New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-22
THTRLOW WE'D.

THURLOW WE'D.
T death o. ThurlOw Weed, which IS mo-
mentarily expected as we 90 10 press, VIII remove
! from among us an interesting and unique Inquire.
| Halt a century ago he was great power III pol
| tics He was one of the most anrOlt party
managers and one of the most effective party
| Journalists ever produced in a commonwealth
| which has cultivated the art OF political mah-
agcmept and political journalism more thor
ongllv than any other State in the Union.
Without ambition for Office, he gave all his
shrewdness, his energy and his pertinacity to the
work of the caucus and the campaign, loving
the contest. and content that others should col
lect the spols. He was tue object OF great
deal of censure. not all of it deserved. The
public is ready to think the worst OF politicians
| whose methods it does not understand anu
| whose motives are not tr2nsparently common.
! Mr.. Weed had q strong natural taste Tor man
! ipulating men and the crowd assumed that he
bought them. But time did him Justice; and
| in his old age he obtained the honor which
| probably he did not much care for in his prime.
lie was the last of his school of editors and
politicians. The Press exerts influence now in
ways very different from those which prevailed
when he controlled The Albany ECening
Journal and when So much of the work Of the
political convention was done IN the news
paper sanctum. In general it may be said that
the old school editor tried to manage the poll
tcians, or was managing politician himself,
and his successor finds his true function in IN
| fuencng the voters. This is principally the
| result of the change in the general character
of newspapers brought about by the enormous
increase in the circulation of the metropolitan
Press journalist who speaks to three or
four hundred thousand readers every morning
deals with affairs IN n larger way than one who
addresses only twenty thousand. But. more
| over, the nature of political work has changed
since Mr. Weed went into retirement. 1t has
become more Vulgar. The machine is not an
| invention of orr day, but it has been prt TO a
| score of new uses, and the new men who run it
| belong to "a much lower type of lntrigners and
Office brokers than the astute and brilliant
managers who measured wits with the Albany
| Regency. We can estimate the difference be-
| tween the two classes of men by imagining
how the present race Of politicians Will be Ie-
garded by the next generation if. like Mr.
Weed, they outlive their day Can anybody
| conceive OF Mr. John +. Snyth or Mr. Stephen
3. French, at the age Of eIghty-fve holding a
place in the public regard comparable TO that
enjoyed so long by the veteran editor and
politician 7.
In his last years the generosity of Mr.. Weeds
nature, overlooked but never overcome in the
excitement Of political controversies, was uni
vorsally recognized. His fellow citizens of all
parties had kindly feeling for him. and even
something more. They applauded INN when
rod in liz list yyith in
tcrest 10 his "reminiscences of the distinguished
pelsonages With whom lie bad been concerned
aud the historic scenes which lie had wit
messed they sought his opinions upon current
affairs and his judgment of public characters.
At his iireside, surrounded by his books, his
manuscripts and all tho comforts of happy
home, he loved to talk upon the concerns Of the
active world from whose noise he had retired /;
whatever stirring event became the topic of
the day, one Of the first impulses OF the enter
prispg reporter was to find out what ThurlOw
Weed had 10 say about it. Often--as. for in
stance, in matters OF tinance-his Judgment did
not accord with the sober thought of the cOun
Try but his conversation, like his frequent
letters to this journal on miscellaneous affairs
Was always shrcNd and suggestive, and the
iDterVis"er" never came away from Mr.
Weeds study without notes that were worth
printing. But probably nothing commended
his utterances moro strongly to tho attention of
Tie pu0ilc than Il certain digniied and unc0n-
scious aniabiity which coored them. The
word loves gentle old man and it is always
Impressed when one who has seen so mueh of
the ugly side OF life moves 10 his end serene
and content with mankind