The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-04-02
James Gordon Bennett.


"When our ships cone saiiih: home
SS
James Gordon Bennett.
when he set up to the Hsrald (May 6.
1885. in the basement OF No. 20 Wall
street,. met with any amount Ut Opp0.
sition from the other newspapers on ac.
count Of the chcapness Of his journal,
its superior enterprise and its offensive
personality. His contemporaries assail-
ell him savagely. not without apply.
ing to him. every epithet that could
insult or wound. Bennett gave quite
as good as he got and in tar more
effective style, since he dill not l'se
temper, AMI substituted ridiculc for
denunciaiion. Throughout his whole
editorial career he never INDUCED in
mere vulgar abuse. In place Of this
he used satire, audacious assumption
anil a mock heroic manner, whic. Ell.
ragei his adversaries much mere than
If nc had hurled hack their terms.
such rs villain. blacA-maiier, liar.
coward, black guard, outlaw and the
like. His articles OH Wall Street,
done BY himself, made him many enc.
mics: caused any humber of threats
and several personal rencounters.
James Watson Webb. then editor OF
the Courier and Inquirer. attacked
Bennett with cane, and the day fol-
lowing the Herali published u long
and ludicrOus account of the affair.
which, rs may be inferred. did not re-
feet pleasantly upon the assailant.
About that time Bennett dubbed Webb
"Chevalier, " and continued t. call him
50 up to the time of his retirement
from New York journalism. The
Herald was always a thorn in the side
Of Webb, who, being a vain, pom.
pous, turveydrop sort Of a person,
deeply impressed with a sense Of his
own dignity and the dignity Of jour-
nalism, was no match in controversy
for the light skirmisher, Bennett, who
fought out of all rule. Webb cor
daily de,ested Bennett. and never rec.
ognized him, for. as he was fond Of
saying. he was entirely devoid Of the
instincts Of a gentleman-after the
latter had founded the Herald. Ben
nett seemed to bear no special malice
toward the Chevalier, although he
delighted to shoot satirical arrows at
him, for he was Just the kind of tar.
get the editor of the Herald liked, and
he filed him full Of inky missiles.
DIsCRIMINATING ENMIrY.
Bennett punished some OF his enc
mics by letting them alone severely.
John Graham. . criminal lawyer Of
some local reputation and extremely
irascible disposition, got SO angry at
certain reflections in the Herald on his
professional management ola case that
he assaulted its editor one day on Full.
ton street. From that day to the day
Of his death Bennett never permitted
Graham's name to appear in his col
umns, and the lawyer whose client and
associates were readers OF the Herald,
IS said to have sworn himself purple in
The face hundred times at this studied
omission. He declares is still !
it cost him thousand |
If dollars. Bennett knew his man,
md exactly where and how to hurt |
aim. He pursued the same course !,
.oward other men who had given him !;
,6ense. always discriminating between |
hose who would feel iwronged BY ST.
ence and those who would suffer from |
,rinted gibes. Those who were init
nate with him say that his fondness
or personalities arose more from poll
y than malighity. The one object he
yer had in view was to make the
Herald talked about, and he did not
,elieve he could accomplish this 50
eadily by any other means. During
weuty years Of his life no journalist
a the whole Republic had half 90
many enemies as Bennett; and yet be
herished hostility toward very few Of
is fellows, with whom, indeed, he had
carcely any associations. He was for
he most part . solitary. He cared
othing for society; his whole thought
nd Life were devoted to the Herald,
his days and nights between
Is Office and his home. Some years
efore be died he had largely with
rawn from the management Of the
aper and had become more . name
han . power. He outlived most Of
Is enemies. though one ofthe bitter
It, James Watson Webb, survived
i'm. and even to this day is reputed
, be inimical to the dead journalists
lemOrY.