The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-20
JAS. K.'SLAST SWIM
o.rcHT BY POLITICAL UNDERTOW
AND FOREVER ENGULFED.
GAME EFFORT TO STEM TIDE.

senatorial Swimmers OF National
panown who Will Soon Take the
PIunge That Will Mean Congress
sionaI Life or Death.
Washington, April 19.-Only the
strongest swimmers make Roadway
ogainst a heavy tide. The most power
tvl are at times overwhelmed andx sink
from sight. No man can swim against
tho tide in the Bay of Fundy. The wa
Tor PUSHES out with the rapidity of a
race horse, and returns with such &C.
1erity that those caught upon the
sands are swept away and drowned.
Political tides are equally fatal. 1t
is now near tide in congressional poll
tics. Throughout the South and West
the political waters are seething with
unusual strength, and there are many
victims. One of the best tidal swim
mers in the United States Senate has
inst been carried out to sea, despite
terrible struggle. The undertow was
entirely too strong for him. He caught
cotton bale, but it failed to save his
life. Indeed, it proved more destruc-
known throughout the length and
breadth of the land, his desperate
struggle for political life attracted uni
versal attention. He was James K.
Jones, for six years chairman of the
Democratic National Committee. Ills
face is as familiar in New York and
Boston as in Chicago and st. Louis.
Nowhere were his efforts to stem the
fV,fn In
the metropolis the conservative De-
mocracy, under the leadership of
Charles S. Fairchild, John De Witt
Warner, and other members of the
Manhattan Club, were on the qui vive.
David B. Hill took no languid inter-
est in the Arkansas senator's eXertions,
and William J. Bryan watched the
swimmer with breathless interest. Nor
were Ben Gable and William j. Stone
entirely unconcerned. In Washington
every congressman was aroused. The
strength of the tide had been accu-
rately gagged by Arkansas congress-
men seeking denomination, and while
much sympathy for the swimmer was
expressed there was a general feeling
that the undertow was too much for
him. In vain did he swim hand-over-
hand and turn upon his back in an
effort to save himself. 1t was use
less struggle. Finally he threw up
both hands, and his head disappeared.
4 few bubbles appeared on the sur
face and all was over. Even Yell coun-
ty cast it's vote against him.
The disappearance of James x.
Jones from public life marks an era in
our political history, Although born IN
Mississippi over sixty-two years ago,
he came from Washington, Hampstead
county Arkansas He belongs to the
strata that produced Scion Borland
Albert Pike, and A. H. Garland. he
rode on the top wave of political life,
and was the virtual commander-irl-
chief of a political army. For nearly
eighteen years has he been United
States senator f7e succeeded Arthur
P. German as the leader of the minor
ity In the Senate. Singular as it may
seem, German will return to the Sen
ate on the same day that Mr.. Jones
leaves it. Jones was chairman or the
Committee on Resolutions in the last
two national Democratic conventions.
With William j. Bryan he smilingly
assume N~the responsibility for the Chi
cago and Kansas City platforms.
Never has he swerved from his fealty
to the regular organization. Mr..
Jones served three terms in the House
of representatives before he entered
the Senate. Speaker Kiefer placed him
al the tail end of the Committee on
Militia. In the Forty eighth Congress,
however, John G. Carlisle placed him
on the Ways and Means, and he re-
NAMED there until he entered the
Senate Like John Allen of Tupelo'
Jones served in the Confederate army
as private He says that he received
a classical education, and after the War
cultivated his plantation until 1915
when ne was admitted to the bar. He
had hardly begun to practice law be-
fore he ventured into politics. Indeed,
he became a member of the state SEN
ate in the same year that he first ap-
peared in court
There is nothing extremely brilliant
about James Kinbrough Jones. He is
square, honest, sure-footed, ana
falr-pacing Democratic warhorse. q
good Arkansas traveller, he has never
been known to pick up nail, or show
any signs of the bolts. He has never
cast shoe on turn, and never caulk-
eded himself, going down hill. Mr.
Jones is known from Dan to Beershe-
ba, and is in complete touch with the
humble workers of the party Every
aair in his head is Democratic, but ne
Is hardly hail fellow well met with
money bags of the party. Jones is no
Wanderer among strange gods. lie mas
Always hewed to the line, regardless OF
consequences. The aristocratic Demo-
methods, and sneer at his rural enVl-
iohment, have never even irrltated
hun Anger and malice are not
among the ingredients of his compost
uoh; His face is really the essence OF
sood nature. You can count his enc
nles on your fingers; his friends are
Ss numerous as the stars in the Milky
way. His white hair and gray beard
make him look like the prophets of old,
Out there is a twinkle in his eye indi-
eating sterling good humor. He is one
oi The most obliging of men. His kind
ness is almost proverbial. With his as
oV'lates in the Senate he is on the best
VI terms. CHEEKY and entertaining, he
welcome everywhere. His bon mots
and quaint sayings are retailed in ev-
iy part of the Capitol. He attracts the
Sltertain the most friendly feeling for
nm regardless of party ties.
4, When Senator Beveridge astonished
sne Senate in the last Congress by his
speech on the Philippine question, SEN
Ut Ut Jones was among the most in
crested listeners. Not along after
~aIu Beveridge saunteresd across the
a, an ~ aisle and dropped into a seat
'ne side of the Senator from Arkan-
Is The Indiana Senator alluded TO
ia Iohg service of his friend, and chat
sa quite lively concerning his expert
e. on the floor He thanked him
listening to his speech. and finally
~ MIN what he thought of it, At
he zones began to smile and stroke
BEARD With a wise look he asked
tlo1 Iluge II he didn't think the ques-