The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-12
HON. WHITBLAW REID.

The nomination of Hon. Whitelaw
Reid for Vice-president is, in some re-
spects, new departure in American
politics. Mr.. Reid has never been
known as politician, in fact has never
been In active politics except as the
editor of great party paper. Hereto
lore candidates for Vice president. rs
Well as for President, have generally
Deen taken from among those who have
been prominently identified with "prac-
teal" politics. Nobody will think any
worse of Mr.. Reid that he has not been.
lie mes, OF course, always been a very
pronounced and very aggressive Re-
publican, but he has not been known as
professional politician.
His nomination is unique In another
respect, in that he Is the first profess
lonal Journalist ever placed on the
national ticket by the Republican party.
Horace Greeley, who founded the great
paper which Mr.. Reid now edits and
mainly owns, was nominated for Presi-
dent by the Democrats when they had
no expectation, of succeeding. Hon.
Schuyler Colfax, who was elected
Vice-president with Grant in 1863,
had been a journalist, but he had
been in politics and in Congress so
long that his original profession had
been lost sight of. Mr.. Reid stops at
once from the editorial sanctum into the
arena of national politics, a working
Journalist one day and a candidate for
Vice-president of the United States the
next. This is as much a recognition of
the journalistic profession as it is of Mr..
Reid's high character and great ability.
1t shows that in American politics the
very highest honors are open to NOM
bers of profession which, as rule,
does a great deal more towards secur-
ing hOnOrs for others.
Mr.. Reid belongs to the list of distin-
guished Americans who owe their sue
cess to merit and who have achieved
renOwn by deserving it. He began his
professional career as a newspaper man
at the bottom of the ladder, serving
first as reporter and then as editor of
weekly PAPER, eking out his meaRer in
come by corresponding for city papers.
During the war he became widely
known as the war correspondent of the
Cincinnati Gazette over the signature
of agate" and later he became the
Washington correspondent of the same
paper. 1t was while serving in this ca
pacity that he attracted the attention of
Horace Greeley, who recognized his
ability and subsequently offered him a
responsible position on the New York
Tribune. From that time his advance
ment was steady and rapid TO the ed
itOrial control and finally to the chief
ownership of the Tribune.
While Mr.. Reid's business career may
be said to have been fortunate. some
would say lucky, it is the kind of fort
une and luck that come only to great
merit and hard labor. He has fairly
earned every advancement he has had.
Going to New York at the age of thirty
or thereabout. entirely unknown, he ad-
vanced steadily to the head of the news
paper profession, and has long been
recognized as one of the foremost citi-
zens of the metropolis. For many years
a central figure in club life and social
life, a favorite after-dinner speaker and
popular all-around. orator, there are few
persona in New York bettsr known to-
day than the young man who went
there twenty five years ago with scarce
ly dozen acquaintances in the city.
Such success as this does not come to
ordinary ability nor to ftful endeavors.
1t bespeaks nigh order of talent and
persistent, we'll directed effort. There
fore, we repeat, Mr.. Reid has earned all
the success he has achieved.
Few men have been able to do more
for the country as foreign representa-
tive than Mr.. Reid did during his term
as minister to France. He is a born
diplOmatist. possessing in high degree
the quick intelligence, the suavity of
manner and that kind of knowledge of
how to do things that enables man to
make circumstances serve him and to
secure the cooperation of others almost
against their will. His success in get
ting removed the French interdict
against the admission of American pork
furnishes very practical proof of his
diplomatic skill. and fully entities him
to the gratitude of his countrymen. In
all respects Mr.. Reid is a fine represent
alive of the best type of American citi-
zenship and fitting running mate for
Benjamin Harrison.
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