.
GIVES TAFT OPEN CHALLENGE
Let Republican Voters Choose
Between Them.
HAS NOTHING TO CONCEAL
I '
Announcement He Concedes state to
Tuft Brings Him Forward With
Demand for a- Test of
Strength Before People.
WASHINGTON-, March 26. That Sena
tor Foraker doe$ not. concede that Secre
tary Taft will be Ohio's choice for the
Presidential nomination is made plain by
a statement Issued by the Senator to
night. Mr. Foraker saya that he doee
not want any political honors from the
people of Ohio without their hearty ap
proval and he suggests that the proper
way to determine who is the choice of
the people to head the Republican Na
tional ticket and to represent the state
in the United States Senate is for the
Be publican State Executive Committee to
authorize a primary election to choose
delegates to the State Convention, which
will be called upon to determine these
questions.
The announcement of State Superin
tendent of Insurance Arthur I. Voris. that
he will support Mr. Taft for the Presi
dential nomination led Mr. Foraker, it
Is believed, to issue the statement out
lining his position. The Senator declares
he Is willing to go before the people on
his record, and that he has "nothing to
conceal from his constituents."
AVI 1 1 IMglit for Indorsement.
Mr. Foraker does not say that he will be
a candidate to succeed President Roose
, A yelt, bat it is generally understood among
his friends in "Washington that at a later
day he will formally announce his candi
dacy, and that, if the primary election
Is called In Ohio, he will enter the fight
to secure the indorsement of his own
state. Mr. Foraker, in his statement,
Bays:
T have been so busily occupied that I have
r.olther had time nor disposition to even
think about politics, either state or Na
tional, and especially politics that belong
to next year. It seems to me premature
to bo discussing- v hat is so far ahead. How
ever. In view of the interviews and an
nouncements appearing In the news, I feel
I may with propriety say I do not want any
political hone rs from the Republicans of
Ohio without their hearty approval.
Calls for Direct Primary.
In order that there may be no doubt as
to their preferences, I shall at the proper
t Ime request the Republican State Central
Committee to Issue a call for a Republican
state convention, to be composed of dele
Kates elected by Republicans of the state
at duly authorized primary elections, for
the purpose not only of nominating- candi
dates for atate offices to be voted for at our
next state election, but also to determine
the preference of the Republicans of Ohio
is to candidates for United States Senator
nd Fre14nt.
If this suKcstion should meet with fa
tor. It should be provided that the primary
elections shall be held at a convenient time,
long enough after the call has been Issued
:o enable all who are Interested in the
work of the convention to appear before
the people and discuss the public questions
Involved, so that the people may act In
telligently in the selection of their dele
gates, thus bringing this selection as nearly
to a direct popular vote as is possible under
the laws now in force.
I have no opinions to conceal from my
constituents and there -Is no point in my
public record as to which I am not ready
to render them a full account.
LINE DRAWN0N JAPANESE
Straus Issues Rules Restricting Im
migration to Mainland.
WASHINGTON. March 28. Secretary
Straus, of the Department of Commerce
and I-abor, today issued a number of reg
ulations relating to the coming of Japan
ese and Coroan laborers to the continental
territory of the United Stales. They fol
low: Aliens from Japan and Corea are subject
to the general immigration laws.
Every Japanese or Corean laborer, skilled
or unskilled, applying for admission at a
seaport or at a land border port of the
United states and having in his possession
a pasaport issued by the government of
Japan, entitling him to proceed only to Mex
ico, Canada or Hawaii, shall be refused ad
mission. If a Japanese or Corean laborer applies
for admission and presents no passports, it
shall be presumed that he did not possess
when he departed from Japan or Corea a
passport entitling him to come to the I'nl
td (States and that he did possess at that
time a passport limited to Mexico, Canada
or Hawaii.
Tf a Japanese or Corean alien applies for
admission and presents a passport entitling
him to anter the United States or one which
Is not limited to Mexico, Canada or Hawaii,
he shall be admitted if It appears that he
does not belong to any of the classes of
aliens excluded by the general Immigration
laws.
If a Japanese or Corean alien applies for
admission and presents a passport limited
to Mexico. Canada or Hawaii and claims he
Is not a laborer, either skilled or unskilled,
reasonable proof of this claim ahall be re
quired In order to permit him to enter.
When a Japanese or Corean alien Is re
jected as being a skilled or unskilled la
borer holding a passport limited to Mexico,
Canada or Hawaii, ha shall ba allowed the
right of appeal to tha Secretary of Cora
xuatca and labor under tha aamo condition
11
as attach to aliens rejected under the gen
eral Immigration laws.
If a Japanese or Corean skilled or un
skilled laborer is found in the continental
territory of the United States without hav
ing been duly admitted upon Inspection, the
procedure employed under the general im
migration laws for the arrest and hearing
of aliens who have entered the United
States surreptitiously ehall be observed, to
the end that the right of such alien to
remain in the United States may be deter
mined : and if It shall appear that such
alien has entered the United States since
the 1 th of March, 3907, the said alien
shall be deported, according to the pro
visions of sections 20. SI and 23 of the act
of Congress approved March 3. 1803 (and
after July 1, 1907), according to the pro
visions of the like numbered sections of the
act of Congress approved February 20. 1907.
In case any Japanese or Corean Is de
tained or denied admission by virtue of the
foregoing executive order, he shall, in ad
dition to being informed of bis right of
appeal to the Secretary of Commerce and
Labor, be ad-vised that be may communi
cate by telegraph or otherwise with any
dlplcmatic or Consular officer of his gov
ernment and shall be afforded opportunity
for so doing.
The Secretary Instructs the officials of
the department charged with the enforce
ment of the Immigration laws to see that
in the execution of these regulations
"scrupulous care shall be taken to see
that the courtesy and consideration
which the department requires in the
case of all foreigners, of whatever nation
ality, is shown to those affected by these
regulations." He says:
Officers of this department are hereby
warned that no discrimination .will be tol
erated and that those coming under these
regulations must be shown every courtesy
and consideration to which the citizens of
most favored nations are entitled when they
come to the United States. - -
NEGROES FIGHT OFFICERS
SOCIALIST FANATICS IN SOUTH
STAND SIEGE.
Three of Them Killed, Two Wounded
and Two Whites Wounded.
Claim Superiority to Law.
MUSKOGEE. I. T., March 26. As the
result of a battle between Federal au
thorities and members of ihje United So
cialists' Club, a society of negro fanatics
bearing commissions from a Cincinnati
detective association, this afternoon po
liceman John Cofield was seriously hurt,
Guy Klscho (white) was wounded, three
negroes were killed and two more se
verely wounded.
Cofield was shot while serving a writ
of ejectment on the members of the
society who had taken possession of a
house, refusing to pay rent or move,
declaring their authority was higher than
that of the United States. The entire
city and Marshal's force was called out
and attacked the homes in which the
negroes were barricaded, killing three.
There is no fear of a race riot. The
other negroes uphold the officers action.
Sam Barker. Elbert Barker and Wil
liam Scott were the negroes killed. Six
members of the organization. Including
their leader. Will Wright, a preacher,
are in jail tonight. During the trouble
50 shots were fired. Policeman Cofleld's
writ . of - ejectment was to have been
served on Sam Barker, who had rented
the house.
Tonight nearly everv white man in the
city is armed in anticipation of further
trouble. At this hour, however, all is
auiet. and because this particular band
of negroes is disliked by the others of
their race more trouble is not likely.
The United Socialists lived apart from
the other negroes and were known as
"money-finders," because it was their
custom to travel about af night and hunt
for burled money.
CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER
The Weather.
TESTER LVAY'S Maximum temperature, 5T
degrees ; minimum, Za.
TODAY'S Showers; southerly winds.
Foreign
Famine-stricken Chinese become cannibals.
Pas 3.
France announces determination- to get re
dress from Morocco, fage o.
Premier Stolypin agrees to abolish courts
martial. Page 5.
Whole of Rou mania In revolt and capital
threatened. Page 4.
Salvador asks Mexico to intervene in Cen
tral American war. rage 3
Xatlonal. Immigration Commission completed. Page 4.
Straus issues rules regarding Japanese' Im
migration- Page l.
President prepares to call election in Phil
ippines. Page 4.
Politics.
Foraker calls for primaries in Ohio to de
cide preference for President. Page 1.
New Tork city school teachers succeed, in
lobbying at Albany. Page 3.
Domestic.
Haskin on great newspaper editors. Page 1.
New Tork Stock Exchange recovers from
panic and prices advance. Page 2.
Commission In lunacy appointed, in . Thaw
case, fage l.
Robertson testifies against Hermann. Page
5.
Ex-Preident Cleveland receives birthday
gift from Princeton students. Page 2-
Battle with negro Socialists in Indian Ter
ritory. Page 1.
Nebraska Legislature passes law tor equal
taxation ox railroads, i'age 5.
New division created on Northern Pacific
Railroad. Page 5.
Deadlock in wage conference between West
ern roads and trainmen. Page 2.
Immense land frauds to be investigated by
federal grand jury at eneyenne. Page 4.
Pacific Coast.
San Francisco grand Jury discovers graft in
telephone tight at Oakland. Page 3.
Los Angeles millionaires testify about graft
in ban rTancisco. rage 3.
Commercial and Marine.
Oregon shippers rushing potatoes to San
Francisco. Page 1.
Heavy movement of foreign wools In the
East. Fags l.
Fluctuations In wheat at Chicago, page 17
Active support given stock market. Page IT.
Portland and Vicinity.
Mrs. N- "W. Ronntree brutally assaulted in
her noma by masked burglar. Page 1
Loggers association resents more of mill
owners to depress log prices. Page 12.
T. M. C. A.-T. W. C. A. solicitors Invade
slums; raise $10,000. Page 10.
Striking mUlmen assault nonunion laborer.
Page 12.
Mrs. June McMlllen Ordway tells story of
"Oregon" on witness stand. Page 11.
Drunken Finn runs amuck on steamer Has-
salo. Page 18.
Three brothers involved in divorce suit.
Page 11.
Tailoring shop damaged by fire. Page 19.
Auditor Devlin will open political cam
paign tonight. Page 11.
BRUTALLY
BEATEN
BY MASKED THUG
Mrs. N. W. Rountree
Robbed of Diamonds.
BURGLAR INVADES BEDROOM
Wife of Prominent Real Estate
Broker Knocked Senseless.
RINGS TORN FROM .EARS
Husband Finds Her Unconscious in
Pool of Blood on Returning
Hume Thief Overlooks $10,
000 Worth of Jewelry.
Cfhe of the most-dastardly crimes in the
police annals of Portland was committed
at the home of Newton W. Rountree, a
wealthy real estate "broker, about S o'clock
last night, when a masked burglar en
tered. the house,. 60 Ella street, and. mur
derously assaulted Mrs. Rountree and left
her for dead. The thug evidently had
watched the house and witnessed the de
parture of Mr. Rountree and his son Rob
ert, who left home about 7 o'clock to go
to Alnsworth; dock, where the younger
man took the steamship Columbia for
San Francisco en route to Tonopah, Nev.
Allowing the men to get well away from
the house, the lurking thug entered the
residence through a back window and
proceeded to ransack the premises.
Mrs. Rountree had retired for the night,
not dreaming of danger, and had fallen
asleep. She was aroused by a heavy hand
on her throat.
"Did Robbie get away all right?" she
asked, thinking her husband had re
turned. To her astonishment her question
was answered by an oath and a heavier
pressure on her throat, and a gruff voice
demanded all the money and valuables
In the house. "
. Dragged From Her Bed.
Frightened almost into Insensibility and
choking under the hand of the thief on
her throat, the unfortunate woman was
unable to make a move or reply. Drag
ging her unceremoniouslyvO'iit of her bed,
the masked man commanded her to show
him the hiding place of the family
jewelry and money.
As soon as his hold on her throat re
lazed Mrs. Rountree fell to the floor
half fainting, and her assailant, becom
ing angry, brutally kicked her. She was
bo terrified that for a moment she was
unable to utter a sound, although she
tried to shout for help. Then her voice
came back and she was about to call
for aid when the thus raised a revolver
or a sandbag and struck her over the
head, inflicting a severe scalp wound,
which rendered her unconscious. No
satisfied with his brutality, the thug
again grasped his victim by the throat
and nearly succeeded in strangling Mrs.
Rountree to death. When found uncon
scious by her husband two hours later
Mrs. Rountree's throat was bruised black
and blue, showing plainly the mark of
her assailant's' fingers.
While she lay prostrate at his feet the
thug jerked his victim's diamond ear
rings, valued at J200, from her ears, an
other evidence of .the murderously brutal
character of the burglar.
Finds House In Disorder.
On his return Mr. Rountree . mounted
CROWNING THE WORK . j
- .'. . . . . . 1
the steps in a pleasant humor, thinking
of the enjoyable trip his son would have
to the Nevada Eldorado. His happy
thoughts were dispelled on entering his
home. The first thing that greeted his
eye was the disordered parlor. The fur
niture had been turned topsy-turvy-Making
a dash for his wife's room, Mr.
Rountree was horror-stricken to see Mrs.
Rountree stretched silent and bleeding,
apparently dead, on the floor of the room
in a pool of her own blood. ' .
Without examining into her condition,
he rushed to the telephone and summoned
Dr. James F. Bell, the family physician,
who lives at 770 Irving street, not far
from the Rountree residence. Dr. Bell
came post haste and worked valiantly
over the unconscious woman. She soon
recovered consciousness and .was able to
tell what had happened. The physician
listened to the unfolding of the story of
Of VI !
! , i m t ! I
? "fi ry "' li
' Feler A. biolj-pln, premier T Rus
sia, Who Announce Relaxation of
Anti-Terrorist Rigor.
the shocking crime, and by administering:
stimulants kept the half fainting woman
from lapsing into unconsciousness again.
Arrest All Wanderers.
Captains of Police Slover and Bruin
soon arrived in response to a telephone
call sent in by Mr. Rountree. The de
tails of the affair were related to the of
ficers, while Mrs. Rountree was resting.
As soon as she was strong enough she
was permitted to tell the officers her
story, after which orders were sent to
patrolmen all over the city to arrest all
suspicious characters and bring them to
the citv Jail. Captain Bruin sent orders
to Ietectives Price and Hellyer', and all
others who could be reached by telephone,
to assemble at the station and await his
arrival.
The officers searched the premises from
top to bottom and found that every hid
ing place in the house had . been thor
oughly ransacked. At the conclusion of
the search Mr. Rountree announced that
he thought his wife' earrings were the
only valuables missing. The rest of Mrs.
Runtree's jewelry, which Is estimated to
be worth about J10.000, was secreted In
the family strong box, which was not
found by the burglar.
Suspects Some Ie gene rate. '
After the investigation Captain Bruin
said that he did not believe the act was
that of an American. He attributes it to
some degenerate foreigner and hopes to
capture the criminal by proceeding on
that theory. Only the meagre descrip
tion of the thief was furnished the po
lice by Mrs. Runtree.
Patrolman William Carr reported what
may prove ta valuable clue to the perpe
trator of the dastardly crime. Accord
ing to Carr, two shabbily-dressed men
accosted him at Park and Alder streets
at 6:30 o'clock last night and inquired the
way to Ella street. They, looked like
woodchoppers, but after he had directed
them to the street he thought it queer
that woodchoppers should wish to get to
that locality at that hour of the night,
and when he went off duty be reported
the 'matter to Captain Bruin, who gave
(Concluded on Page 3.
THAW CASE RESTS
WTH
COMMISSI
Court Orders Inquiry
into His Sanity.
THREE MEN OF HIGH REPUTE
Disappointment to Lawyers,
but Thaw Is Confident.
BELIEVES JUDGE IS FAIR
Prisoner Shows Fortitude, Though
Madhouse Looms Before Him.
Declares He Is Sane as
Judge Who Tries Him.
NEW TORK, March 26. Harry K. Thaw
may never again lace the Jury Impaneled
more than nine weeks ago to try him on
the charge of murder In the first degree.
Justice Fitzgerald today unexpectedly or
dered a commission In lunacy to inquire
!rito' the ' present state of mind of Stan
ford White's slayer. The decision of the
three disinterested men named to conduct
the Inquiry will guide the future action
of the court as to ordering Thaw to an
asylum or . directing that the trial shall
proceed. Justice Fitzgerald announced
the appointment of the commission pri
vately in his chambers.
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw was there with
the lawyers, and it became her task to
break the news to her husband in the
Tombs. Tearful when she left the Judge's
rooms in the Criminal Courts building,
the young woman was smiling and cheer
ful when Thaw was taken to the hospital
ward of the prison to meet her. Thaw re
ceived the court's decision philosophically
and said he had no. doubt the commis
sion would declare him a sane man.
Membership of Commission.
The commissioners appointed by Justice
Fitzgerald are: Morgan J. O'Brien, a for
mer Justice of the appellate division of
the Supreme Court; Peter B. Olney, ex
District Attorney of New York County
and a lawyer tof high attainments, and
Dr. Leopold Putzel, a practicing physician
and authority on mental diseases.
Ex-Justice O'Brien is one of the trus
tees with Grover Cleveland of the Hyde
stock in the Equitable Life Assurance So
ciety, purchased by Thomas F. Ryan Just
prior to the investigation. W hen he was
a candidate for re-election to the bench
in 1901 as a Democrat, Justice O'Brien
was unopposed. President Roosevelt made
the trip from Washington to Oyster Bay
to cast his ballot for him.
Before being elected District Attorney of
New Tork County in 18S3. Mr. Olney had
been a member, with William C. Whit
ney, of the commission appointed In 18S9
to revise the laws of the state affecting
public interests In New Tork City. He is
a graduate of Harvard.
Dr. Putzel Is. a eraduate of Bellevue
Hospital Medical School, and has had a
long experience in that Institution. He is
qualified before the State Medical Board
as an examiner In lunacy.
The Thaw jury was ordered last Friday
to report before Justice Fitzgerald
Wednesday, March 27, at 10:30 o'clock. At
that hour there will be present counsel for
both sides, the Jury being excused In
definitely. Whether or not Thaw will be
brought into court for this ceremony re
mains to be seen. His presence will not
be necessary.
No date has been fixed for the first
meeting of the commission. There will
probably be some definite announcement
on this point tomorrow, however, for the
law under which the commissioners were
appointed directs that they proceed with
their inquiry forthwith. Justice Fitzger
ald said It would rest with the commis
sion as to whether or not its hearings
shall be public. In the last case of this
sort in this Jurisdiction, the Inquiry into
the mental condtion of Josefina Terra-
nova, who killed her aunt and uncle, the
commission's Inquiry was secret. The girl
was declared sane and subsequently was
acquitted fey the Jury.
The sessions of the lunacy commission
will be attended by District Attorney
Jerome. The lawyers for the defendant
will also be present and the commission
may direct and compel the attendance of
any-witnesses it may desire. Thaw will
be asked first of all to submit to a rigid
physical examination.
It was said tonight by Thaw's counsel
that Thaw will do anything In his power
to aid the commission with its work, and
that he hopes for an early opinion as to
his sanity.
Surprise to Thaw's Lawyers.
Thaw's lawyers and the defendant him
self were surprised when they were first
made acquainted with Justice Fitzgerald's
decision, but were all pleased when the
latter announced the personnel of the
commission. Mr. Delmas In particular de
clared that Justice Fitzgerald could hard
ly have selected a more generally satis
factory commission,, one whose decision
would command more confidence and re
spect. Mr. Jerome seemed pleased at the
result of his efforts. Joslah and Edward
Thaw, brothers of Harry Thaw, and Eve
lyn Nesblt Thaw, his wife, were tele
phoned to by the attorneys and quickly
appeared at the Courthouse.
In announcing his decision today to ap
point a commission. Justice Fitzgerald
read a written memorandum. He based
his decision on the conflict of affidavits
as presented by the opposing sides, say
ing they were too diametrically at odds
to permit of a decision other than In fa
vor of an Impartial inquiry. After citing
the suggestion made In court by Mr. Je
rome and the various affidavits presented
on both sides. Justice Fitzgerald's mem
orandum reads:
Instructions to Commission.
I do, therefore, in pursuance of the stat
ute In such rases made and provided, hereby
appoint Morgan J. O'Brien. Peter B. Olney
and Leopold Putzel. M. D.. three disinterest
ed persons, a. commission forthwith to ex
amine into the mental condition of said
Harry Kendall Thaw and to deliver to the
court with all convenient speed the facts
and their opinions as to whether at the time
r such examination the said Harry Kendall
Thaw was in such a state of idiocy. Imbecil
ity a..d lunacy or Insanity as to be Incapable
of rightly understanding his own condition,
the nature 'of the charges against him and
or conducting his defense in a rational
manner.
As Messrs. Hartrldge; O'Reilly, Pea
body. Delmas, Gleason and McPike, the
six Thaw attorneys, left the judge's
chambers, one of them was beard to re
mark: "It could not be worse."
Later, however, the attorneys seemed
to hold a brighter view. Mr. Hartrldge
said:
T did not expect a decision of any sort
today, much less the one that was rendered.
we had bopert the trial might go on with
out further Interruption. The commission
will mean considerable delay. Now that the
decision has been rendered, however, it Is
hard to see how Justice Fitzgerald could
have done otherwise. Of course, there was a
conflict of affidavits and he can not under
stand how firmly Thaw's counsel believe in
hiB sanity.
Thaw Confident of Result.
Messrs. Hartridge and O'Reilly went
with Mrs. Evelyn Nesbit Thaw to the
Tombs and there In the hospital ward
they met the prisoner.
"It Is all right, dearie," he said to his
wife. "I am not afraid of a commission.
I am a sane man now, just as sane as the
judge himself, and I am sure that any
fair-minded commission will so declare
me."
When Mr. Hartrldge came out, he de
clared: "The fortitude of the boy (Thaw) as
tonishes me sometimes, and it certainly
did today."
Later Thaw sent out a statement as
follows:
"This thing is perfectly satisfactory to
me. I am sure I will be able to satisfy
the commission that I am sane at the
present time. Anything Justice Fitzger
ald does is all right. He has always
acted in a fair and Impartial manner."
The law under which the commission
was appointed today provides that the
commissioners must take oaths as ref
erees, they must be attended by the Dis
trict Attorney and counsel for the de
fendant and may compel the attendance
of witnesses. The statute then proceeds:
Law Regarding Insanity.
When the commissioners have concluded
their examination, they must forthwith re
port the facts to the court with their opin
ion thereon. If the commission finds the de
fendant insane, the trial or Judgment must
be suspended until he becomes sane, and the
court. If it deems his discharge dangerous
to the public peace or safety, must order
that he be, in the meantime, committed by
the Sheriff to a state Insane asylum and.
upon his becoming sane, he be redelivered
by the - superintendent of asylum to the
Sheriff.
When received Into an asylum he must be
detained there until he becomes sane. Then
the superintendent must give written notice
to the Judge of the court of the district In
which the asylum Is situated. The Judge
must require the Sheriff without delay to
bring the defendant from the asylum and
place him In the proper custody until be
be brought to trial, Judgment or execution,
as the case may be, or be legally discharged.
While the law simply prescribes any
state asylum, it is customary to send all
persons charged with Insanity to the
Matteawan asylum for the criminally In
sane. MAIL ARRIVES FROM SOUTH
Eighty Sacks Reached Seattle From
San Francisco.
SEATTLE, March 26. Mail for Portland
from San Francisco was sent by way of
Seattle today, when the eteamshlp Uma
tilla brought in 80 sacks of mall from the
South. Thirty of these sacks were In
tended for Oregon and were forwarded to
Portland this afternoon on the 1 o'clock
train. The mall is dated as' far as five
days before March 23, and was delayed
by the washouts on the Southern Pa
cific near Sacramento.
J. B. Amy, Sculptor.
PARIS, March 26. J. B. Amy, the sculp
tor, is dead.
VETERANS IN THE
EDITORIAL
Prominent Figures in
' Journalism.
"MARSE HENRY" WATTERSON
Kentucky Editor Guiding Spirit
of Democracy.
HALSTEAD OF CINCINNATI
Has Written for Forty Tears White,
law Reld and His Content With
Piatt H. W. Scott ot
The Oregonlan.
H
BT FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
WASHINGTON, March 21. (Special
Correspondence.) The most distinguished
figure among the veteran editors of
America is "Marse" Henry Watterson, of
the Louisville Courier-Journal. The great
scope of his experience Is better under
stood when It Is remembered that he used
to sit In the press gallery at Washington
by the side of Horace Greeley, and that
he reported the first inaugural of
Abraham Lincoln for the Associated
Press. Mr. Watterson is 67 years old,
just the age of his distinguished pred
ecessor, George D. Prentice, when his
career ended In his death. In his
memorial address to the General As
sembly Mr. Watterson thus referred to
his relationship with the famous Ken
tucky editor whose place he was to
nil:
"Tou will believe me sincere when I
tell you, paraphrasing the words of
Tyndall upon Faraday, how lightly ' I
hold the honor of being Prentice's
successor compared with the honor of
having been Prentice's friend. His
'mantle' Is a burden I shall never pre
tend to carry."
Notwithstanding his modest state
ment that he could not ' pretend to
wear the mantle of Prentice, Watter
son has won more fame as an editor,
has figured more prominently In Na
tional ipolitlcs and has been heard by
a wider audience as a lecturer.
Hand in All Platforms but One.
As a contemporary of Murat Hal
stead. Mr. Watterson became active in
politics In 1872, and between that time
arid 1892 no Democratic platform was
written without his aid and counsel.
He presided over the convention that
nominated Tllden, and was prominent
as a leader and platform framer until
the convention of 1896, which nomi
nated William Jennlngra Bryan upon a.
free-silver platform and called forth
from Mr. Watterson, then In Switzer
land, the famous telegram, "No com
promise with dishonor" a message
that decided W. N. Haldeman, owner
of the Courier-Journal, to bolt the
Democratic ticket and espouse the
cause of McKlnley.
Unlike Prentice, who averaged 13 V.
hours of work a day up to the time
of his last illness, Mr. Watterson Is
not a drudge. He writes when the
spirit moves- him, and never "fights
space." Sometimes he writes twice a
week, sometimes three times, some
times every day, but never, even when he
Is busiest, is there anything in the na
ture of routine In it. Plunging into a
subject that interests him, he will
work like a Trojan as long as he likes.
Then he is off for a lecture tour or
quiescent at his country home until his
eye, runiilng over the news columns,
is 'caught by something that calls forth
another broadside. At the Courier
Journal office he is a privileged char
acter. He goes to Europe when he
cares to, and returns when he feels
like it. His weeks or months of work
are no more prescribed than his days
and hours.
No Poker Nor Juleps.
Prentice, it was often said, knew
little about the "news end" of his
paper and cared less. Mr. Watterson
does not, of course, take active su
pervision of the news columns, but
woe betide the night editor who does
not know every one of "Marse, Hen
ry's" rules governing the "make-up"
of the Courier-Journal. The typo
graphical, tone and dignity of the
paper must be as rigidly maintained
as the quality and integrity of the
editorial columns, and the copy editor
who does not live by the Wattersonlan
law perishes without the law.
.One of Mr. Watterson's biographers,
a former managing editor of his
paper, wrote an article some time ago
for a New York periodical, In which
he said that Mr. Watterson usually
dashed off his editorials at his club
and spent the rest of the evening in
a social game of draw poker or "mak
ing the roulette wheel look like the
aurora borealis." The article called
from Mr. Watterson a heated reply. In
which he stated that he was weary of
having his name coupled with Julep
Jokes and stories about all-night gam
bling, that he had not played . poker
for years, had never drunk a mint
Julep in his life, nor even raised a
sprig of mint on his farm.
Concerning the question of Mr. Watter
son's salary there has been no little dis
cussion. Ask In the counting-room of
the Courier-Journal and you will be an
swered with a shrug and a smile perhaps
with the statement that, whatever It is,
.Concluded on Paso 2.)