Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-03-08
John II. Mitchell, United States Sen.
ator From oregon, May Fall
At Last.
THE STORY OF HIS mlsoEEps
Many Previous Attempts to Bring
Him Down-His Reign
Long One.

the center of attraction Just now as
the veteran senator from Oregon
John H. Mitchell, whose recent indict
ment by q United States grand jury
for alleged completely in wholesale
land frauds has made him known
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The
Portland Oregonian is Senator Mitch
ellis home newspaper; the Oregoniau
publishes the following account Of
Senator Mitchell's career remarkirs
by way of preface. that it is story
which has been told in many news
papers in the country and is, all il
all, as accurate an outline Of the life
of this remarkable man as has ever
found it's way into print. The Ore
gonian's story is as follows:
A career without parallel in Amer
lean politics is that Of John H. Mitch
ell, United States senator from Ore
gon, who with his associates, has
eliminated that state for more than Il
years; who has been elected to the
senate four times; who has beer
charged with startling domestic in
fidelities and sensational political de
baucheries, which he has never dis
proved and which would have wreck
ed the fortunes of any other person
in public life; and who, now in his
10th year, at the height of his infu
ence at the national capital, is in
dicted by federal grand jury at Port
land, Ore, for having accepted an al
legged bribe of $4,000, for abettins
conspiracies to defraud the United
States of it's public lanos.
A Long Reign.
Boys have grown to manhood ant
their children, too, while Senator
Mitchell has reigned in Oregon. Pol
iticians have come and gone-all bu
Senator Mitchell. He is the one re
naming link between the old regime
and the new.
Revolts against his domination
have been often attempted; some
times they seemed to thrive, but the!
always succumbed-the last being tina
of the gold Republicans, who partl!
dethroned him in 1896, but lost tn
mastery in the ensuing five years
at the climax of which Senator Mitch
ell was triumphantly reelected.
Mitchell went to Oregon nearly a
years ago, at the age of rs years. FL
was agile and vigorous then; now h
is bent with years, his limbs are vast
ed, his long beard is white, his eye
are dimmed. But within his atrophie
form, and behind his specialized eyes
still dwells his masterful power owe
men-not eloquence, for he never ha
that gift, but persuasiveness-a fae
ulty of political perception and organ
ization; an art of winning admirer
by a handshake or a glance, and o
inspiring faith or confidence with
touch or a word-all this in spite O
his impaired ability to remembe
names and faces as once he used t
do.
In what state in the Union has on
man ruled politics so long? None
Mitchell was in control OF Orego
when Boss Tween owned Me-
York. That was more than 30 year
ago. and still Mitchell is on the stag
and nearly all the federal offices !
the state are occupied by his friend
and many state and county and cit
offices. too. He has controlled court
and juries, as we'll as legislatures; b
has been fretted, but not defeate'
by charges of corruption which b
never met; his friends have bee
ousted from office for dishonesty {
incapacity-several of them lately b
President Roosevelt-but in spite
ali the evidence brought against hi
of conjugal infidelity and OF politics
debauchery, his mesmeric power ns
defied and swept away MS ponCc'
enemies, until today he Is patriarc
of the United States senate ana cnie
of the inter-oceanic canal commute
Of that body. q
Is it romance-this story OF a 2
year-old youth, who deserted q WI
and two children at Butler, Pa,
1860, went to California with mar
]. Brinker, a school teacher, quite
her at San Luis Obispo shortly art
arrival there, and went to Orego
where he renowned his Pennsylvan
name, Nipple, and assumed that
Mitchell: married Martha Price Their
and while united to her declared n
love for her sister, Carrie; was &C
fronted with charges that he toe
money corruptly as. senator Tor VOL
done in connection with surveys
public lands in Oregon, and never a
swered them; and now, when lnnrl
tiles of age creep upon him, Is indict'
by a federal grand jury?
Is it romance-this tale OF MT
who has conquered more vicissitud
than any other person In weste
politics and defeated more enemie
who has associated with the create
politicians of the country IN the pa
generation, and has outlived the
nearly all?
Washington county, Pennsylvan
was Mitchell's birthplace; time, Ju
%. 1885. He was born under I
name Nipple; that was his fathe
name. his mothers maiden name
ing Mitchell. A brother OF the 81
ator's a dentist, dwells in Ohio,
name Nipple. The senator's CIV
name in boyhood was John M.
grew to manhood at Butler, Pa, a
was educated at WitherspOon ins
tute. At the time of his majority
was a school teacher.
His First Marriage.
While in that vocation he enter
into relations with a pupil. Sa'
Hoon. which required him to maj
her. With her he lived until they b
three children. One of them. IL
yer, lives at st. Paul; another.
daughter, at Tacoma. the wife OF
Judge on the superior bench OF wa
ington; the third. daughter. at G
ton, Ohio.
In 1857, still under the name