The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-22
MATT MYNOR DOES
SOME HARD HITTING,

| I see my college chum, Arthur Lewis
Coolidge, Washington correspondent of
the Boston Journah has written a book on
Klondyke. I don't expect Coolidge knows
much about Klondyke. FONT think he
has ever been nearer than Chicago. But.
| then, what's the difference? Coolidge's
all right. He's hot stuff, he Is. He can
write any subject, no matter whather
he knows anything about 1t or not. Good
fellow if he does come from Boston. The
correspondents gave him a dinner the
| other might at Washington. I'll bet
| there were few drinks consumed. Some
| wins-much beer. The dinner was given
! at Count Perrards. Count Perrard keeps
| the only great French restaurant in
Washington. 1t is known as the "castre."
| He calls 1t castle because it is not a.
| castle. There were a number of high Of
ficials There. Among them were Assis-
tant Secretary of the Treasury Wander
lip. There was also present Monsieur
Jules Bouefve, chancellor of the French
embassy. Cornelius Gardiner one ST the
| brightest correspondents in Washington,
| presided at the dinner. I ten you
Gardiner is hot stuff, also. He can write
greater matter than Coolidge. When it
comes to romancirg Gardiner has no
equal on the American press. expect
those fellows did great deal of talking
about Klondyke. 1 have no doubt that
all dreamed after the dinner they had
| wagon loads of gold and were spending
it from one end of Pennsylvania avenue
to the other. Grsat dreamers, these.
The biggest fool in the United States
senate, in my opinion is Senator George
| Notr OF 81 Az
cording to his autobiography in the con-
gressional directory only three events
have taken place in the history of that
inhividuals life. He was born, got
married and was elected to the senate.
| He bought his way into tbs, senate. He
has been a member of that body over
| two years and up to the present time
no one has ever discovered that he pos
sesssd any particular intellect. Ac-
cording to his autobiography he was
| born while his parents were visiting In
| London. OF course he couldn't help
that. 1t was not his fault. He got
| very mad a few days ago In Washington
| According to the opinion of Wetmore it
is great outrage for anyone to speak
| to him. He is a crank-a bigot and not
| over-smart. No one must trif1e with
this distinguished individual. A few
! days ago he went to the navy depart
ment to see Secretary Long. Replying
| to al question as to where the secretarys
| office was a small boy jerked his finger
| over his shoulder and Wetmore went
into Roosevelt's room. He popped out
a moment later hopping angry. He had
been insulted. he insisted, by a boy who
| had directed him to the assistant sscre-
tary instead of the secretary. He de-
| manded the boys head
All hands were piped to quarters and an
| Investigation ordered. The miscreant,
| according to the result of the investi-
cation, was telegraph messenger The
| angry senator, still hopping, rushed to
| both telegraph offices Zone after the 9TH
| er, of course) and demanded satisfaction.
| There was a long investigation and after
| much labor, the miscreant was discov-
| cred to be, not a telegraph messenger,
| but a newspaper messenger employed to
take copy from the navy department
| reporter to the editorial rooms of a local
| paper. Away rushed the richest man of
the senate and bouncing into the sane
tum, stated his grievance and called for
the boys head. The managing editor
| declined to stop the flow of prosperity
in that boys family and the irate SEN
ator left very much surprised, disguised
| and ang1fer than ever. His present
condition is not known. But the boy
still holds his job.
That's the kind of a statesman the
Rhode Islanders send to the senate.
That story printed In The Age4Hera,d
| yesterday from Atlanta regarding the
way prisoners in that state are treated ia
a disgrace to civilization, and I am sur
prised that anything like 1t should pre-
vail in this country. Georgia ought to be
wiped off the face of the map so long as
tits people permit prisoners to be treated
as described by the governors commits
sloner appointed to investigate the mat
ter. Georgia must necessarily take low
rank in the s,sterhood of states. 1T is a
| disgrace, an outrage, and everything else
tlrat is bad. q am also surprised that
Gov. Atkinson and all other previous gov
ernors did not know that this prevailed.
A prisoners lot is not happy one, and
no ono KNOWS that better than the pris-
oner himself. But because he ia a pris-
oner there is no reason why he should
| be 'tresi- cd like brute. There Us a grow
ing tendency in this country for officials
to treat prisoners as If they were 'brutes
| A prisoner is entitled to humane treat
ment, and no officers of the law because
he is a prisoner should be permitted to
treat prisoner in CHER than a humane
manner. An officer who treats prisoner
| brutally should be made to exchange
| places with the prisoner.
I have read lately In a great many
| newspapers some very severe criticisms
of John Addison Porter private secretary
to President MCKINLEY. The newspaper
correspondents at Washington are grad
ually getting acqusd rI:ed with this Con-
necticut production of modern politics.
There have been secretaries and secre-
taries to presidents. Some have been
very good and others very bad, but 1T Is
an undeniable fact that Porter has got
less sense than any man who ever held
that position. A well-bred horse has got
more sense and decency than he has.