Evening star., 1898-11-08
'R0D'WESFS CAREER
Soldier and Statesman and Western
Frontiersman.
LIFE OF STORMS,,:: NOT SUNSHINE
A Man Of Cold Nerve and Great
Determination.
III
OF S7ORMH,,:: NOT SUNSHINE
MANY YEARS AN INVALID

MANY YEARS AN INVALID
Written for The Evening Star.
General Joseph r. West. known to his
intimates in California and Louisiana as
Rod" West, who died Monday morning
at Garfield Hospital, had a picturesque and
varied career. Few who knew the syste-
matte District Commissioner with his fine
sense of business detail and his capacity
for hard work, recognized in him a man
who had faced mobs. had indulged in a
political insurrection on the winning side,
and had lived the larger part of his long
life amid storms rather than sunshine
Rod" West had an adventurous spirit
from boyhood. AS student he was known
to be ''in for a scrap" whenever there was
such an article lying around loose, and
when the Mexican war came on-the great
est scrap he saw in sight-he embarked
at once upon the tempestuous career which
was to end by period Of invalidism cover
ing many years, and a lingering death from
paralysis.
unteers in the struggle which brought about
the independence Of Texas and secured
California for the United States, little is
known, and he himself was not disposed
friends. 1t is probable that his career as a
soldier furnished none of those stirring
incidents which marked his later life and
that he considered it time wasted to have
engaged in the brief struggle which made
Zachary Taylor President of the United
States and gave to General Winfield Scott
his title to military renown.
1t was in California that Rod" West
displayed those qualities of cold nerve and
logged determination which marked every
phase of his life. A '49er, he soon left the
search for gold in the valleys and hills to
enter for very brief time the field of
mercantile life. But during even the few
months in which he bought and sold mer-
chandise. he amasssd a modest fortune,
and when vigilance committee days in
San Francisco came, he embarked in jour-
nalism. The Price Current was his paper,
and its columns were filled with many
things which had little to do with prices.
and were far remote from any suggestion
of business such as its title might imply.
Stormy Days.
Those were stormy days in California
Judge Terry afterward killed by deputy
marshal in an assault upon a justice of
the United States Supreme Court. Stephen
J. Field, now retired, then in the hey
day of his power. He was chief justice of
the supreme court Of California, and a
bitter enemy of those bold spirits who had
organized the vigilance committees Cole
man, the great dry goods merchant of
later days in San Francisco, was at the
head of those who sought to establish law
and order by the strong arms of might
Powerful men of heroic nerve had aligned
themselves on either side. 1t a test |
of courage, such only a new and. rich |
territory, peopled with hardy adventurers
and the inevitable sporting fraternity |
could present.
West. entered the struggle on the Terry
sides He would have5no vigilance eonl- |
mittee govern California SO long as he |
lived within its borders, and the Price Cur
rent gave utterance to his views in words
that left no doubt = as no their meaning
Tkers was challenge i'm every linesEanGd
a Bold defiance to tho enemy to apply thefr
heroic tactics to him and those for whom
he spoke. The issue was long doubtful
but finally the vigilance committee element
won the fight and the Price Current pass
ed into oblivion. =
Though ha had been in the thick of the
fray, and had given more than blow for
how. Coleman and his associates among
the vigiiants thought it wisest to make
terms with ti'ei, old-time enemy and Rod
West remained in California until the civil
war offered new field for the exercise of
that remarka BILE courage which had hTavcd
dangers greater than those on any battle
field.
Energies a Major General.
He came out Of that struggle major
general. and settled in Texas, then believed
to be the outpost Of civilization. A year
there, ana 1867 found him in New Orleans.
Within twelve months he had become ad-
ministratoT of improvements, serving later
as chief deputy United States marshal.
And within three years from the day he
SET foot on Louisiana soil he was elected to
the United States Senate.
The squally times In California vigilance
days We're but counterpart of those in
Louisiana wien West was on the high
wave of political power and prosperity
There were revolutions involving loss Of
human life. Each year or two rival legis-
latures set up claims to recognition by the
national government. Local police officials
arrested the leaders on one side or the
other and a state militia. armed in the in
terest of some ruling dynasty. frequently
took charge of legislative halls and com
PEELED obedience to the bidding of the reign
ing boss.
What was known in Louisiana as the
Warmoth-Carter war took place IN 1870
Both Warmoth and Carter are vet living
Inc former Is large sugar planter In Lou
isiana. and the latter lives in Washington
The merits Of the struggle are unimportant
new 1t s sufficient to say that 1t involved
sheriffs and police and militia and judges
with shotgans and revolvers ad libitum A
rev enue cutie belonging to the government
was used during the war" to take n quo
rum CT the legislature on a pleasure jaunt
into the Gulf of Mexico and thus prevent
the transaction Of any business and the
election of any United States senator.
Becomes Senator.
Out of this struggle. with its Kaleidoscope
changes of power-f1rst Warmoth on top,
then Carter--Gen. Rod West emerged
full-fedsed United States senator. He
had espoused the Warmoth side: his leader
who was the:. governor, had won and War
moth had chosen the anti-vigilance COM
mittee fortv-niner his candidate for the
upper house of Congress. Joseph Rodman
West was duly elected took his seat March
4, 1871, AMI left the Senate March f. 1877
He served in that body with Charles sum
ner of Massachusetts. Frank P. Blair of
Missouri Stephen A, Dorsey of Arkansas,
other welI-kLown public men.
Upon his retirement from the Senate
Gen. West did not return,to Louisiana. He
remained at the national capital and in
1882 as already told in The Star, ap
pointed by President Arthur a Commission
er Of the District of Columbia.
Fortunes Made and Lost.
During his meteroic career Gen. West
IS