Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-19
Mr.. Jones. of Arkansas.,

exigency of the time Washington, while
the greatest war in the nineteenth GEN.
fury furnished Mr.. Lincoln, Generals
Sherman. Thomas and others of the
North, and to the South Lee. and john
stons, and Beauregard. The present
political campaign Is unique In thls-that
both parties have vested power almost
autocratic in the two men having charge
Of the party machinery. The Republic
cans have turned over the supreme COM
mand to Mr.. Mark Hanna, upon the
theory that a man who has managed
great private enterprise with such skill
as Mr.. Hanna has shown in conducting
his commercial business, and so
"groomed' TO quote a phrase OF the
racing stable a candidate that he had
a practical walkover at the national
nominating convention of his party, can
be trusted to finish successfully the WORK
he has thus far so efficiently directed.
Mr.. Jones marshals and posts the Demo-
cratic legions.
When the great tariff fight was on In
the United States Senate, Mr.. Jones o.
Arkansas. was selected to take command
OF the battle line for his faction. How
skilfully he conducted the fight IN
snatching Vctory-at least twice-tron
the very laws of defeat is now a part Of
our political history. Never was the ex-
citing game, the stake in which was
political ascendancy, played with more
consummate skill. The administra-
ton. with it's vast power-in some things
was against Mr.. Jones. To the man
outside the lines-be he well-wisher or
onronent-it twice seemed as II the
Arkansan was downed. But with
calm courage that was never daunted,
and an ability in political combinations
that has not had its equal in the memory
of the Oldest political managers, Senator
Jones outlined and fought out his cam
paign. He kept his own counsel. he
had but few advisers, and fewer conn.,
dental friends. And he won as great
victory as was ever gained on political
field.
Since then he has been known to the
country as one of the Democratic party
ablest leaders And as he has been IN
trusted with the highest authority that
can be bestowed upon the chairman OF
a national committee in the conduct OF
campaign. something about the man upon
whom such responsibility has been Iald
may be of interest.
James Kimbrough Jones comes OF thal
old, hard-fghting, pioneer stock that mas
made Tennessee and Kentucky influence
predominant in the South and South-
west for a hundred years. Ihat MS
father was a Tennesseean from the lime
stone country of that great state one
would know without being told, Tor no
where upon this earth where those oil
Anglo-Saxon blood and breed toresather
are such sons of Anak, physical
int
found as came from the country with
wonderful limestone substratum, covered
with the true blue-gr that makes GER
tain counties Of Tennessee and Kentucky
neerless In their breed of FLOODED
horses and fine fbered. stalwart hard
fighting men. Senator Joness grand
father was one Of the tall "Buckskins,
the famous rihemen, who. under Adair'
Coffee. Overton, and Andrew Jackson
achieved at New Orleans the most won
derful victory in the history OF war,
victory in which nearly $500 OF the picked
troops of England attacked about BOD
Americans of all sorts and coiors' anu
were repulsed, with a loss In killed ana
wounded Of 2,117, while the Americans
lost 7 killed and or 10 wounded.
The father of James Kimbrough Jones
was q careful and thrifty planter, ana,
as his focks and herds increased apace,
as his family grew into stalwart youth
he concluded he would go over into
very garden of the Hcsperides, the rich'
well-watersd and admirable cotton-pro-
ducing plateau that falls away in gen
tie slope from the ridge west OF the Ar
kansas TO the Red river. me county OF
Hemstead, where he located is one Of
the richest and most aristocrauc IN what
Is the oldest portion of the State, South
west Arkansas. While 1t is in a superb
cotton country, this part OF the state
resembles the best section or Pennsyl-
vania, or the fertile river bottom lands
of the two Miami rivers or the Muskin-
gum. In Ohio, rather than portion OF
one of the best cotton-producing regions
of the cotton growing South. The coun-
try in question will grow all the great
cereals as we'll as II does cotton. As
YOU ride through its gently-rolling lands,
beautifully titled and well watered, you
note the stately brick mansion houses OF
the planting gentry. with orchards that
would rank with the best In the Valley
of the Mohawk. or among those OF the
sturdy Dutch farmers of Pennsylvania
fertile hillsides. 1t is this diversity OF
production that has made Southwest
Arkansas the most prosperous and
wealthiest section of the State as Ii is
the Oldest and best The planter herr
makes his own pork and beef. and nearly
everything else he needs for home use,
and his cotton brings his surplus ready
money. With abundant fruit, and free
dom from the malarial conditions that,
in some parts, make the lower Arkansas
river country unhealthful at times. the
stalwart men and beautiful women one
sees in this part of the State are readily
accounted Tor.
When the war came on. OF course. Mr.
Jones took hand. He served In + Troop,
Third Arkansas Cavalry. Confederate
Army OF the Tennessee. under General
Forrest He might have had commits
sion at almost any time In the four years
from 1861 to 1865 had he desired that
rank But he was orderly sergeant. and
wanted nothing more. This officer, for
officer he IS though without commits
sion. Is TO the troop or company what the
adiutant is 10 the regiment. Most or
derby sergeants know their companies
better than the captain. and Sergeant
Jones fully understood every member or |
his command, and gagged each at about |
his proper value. Our sergeant had once |
4 very narrow escape from being made |
A colonel. whether he would or not. The |
gallant Eleventh Arkansas was duly or
and as was the usage in the |
South then the commissioned line officers |
selected their field, Had any effort been |
made by Sergeant Jones to secure the |
position he would undoubtedly have been |
chosen colonel OF the Eleventh. As II
was he came within less than half |
iozen votes OF winning the straps But |
Bob" Newton. son OF the ante-bellum |
from that district. wanted |
the colonelcy. and got It. while Mr.. |
tones did not care anything about It. |
Besides, Newton was friend OF bis. |
This has been Joness way all his life. |
He has never made an open bid for any |