The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-10
JOHN W. FoREKY.

The death OF Col. John ". Fcrney,
In Philadelphia, on Friday morning,
removes from this world one of Amer
ica's great journalists, and one who
was entitled to be called statesman.
Though he was man afflicted with
prejudices so strong as to sometimes
warp his judgment, and not intre-
ouently LEAD him into saying and
doing things which his calmer and
better reason opposed, he was yet a
man who was guilty of fewer blunders
Ia life than most men of prominence
in politics. Ferney was politician.
and more 30 in the patriotic sense
than in the demagogic, though
he was not without the
elements of a demagogue of the bet
ter class. It was in journalism, how
ever, that he was most brilliant. He
should never have gone outside the
editorial field, for in it ne had the
power which could not be attained
elsewhere. He mad been trained in the
profession. having been an apprentice
in his youth in the Office OF the old
Lancaster pa Journal. Before he
Vas 90 years OF age he became editor
Of the paper, and Joint proprietor.
His ambition, as well as his ability,
led him to Philadelphia, where be
went in 1916, being then % years of
sge-as editor of the Pennsylvania,
the chief organ of the Pennsylvania
democracy. From 1851 to 1856 be
was clerk of the National House of
Representatives, but maintained
his editorial connection with
bis newspaper until 1854, when he
became editor of the Union, the dem.
ocratic organ Of Washington. It was
in this capacity that he did effective
work to secure the election Of James
Buchanan. In '57 Forney wanted to
60 to the Senate, but was defeated by
Simon Cameron. The same year he
founded the Philadelphia Press, as an
Independent democratic daily, and
which paper is to-day one of the
Quaker city's most stable journale.
The Press became the organ OF the
Douglas democracy, and Forney
opposed Buchanan as yehemently SIS
he had supported him. He was
again made clerk of toe House of
Representatives (1859-61). At the
opening of the late war he became
one of the blacklist of black repub-
licans. If he had been a bitter
democrat, he was gall as q
republican, nothing that be could
charge sgsinet the democrats being in
his opinion too severe. 1t was THE
changing of politics which secured
for him the secretaryship OF the SEN
ate in 1861, which he retained till
1868. Hescontinued as proprietor of
the Press and corresponding editor,
and also started the Washington
Chronicle. After he left the Senate
Forney made the grand tour of Eu-
rope which gave him the material for
the series OF brilliant letters published
in the Press and Chronicle, which
added greatly to the circulation of
those papers, and gave to the writer
6 world vide reputation. Ten years
ago Forney disposed of the Chronicle,
and for q time confined himself te
the Press, but age creeping on HIM
he found it necessary TO decrease
his labors. He retired from
the Press three or four years age, and
stared Progress, in Philadelphia, a
weekly journal which has been Only
moderately successful. The nomina-
ton of Hancock last year again
brought Forney back to his first love,
the democratic party. He was a
Wsrm admirer of General Hancock,