The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-17
SAME DID FOR BOTH
HOW A PAPER CHANGED ITS ALLIE
GLANCE IN ONE NIGHT.
The Resourceful Management Triumphed
Over the Treaehery Of Macbeth and
Buried HIM Too Deep For ResurreCtiop
ON Election Day.

on Election Day.
Among my numerous occupations while
out west was that of journalist. The poll
tics Of cur paper was occasionally Demo
cratic and occasionally Republican. Once
we came very near being PopuIist, but
they could not make up the $500, go we
went Republican after all Ny career as
a newspaper man, though brief, was as
full Of incidents as a policeman is of i'm
portance, and it was not lacking in ex-
element. We were generally in state Of
extreme poverty, but at the first of every
month enough money was collected to
pay the Office rent and the expense of a
champagne luncheon. We always indulg-
ed in the latter function and then could
safely swear to the duns that we had no
money with which to pay bills, but II
they wanted to take it out in advertise
ments or puffs We were ready and willing
to attend to them. Mostly when they saw
that nothing else remained they would do
SO, but some came with a Colts Is per-
suader and would not leave until they had
received the money or its equivalent,
which in our case, I remember, consisted
of an order for three plug hats on the 10
cal halter
The one great event, however, on
which I look back with pride was the
changing of the politics of the paper in
one night. 1t was the occasion Of the
city elections, and two candidates were
running for mayor. The Democrat, a
Scotchman named Macbeth, had pur-
chased our support, and we had got up
first class edition, full Of sketches and ar
ticles, all telling what an excellent man
be was and how the future prosperity of
Arizona depended upon his election.
had fixed up joke which made myself.
1t ran something like this:
IAN sportsmen should remember
Shakespeare's words and LAY on, Mac
Beth"
Besides his we had three chalk plate
etchings, one Of them representing Mao
Beth, the Democrat, and Talbot, the Re-
publican, in fighting costume, Talbot in a
state of collapse on the floor, with Mac
Beth, surrounded by spectral looking an.
gels, standing over him, with the smile Of
victory upon his face. Underneath this
work of art we're the words, Virtue tri-
umphs, you bet"
The last sheet Of the paper consisted of
articles showing beyond doubt that Talbot
was q confirmed drunkard, horse thief,
wife beaten, hog thief and various other
things. 1t also proved Exclusively that
his name was not Talbot; that he had only
taken to the cognomen after leaving Sing
Sing prison seven years back, where he
had been sent for forgery and arson.
This article was illustrated by cut
showing him in his prison clothes, taken
from q photograph in the rogues' gallery,
as was quantity set forth
Yes, it was a beautiful edition, and the
editors felt justly proud of it-so proud
indeed that they borrowed 50, and taking
proof copy with them set up the drinks.
After indulging until the United States
coin at their disposal was gone they de-
parted with the proof to the house of the
candidate for mayor. Joy was in their
hearts, and they caroled as the house of
Macbeth burst into view. Alas! fearful
and ghostly shock awaited them there.
Macbeth met them at the door, invited
them in, gave them glass Of whisky and
cent cigar apiece, looked at the paper
and was delighted with it, but he refused
to pay the $500 agreed upon. He said that
he did not believe in bribery and corrup-
ton.
Cunning Macbeth! He saw that tho
time remained to change it. He also
But there he was wrong.
The editors staggered from the house in
q dazed state. Where was all their Doodle?
Gone. Where was that months spree they
intended having? Gone. All was gone
but honor, and there was very little of that
left.
I was in the printing office when they
arrived and at once knew that something
awful had happened-they were sober.
Cocker" they gasped simultaneously,
1--WE are lost, broke up, bust up, all gone
to smash. Macbeth won't put up the
boodle''
The shock was terrible one, but bore
up, and suddenly a magnificent thought
burst upon me.
Quick" shouted; "change the
names 30
"What do you meant" said one.
''Why, don't you see, Macbeth and Tai
bot look like one another, at least my por-
traits of them do, and the articles will do
for one just as we'll as the other with the
names changed. Run out the revised
proof, take it to Talbot and see if he will
come down with The stuff.
The compositors, who looked suspicious.
~, like the editors, changed the names,
made few alterations in such words as
Democratic, and in two hours the proof
was submitted to Talbot, who put up, or
rather down, $780,
The next morning, to the Undesirable
rage of Macbeth, the paper came out a
flaring Republican sheet. Talbot, the Re-
publican, won by large majority
our influence, we always claimed.
In one political election, however, Wa
did not come out on top. No paper came
out at all, in fact, as four of the opposi
ton were sitting in our printing loom
with loaded Winchesters and Colts. One
editor was in jail, end hes!dss we were out
of paper.
Some kind friends, headed by an old fell
low whom we had casually alluded to as
"a mean spirited hog, with a nature like
a coyote and a smell like dead 2reaser,"
We're locking fer Us, so we took prospect
ing trip into the mountains, returning
after the election was over.
We were stanch Democrats when ,sts
john Z. Cocker in Detroit Tribune.