The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-11
Editor Bales of the Billings Mol
Bee Is Up Against Il Tough
Proposition.
WILL 1T BE MAN OR PARTY?
For Years He Doomed Davis for
President on the Republican
Ticket, and Even Named
Il Son for Him.
There is gloom in the Office of the Billings

There is gloom in the office Of the Billings
Oio) Bee
\ pail Of deathlike Stiffness pervedes the
editorial sanCtum and visitors tread lightly
as tncy pass the entrance. The Washington
tauIprrss Is wrapped in office towels that
have seen hard service. and the editor,
Caleb VI. Bales. sits in solemn sil nee with
a blue head pencil in his hand and a bluer
look on mis- face. No signs OF mirth are
evident. and the Office cat has sought
quarters under last winters coal box.
The change which has come over The Bll-
lnss Bee and les editor. Mr.. Bales. has
been Ec;ed by the entire population Of Mr.
B,Ies's baIliwigk in Christian County. rs
too fresh To be DECEASED. and too t..,s0mc to
be discussed. The light OF the Billings Bee
Is gone QUIZ Its principal candle has been
properly sEu.ied by me strong hand Of
fate and It's editor nonpllsscd 1t a single
turn OI lty's wheel.
It's al! ON account Of Webster Davis lie
IS the chap that dTJ.- thu cold cAl..s q wn
the back OF Editor BAir>. ii Was mis- speech
1T thr kdi.SaS CITY convention that caused
the towels to De wrapped around the press.
II was MS denuUme!5J that wrapped gloom;
about the office, and this Is how 1t hap
peneu:
Mr. Bales was Davis's friend. He began.
six years ago, 10 boom the young man for
the presidential nomination. To De more
effective he ran a picture OF AiT. DAVIS at
the top OF th- editorial column Of the Bee
with words uB,irr II. IN letters Il hali-inch
high, announcing that Mr.. Bales WIS for
him fOf President Oh the Republican ticket.
For years the form stood in that shape
The I've used by the office boy 10 clean the
type caked the cut and ate into it's face.
Week after week the smiling sisase of the
former Assistant Secretary Of the Interior
confronted the Bee readers
They CANE 10 look upon It with as much
pride as did ITS editor. No patent medicine
cut ever took Is place in the makeup Of
the paper. ana ten cent per line" ad
WIS left out If the space taken by Mr..
Davis s likeness was to De rncrOaChcd upon.
editor Of the Billings Bee. The youngSl-r
was christeued Webster paws Bales. The
H. IS was sent To WASHINGTON and IFS god
father sent back a silver CUr. for the young
Bale. Faith In he cause was rene we'd AMI
MIR. DaviS's handsome face never disap-
peIred from the Bee.
one day, while the Kansas CITY Convrn-
ton was in session. Mr.. Bales was seated
In his office reading about II. His attention
WAS attracted by the familiar name OF
Webster Davis. lie READ more closely.
As he read he ponderod deeply. Was IL
possible that Web Davis had joined the
But other papers confirmed tine report.
Bales was astOunded. He was knocked out.
II was worse than a solar pleNuS" With
a sigh he laid his head on his arm and
thought strange and uncanny thoughts. HIS
think tank WAS working overtime. Bales
was never before confronted by such
proposition. What to do was the question.
Should he desert Web Davis or his party?
time the office force, apprcci1tiug the sit
uation made use Of the office towels In a
manner.
The sanctum is a regular chaTuei-house
of blasted bOoms, and Editor Caleb Bales
is between the devil and the deep seals Il
to bG man or party?