The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-22
BEGINS LIE ANEW
Ebert Griffin Returns to Case
After Thirty Years.
HAD A STORMY CAREER
Driven Out of the South Be-
fore He Was Twenty-0ne.

Topeka, kan, March 21-In this morn
ing's Capital is printed the story OF Albert
Griffin as follows:
They put on a pair Of extra cases at
the State Printing Office Tuesday. And
when the chairman of the chapel called
time Tuesday morning Albert Grimm
fell in lire for a take OF the hook for
the first time in thirty-seven years. There
is something pathetic in the poverty
which sent Albert Griffin back to the
ranks OF the typesetters in his extreme
old age. There was something unusual
in the time stained and tattereG working
card" which Griffin presented 10 the fore
man OF the State Printing Office. For it
was card by the Chicago Typographi-
cal union thirty-seven years ago when
Griffin was young and virile. the world
before him and nothing behind save the
pleasant memories OF youth
For a generation Griffin mas been one
Of Kansas things. He was an episode in
the history OF the state Tor more than
thirty years. 1t is only in recent years
that hhe has become a minor incident
And the news that hhc Is eking cut his
last days as a typesetter in Topeka viii
doubtless come as a surprise TO many Of
the men who have known him for a gen
Grafton. Griffin has always been 'promi-
nent" He was the John the Baptist Of
the temperance movement in Kansas. II
the history Of Kansas were written down
to trivial data Il would. doubtless. show
that Griffin was the originator OF the
phrase. the Demon Rum" He has writ
ten running miles Of copy aimed az sell
Ter and consumer. and his speeches pull
verizing the liquor power would. = coll
lected in book form, fll an ordinary IL
brary.
Griffin was born IN New York city s.
years ago. His first literary work was
on The Family Champion and ladies'
Mirror" at Macon. Ga, the first literary
magazine printed in the cotton states.
He was driven from Macon by mob be-
fore he was q years old because Of his
violent antagonism to slavery. Later he
lived in Boston and was a member Of the
constellation OF which Theodore Parker.
Wendell Phillips and William Lloyd Gar
rison were the major satellites. From
Boston he went to Chicago. thence 20
Kansas. soon after the first sacking Of
Lawrence. In Kansas IN the early period
Griffin lived III Manhattan and Topeka
and In the former town studied Law and
was admitted to the bar. In Mobile. short
ly after the war. he edited :ne National
list. the first paper IN the south edited
by a white man. 10 advocate the extern
sion Of suffrage TO the negro. EIe declined
nominations for lieutenant governor and
in Alabama, but was a delegate
from the state TO the Republican conven-
ton Of 1858.
Griffin returned 10 Kansas in 1870 and
bought the Manhattan Nationalist. He
edited the Nationalist for seventeen years
and during most OF that time Il was one
OF the leading papers in the state Tie
originated the snti-ssloon Republican |
movement and as chairman OF SIS ma /
tional committee. made speeches In nine (
teen states. This was IN 1sss and hts /
friendly biographers saw he saved the Re !
publican party from defeat that year. He I.
was q delegate TO the Republican ma +
,ionsl convention that year and served on +
the committee on resolutions.
IN 1896 Griffin went over TO tho Popu- /
lists and Democrats on the money ques-
ton. During the campaign he wrote n /
book on the money question. the tile Of 4
which is so long as 10 make it's puhlca- /
ton in a newspaper impracticabie. De I
spite the fact that the Democratic ma
.iOnal committee saw 20 u that the book 4
achieved a general circulation. Bryan was i
defeated Last winter. Griffin. who had 4
n the meantime recanted his earlier 4
views on the subject u prohibition tried I
10 start an organization which had for
t. object opposition 70 the prohibitorv
"a wand others Of its Kind. The people
we're too busy. however. 10 fool with tho
lead and departed. and the movement I
-aled 20 bring any money 70 tina box
,ffice. Grifins last public appearance
Vas at the Populist conference held in
Topeka in February. Il IS perhaps IN
20 add that ne made a rpeech
u the conference.
or this period in Grifin's oareer-of bis
stronger. happier years-it is permissible
% Jest. But there is little save rathos
n the spectacle OF this strenuous man
his almost notable aE1re in the history
Z Kausas-goiEg back iu bis last gears
o the place n beginning and starting
new IN the annals Of Kansas if has
erhaps but one parallel s s. Prou.v.
nee proprietor OF the CoumonursIfh.
I'd afterwards state printer fa the Iaet
ears of his life set tyre ror mearre
lftance OF the paper he had made pow
rgs1r