Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-08
MAN WHO STOPPED DUFLINa.
Capt. Rule of Knoxville, Veteran Edi-
tor, Made Pension Agent.

1t falls to the lot of few men to be ap-
pointed to a federal position without having
applied for 1T, but this Is what happened to
Capt. William Rule of Knoxville. Tenn,
editor of the Daily Journal and Tribune of
that city, who has been appointed by Presi-
dent Roosevelt pension agent at Knoxville
for the next four years, on the suggestion
of Representative N. w. Hale of the second
Tennessee district.
Capt. Rule, who is sixty-sIx years of age,
will assume office on January 10, succeeding
in that position Gen. John 7. Wilder vet
eran of the civil war. 1t will not be his
first experience In this work for he served
term as pension agent under the admins
trauon of President Benjamin Harrison. His
hrst federal position was a special post
office inspector shortly after the close of
the civil war. In the early seventies he was
appointed postmaster, and served two terms
of four years each In that position.
II is, however, not as federal ONCE
holder but as an editor, that he is best
known. He learned his first lesson in news
paper making at the knee of the famous
Fighting Parson' Brownlow of civil war
days
Capt Rule was not only the Oldest news
paper editor in Tennessee in point of serv-
Ice, but in years, and the paper which he
edits makes the claim and has done so
since 1885, of being the only republican
daily paper printed south of the Ohio river.
IF Capt. Rule We're asked to detail his
most interesting personal experience as an
editor he probably would say that it was
the duel he didn't fight, or at least didn't
fight in the accepted manner although he
was regarded as the winner of the contro-
versy. 1t happened in December, 1872 The
refusal of Capt. Rule to accept a challenge
to fight Maj NJ. j. Wicks, Memphis man,
on the grounds that dueling was IL barbar
Gus custom, and more an evidence of cow
ardice than bravery, caused universal favor
able comment, and marked the passing in
the United States of the code of honor
a recognized means of settling disputes
While in Memphis in December of 1872
Capt Rule learned through representative
citizens of certain matters rejecting on the
management of the Memphis and Charles
ton railroad of which Maj Moses J. Wicks
was then president, and also of misman-
aSement of the Memphis Savings Bank, an
institution of which Maj. Wicks also was
president. Capt Rule printed a letter in
his paper, the Chronicle, written by himself,
giving these charges publicity. The charges
were branded by Wicks libelous, and
after some correspondence he sent his chal-
lenge.
The correspondence was published in full
in the Knoxville Chronicle. The Dalton Cit
izen of February 49, the day set for the
meeting, contains a lengthy card from Maj.
Wicks, in which the whole controversy is
rehaShed, and which concludes as follows:
Feeling assured that no charge or state
ment hereafter emanating from William
Rule can harm any one, l leave him to
such position in the public esteem or con-
tempt just and enlightened people may
cOnsign him"
Editorial clippings from scores of papers
at that time indicate that all editors praised
the course taken by Capt. Rule The fed
eral grand jury, in session at Knoxville,
passed resolutions indorsing his course, and
In the Tennessee legislature Representative
Kerr of Memphis introduced a bill punish
ing those who engaged in duelng. The
measure passed unanimously on second
reading that very day. Later it became
law and is in force today.