The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-08

and he was one of the greatest players
of the game.
In 1929, Weed went to Albany and
established the Evening Journal IL
was at the demand of his party that
he did this, and they might have
searched the country over without
finding another as capable for that
particular work. The Albany Re-
gency was entranched at Alany, and
Martin van Buren,, one of the most
capable politicians our country has
produced was the head of it, His
lieutenants were William l.. Macy,
Silas Wright, Samuel l.. Talcott. Ben
Jamln knoer, Azariah G. Flagg,
and John A. Dix. subsequently they
were joined by greater than any one
of them-Samuel j. Tilden. Their or.
gan was the Argus, edited by Edwin
CrosWell, a most capable political dis
putant. Weed and Croswell, while
rival editors in the same small town,
were warm friends, though there had
been some i'll feeling between them
earlier in life, owing to political diff
ferences.
The Journal attained national re-
putatlon. For many years it and it's
Democratic rival. the Argus, were
quoted from one end Of the country
to the other. The Herald, Tribune,
and Times, of New York, were greater
journals but scarce more influential.
AS an editorial writer, Weed was
greatly inferior to Bennett, or Gree
ley, or Raymond, but he had more
power than any one of them. He
never drove anybody. He never re-
PEELED. His was a gentle sway. He
believed in compliment more than in
vective. He had friends everywhere.
Hundreds of Democrats were be-
friended by him, and he was the es-
pecial protector and promoter Of
young men of both political parties.
AS editor of the Journal his power
was great and it is due to his memory
to recall that he used it for his party
and not for himself. His original sup
porters in the enterprise We're Seward,
Granger Tracy, Wadsworth, Carey,
Livingston, and others-anti-M asons
each of whom contributed money
for the establishment of the paper.
Weeds salary as editor was $3.50 per
annum! He had no assistant, and no
reporter The Journal was solely his
work until long after it had become
a successful and prosperous newspa-
per property.
For thirty years Weed fought the
Democratic party from his editorial
sanctum in Albany. Sometimes he
was victor and sometimes he was van
quished but it was the breath of his
life, His daringest hope was to see
William Fl. Seward President. For
that he labored night and day. and
the cup was dashed from his lips
just as he was about to quaff it. But
from 1929 until the election Of Lin
coin there was nothing done by those
opposed to the Democratic party in
New Rork without the counsel and
consent of ThurloW Weed They
would call him q. boss in these times.
and that was what he was; but he
bossed for the party not for himself.
In 1910 Weed did not believe the
Wing party could elect Henry Clay
President, and he set about to secure
the nomination of General Harrison.
The Republican party never loved
Blaine. the Democratic party never
loved Bryan half as much as the Whig
party loved Henry Clay. The con-
vention was held at Harrisburg, and
Clay had plurality of the delegates,
but Weed had been skillful enough to
prevent Clay getting but ten of the
thirty-tWo delegates from New York.
On the way TO the convention he met
at the Aston House some New England
delegates favorable to Webster and
convinced them that Harrison was
the man to nominate. He had Clay
beaten twenty-four hours before the
final ballot, but delayed it in order to-
conciliate ClaY'S friends They would
not be cOnciliated. and the nomination
was greeted with curses and threats.
Many of the Delegates expressed their
disgust, and never did convention
terminate with scenes so threatening
to party success. Leigh of Virginia,
declined the Presidency with
scorn. Reverdy Johnson would not
let the convention consider Weeds
first choice for Vice President-John
NJ. Clayton-but withdrew the name
the moment it was suggested. Finally
the nomination was forced on John
Tyler
To the establishment of everybody,
Maine went "hell-bent for Gov. Kent
in September, and In November the
country went just as enthusiastically
for "1ippecanoe and Tyler, too"
Thurlow Weed had made President
President Harrison died after being
in Office exactly one month, and was
succeeded by Vice President Tyler.
Mr.. Clay was determined to be the
head of the party, regardless of all the
politicians in Washington, and the
party was determined that he should
be the candidate at the next election.
A quarrel ensued and Weed went to
Washington to compose it, but it was
beyond even his skill. Clay felt that
he had created the party and that he
was entitled to its honorS. tie be-
lieVed that he had been cheated out
OF the nomination in 1910 by the
manipulations of politicians, and he
did not intend that John Tyler should
be honored over him as Harrison had
been, and so he took measures that
drove Tyler into the Democratic party
when that gentleman saw that the
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