The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-12-05
West MissOuri's Candidate for
Governor.
John f. Gorse in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

CITY, VINO wants TO Oe governor OF
Missouri, is a fine, big figure Of a
mao. 6 feet high, weight close TO $50
pounds, we'll poised head, straight
broad shoulders, sinewy hands, feet
long and instep high arched. His
forehead is high and dattened at the
temples. His eyes are a grey-blue,
the eye Of indomitable courage. They
are wide set and there are many
laughter wrinkles about them.
You will hear much of "Jim"
Reed from the politicians Of Missouri,
but there are few who address him as
"Jim The few who do would call
an archbishop Pat. To wen the
o%Yer-familiar, hustling mixers Reed
is the "Mayor" or "Mr, Reed " He
has the dignity which is hard to de-
fine, the dignity of a powerful per-
sonallty, not of vanity.
Reed wants to be governor of Mis-
souri,. He is after the office. 1t is
the first office that he has deliberately
sought. He has held three offices:
Jackson county's counselor, prosecu-
ting attorney and mayor of Kansas
City. These offices sought him-at
least the nomination come to him as
a free Offering. He was asked on his
/, party fealty to make three races, to
] lend bis availability to the cause Of
the democratic party. Now he pre-
sents himself with the claim that be
is the most available, the best candi-
) date the party can name for governor
: OF Missouri.
/ asked him: what is your great
ambitiou?" ITO be a good lawyer
and practice my profession. l have
no ambition for the bench; / have NJ
: especial fitness for it. / am 81
4 advocate"
5 Should he fail of election to tint
c office he covets he would go back tt
: the practice of law aud l do not tEinl
e the strongest plea addressed to bi
e party fealty would tempt him to be
come a candidate for any other Office
!, Should he reach the gubernatoria
chair l see him ambitious for othe
political honor senator and evel
e president
Reed ls.an example Of the poor DO.
from the farm who has raised himsel
e to position and power, He was Dor
10 Ohio, or a farm. His father die
is on a m~ortgaged farm near Ceda
Rapids, 10 when James was 8 year
old.
The mother took up the fight t
save the farm and her six children
the eldest IA worked with her. The
IS lived hard, they worked hard, the.
won. James went to school thre
It months each winter; the remainde
of the year be worked from dawn til
IS dark and studied from supper to be-
time. AS he grew older the condI
IS lions on the farm improved and b
was able to take a special course !
g Coe College, at Cedar Rapids. At ?
he took up the study Of law. He ha
IS found himself.
Cedar Rapids was too small, to
restricted for the young lawyer. II
h wanted a growing city, u tina
promised to be big, for the scene {
his. upward climb, He chose Kansa
City. That was l6 years ago, Fl
: had been a democrat, a Hboy orator;
he had been on the stump for b
party in Iowa, aud had been cbairma
. of bis county's Committee when th
democrats carried not only the couI
$ ty, but the congressional dlstric.
He became affiliated with the demo
Gratis Of Kansas City, he made speechC
in Jackson county. He was the sol
IN
of worker party managers never fin
too numerous. He had the gift {
speech, II not of oratory, and he kne
how to talk to men, especially to me
from the farms.
Seven years ago he was offered I'll
position or counselor to the Jacksc
county court. It is not a very lucri
tive position, but it did not interior
with his private practice, which WI
growing. AS city counselor he init,
ted two movements which gained hi
at least local fame. The poles az
wires Of the Western Union Tel
graph Co. had been taxed as cor,
wood and scrap wire, on the theoI
that at forced sale these assets wou