The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-25
FOUR GREAT EDITORS.
In Their Day They Male and In
made Presidents.
GREEDY. BENNETT. WEED, RAY
M0ND.

Their Methods-A Notable Quartet.
o. course Frederick Hudeon's History
of American journalism has made the
world aoquain ted with those Washington
editors, Duff Green and Francis P. Blair
ST., who made or unmade Presidents in
antebellum times; yet more conspicuous
than they in President making and I'M
making were the members of what may
be termed New York's great editorial
quartette, Thurlow Weed, James Gordon
Bennett, ST., Horace Greeley and Henry
]. Raymond, writes A. Oakley Hall in
the Washington Star.
Before referring to them personally in
detail it can be prefaoed that political
history makes Thurlsw Weed entirely 40
countable for the respective nominations
and elections of William Henry Harrison,
Zachary Taylor, Willard Fillmore and
Andrew johnson. In their respective
campaigns Thurlow Weed was the man
ager of their party machine in New York
state, and through his influential dele
cation and personal magnetic influence
| the more potent because he never sought
political preferment-both Webster and
Clay, the real party fayorites in 1910 and
4 lS4s, were set aside in favor of Harrison,
the hero OF Tippecanoe, and Taylor, the
hero of Buena Vista. Although both
Fillmore and johnson wers elected Vice
Presidents, and succeeded to the White
House by deaths, it was MIR. Weed who
selected the former and fairly forced him
ON the nominating convention, and IN
case of Johnson set aside the incumbent,
Hannibal HamIin, against much sympa-
| thy and political strength. Oddly enough
by the deaths of Harrison and Taylor
and Lincoln, Mr.. Weed vastly lost politi-
cal prestige, because Taylor, his own
nominee, Fillmore and johnson were no
sooner in White House power than they
parted political company with Mr.. Weed.
| Oddly enough, also, two of his candi-
date, Gen. Scott in 1859 and Gen, FIRE.
mont in 1866. were unsuccessful, and
again lost him political prestige. His
cherished aims in 1860 to give the presi-
denoy to William H. Seward-whom he
had made governor Of New York state in
1s4s and placed on the road to great
craftsmanship also unsuccessful,
and ever thereafter his political prestige
as party manager slowly faded.
! James Gordon Bennett, while an editor
of great party organ, the New York
Courier and Enquirer-afterward alb
sorbed into the New York World-did
| much toward the election in 1886 Of Mar
tin Van Bruen, and again in 1858 greatly
aided the fortunes Of President Pleros by
| his sarcastic salliss against the Weed
candidate, Gen. Scott, to whom he gave
the soubriquet of "Old Fuss and Feath-
ers," that disadvantaReously chung TO
| him throughout his disastrous campaign.
But in 1865, when Pierce desired renomf-
| nation, Mr.. Bennett turned against him
and practically unmade him, while
strongly. fayoring Buchanan in his then
powerful newspaper, the New York Her.
aid.
Horace Greeley shared with Mr.. Weed
| the making of Harrison in 1910, of Taylor
in 1S4s and of Lincoln in 1860, but sadly
| failed in 1879 In his endeavors to unmaka
President Grant for a second tsrm.
Henry J. Raymond had his full share
| in the making of Generals Scott and
Fremont candidates, and in the making
of lincoln after he received, against Ray
mond's influence, the nomination-and
also of General Grant In his first terms
When Mr.. Weed and large section Of
the party of Andrew johnson deserted
HIM, Mr.. Raymond's spen was that
Presidents support in what might be
termed his remaking. But Mr.. Ray
mond, unlike the other three Of the quar-
tette, never had share of unmaking any
resident.
FOUNDING OF FOUR GREAT
DAILIES.
| Although all of this famous editorial
quaretet are dead each lives to marked
extent In the journals that each founded
the Albany Evening journal, the New
York Herald, the Now York Tribune and
the New York Times. 1t was my good
fortune to know personally ala of them,
to have been on intimate terms with
three Of them.
| Mr.. Bennett was q native Scot; Me.
Greeley took birth among the granite
|
der the shadows of the Catskill mountain
about the time Rip Van Wrinkle was
still sleeping there, and Mr.. Raymond's
infant eyes first opened on the Green
mountains of Vermont
! Circumstances strangely threw together
the quartette at the very commencement
Of their journalistic careers In 1910 Messrs
Weed and Greeley were editorially cooper
ating for the cause of "Tippeoanoe and
| Tyler, roo.'' Mr.. Bennett had been serv-
| ing for the same cause as subeditor 90 the
| Courier and ENQUIRER. When Mr.. Ben
nett quilted that employment to found
like Greeley one or two minor and
comparatively unsuccessful journals, and
next. in 1926 to originate tho New York,
Herald, Mr. Raymond succeeded HIM in
the Courier some years later, and next,
| leaving that post took employment I'M