The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-03
STATESMEN EDITORS.
NEWSPAPER MEN WHO ARE NOW
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

There Is a Score of Them and They Take
q Back Seat for Nobody--Many Of Them
Began Life at the Lowest Bound as
Printers Devils.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, March Mot all of the
journalists in the capital city are engaged
in watching and reporting the doings OF
statesmen. Some of them are statesmen
themselves. In the present congress there
is an unusually large number of gradu-
ates from the printing Office and the edi-
torial sanctum. which together are an Alma
Mater to so many of the men who have dis
tinguished themselves in the public life OF
this country.
All told, there is more than score OF
editors. printers and publishers in this con-
gress. They are among the brightest and
most useful men in the Capitol. In their
ranks are orators, soldiers, men of COM
manding influence and high qualities OF
craftsmanship. The journalists OF con-
gress take a back seat for nobody As
rule they are thinkers rather than takers.
Not trained to public speaking, as the law
yers are, they do not often strain them
selves TO catch the speakers eye. But talk
does not make statesman any more than
much barking indicates a dangerous dog.
In the senate, which is said to be rich
mans club, we would not expect to see a
great number of editors-for editors rarely
become very rich. Amos Cummings did
say a few weeks ago, in speech In the
house on the Worlds fair, that he knew
an editor Charles A Dana, of The sum-
who received an annual salary of $500
There may be other editors who draw
princely salaries, but these men would
rather manage their great newspapers
than sit in the senate. The most conspicu-
Gus journalistic senator we have is General
Hawley, of Connecticut, and he has been
an editor for nearly third of a century.
A native of North Carolina, be drifted
north. was educated in New York, prac-
ticed law in Connecticut for six years and
in 1851 became editor of the Hartford Press.
Ten years later that paper was merged
into the Hartford Courant, OF which Gen
eral Hawley has ever since been the actual
or nominal editor. 1t is one of the leading
journals of New England, scholarly and
able.
The public service has, however, de-
manded more of General Hawley's atten-
tion than his newspaper. A brilliant Ca
reer in the army, the presidency Of the
Centennial commission, five years in the
house and eleven years in the senate have
interfered with his newspaper work, but
not with his love for newspapers. Even
now, though one of the most industrious
men in the senate, he occasionally finds
time to write editorial articles for his paper.
In all the senate there is no more able, well
balanced, eloquent and universally re-
spected man than this editor-soldier from
the Nutmeg State.
An all around newspaper man is Senator
Hansbrough, of North Dakota, and popu-
lar and useful as he is in the senate hear
he would be a deal happier were he back
in the editorial sanctum. When a lad OF
seventeen or eighteen Hansbrough was a
printers devil at San Jose, Cal. He was
roller boy, cub and carrier on an even
ing paper. When only twenty one he and
another young printer, becoming ambi-
tious, started daily paper Of their own.
! They didn't get rich, and Hansbrough soon
went to San Francisco and worked ON The
Chronicle as Slug 19''-all printers viii
know what that means-and on the lad. "
| cases.
| From the composing room he went into
the editorial den as proofreader, telegraph
and news editor and wound up as assistant
managing editor. Eleven years of night
woodwork which grinds the life out of
body and mind-left him in i'll health, and
he drifted east in search of strength; did
some newspaper work in Chicago; wrote
/ county histories in Wisconsin; published a
paper at Baraboo, that state; caught the
| Dakota fever, migrated to the new coun-
try and published daily paper at Grand
| Forks, and finally a weekly at Devils Lake
appropriate place for printers devil to
| establish himself in. Of course he drifted
! into politics-came to congress, made a
| good record, was defeated for denomination
| and by way Of vindication was sent to the
! senate for six years. Here he is-a senator
| but an editor still.
'There is no happiness like that to be
| found in printing office" he said to me
/ today; there is true independence, freedom
! of thought and action. Every day of my
/ life am tempted to write of things see
and hear The senate cloakroom is q
great place for stories and political secrets
you know, and the newspaper instinct once
reused can never be put down"
Senator PETER is a newspaper man too
! Nearly forty years ago he was a farmer in
the backwoods of ST. Joseph county Ind
"And my farm was not as big as the floor
of the main building of the Chicago
World fair" he says-when the ambition
seized him to become an editor. He went
up to the little town of Mishawaka and
bought a paper. He learned to set type
too, and after the war this knowledge en-
abled him TO earn a living for time be
60 h. ,y,4n tho of 1ayC He
published newspapers in Tennessee and
Kansas, and finally became editor of the
Kansas Farmer In the senate Mr. PETER
is fast becoming popular. He is as plain
! and honest as an old farm horse, and there
! is heap in his queer looking old head.
In the house we journalists of the press
gallery look down upon the floor and ses
our managing editors, our bosses, cur as
sociates Perhaps the most conspicuous
Journalist on the floor is Boutelle, OF
Maine. A big, handsome fellow he is
! with a voice TO awe. an eye to command
Somewhat ferocious of appearance, and al
/ ugly antagonist in debate. the twinkle IL
his big, blue eyes bespeaks the humor and
the good nature which form such a large
and admirable part of his composition. Ht
is bitter partisan, and loves to hur
bricks at the opposition. but he fights 81
fairly and good naturally that the enemy
rather likes it. At any rate they respect
his consistency. Bouteile is one of the
noted orators of the house. He not only
has a voice which fills the hall and bring
the loungers out of the cloakroorns and of
the sofas, but he always has something Il
say.
4 month or so ago Boatelle delivered II
the house one of the most reuarkabi,
speeches ever heard in that body. 1t was
speech 80 full of humor, OF satire. OF irony
OF hard hits. that even its victims roareC
with laughter while ex-Speaker Reed wa.