The Washington herald., 1907-03-28
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

No one of the veteran editors of the
United States has had a buster or more
interesting career than Col Alexander
Kelly Mcclure. of Pennsylvania. An
editor six years before the death Of Henry
Clay. be has known more public men than
almost any other American living. He
has interviewed every President OF the
United States since the time os Fillmore,
thirteen IN all He entered journalism in
1876 as editor of the Miffiin Sentinel. and
retired from the chief editorship Of the
Philadelphia Times In 1901. He was a
member Of the Pittsburg conference at
which the Republican party was or
ganized, and was a delegate to the Re
publican National Conventions Of 1856,
1860 and 1854 IN 1872 he was chairman
OF the Pennsylvania delegation in the
Liberal Republican Convention which
nominated Greeley. OF Whig stock, and
himself good Wing in his youth, he be
came a stanch Republican. but his po-
litical views always have been broad. he
has especially devoted himself TO bind
ing up the wounds OF the nation inflicted
during the four years of civil war Ills
lecture on Lincoln and Davis is a power
ful appeal 10 men of both sections Of the
country TO understand the men and
measures OF those days OF strife with
charity and TO forget the hatred then en-
gendered.
Joseph Pulitzer. owner and editor OF the
New York World and owner of the St
Louis Dispatch, has done as much
81.
can newspaper what 1t Is to-day. He was
born in Hungary sixty years ago, and
when he came 10 the United States To-
Gated in St Louis. He was employed as
an assistant TO the sexton Of a cemetery
there. until some occasional contributions
gained for him a place on the Westliche
Post. German daily. This was before
he was twenty-one. Ten years later he
became owner Of the ST. Louis Post-Dis-
patch. having consolidated the Post and
Dispatch. Five years thereafter he bought
the New York World. and advanced tt to
the front ranks Of American journalism,
For years he has been almost blind, and
has had to depend upon an amanuensis to
ise-9 20 him. He has been always fearlessly
independent tn politics. When elected to
Congress, he resigned after having served
but a few months. His characteristic
editorials are long and exhaustive. II
was an editorial OF his which inspired
Mr.. ParkeT's celebrated gold telegram"
10 the st. Louis convention. After Mr..
ROosevelt's election by d tremendous ma
jOrity. Mr. Pulitzer at once predicted that
Theodore Roosevelt would be the first
President to serve three terms. a proph-
esy which is giving certain Presidential
aspirants no small amount Of uneasiness
just at this time
Charles Emory Smith. editor Of the
Philadelphia Press since 1850. is one of
the few men who keep alive the tradi-
lions and practices of old-time personal
Journalism. A pupil and disciple of Thur
low Weed. he received fifteen years of
newspaper training at Albany. and then
went to Philadelphia. When he writes
an editorial no one needs TO be told that
Smith wrote 1t. The readers of the
Press are familiar with his style. a
clear, strong variety OF English which
admits of no beating about the BUSH Mr.
Smith has always been Republican. and
has supported his party in every national
issue. although he has often broken away
from the organization in his own State
lie opposed Quay with much strength
through nearly all OF that gentleman's
rule
Few editors are known by one particu-
lar article, but Mr. Smiths editorial on
1.-THE Freedom Of the Press" written
when Gov. PennypaclSer signed the press
gag law. is probably his most famous
utterance. 1t is a plea for the freedom of
the press which deserves a place among
the classics of political science. Mr..
Smith was Minister to Russia during the
latter half of the Benjamin Harrison
administration. and was Postmaster Gen
eral under Mckinley ana Roosevelt. Just
before the beginning of the Spanish war
Mr.. Smith came 10 Washington. where
he had daily conferences with Mr.. Nc
Kinley. 1t was through his editorials in
the Press that the country was informed
of the exact position of the administration
from day to day. soon afterward the
President called him to the Cabinet.
Gen Harrison Grey Otis. of the Los
Angeles Times, is a veteran in more ways
than one This fact was brought out
by an incident which happened few
years ago in Mexico. I had been sent
TO the southern republic by a number Of
editors to obtain an interview with Presi-
dent Porfirio Diaz on a subject that was
then an important issue Gen. Otis was
one of the editors 1 represented. and in
the course Of my conversation with the
Mexican executive it developed that he
was a great admirer of the famous pub
Usher of the Times President Diaz said:
Few men ever become distinguished in
even one line of endeavor; but Gen, Otis
is both a great soldier and a great editor. -
As young man Gen. Otis took part IN
the nomination Of Abraham Lincoln at
the Chicago convention being one of the
delegates from Kentucky. WheNAthe call
TO arms was sounded in the cTii war,
young Otis responded promptly. He went
into the ranks and served throughout the
war. coming out brevet lieutenant coIo-
mel He again offered his services to his
country in the recent war with Spain and
Il was his brigade that st0rIned and cap
tured Cal0Ocan. in the Philippines During
his long and arduous war service he has
fought in fifteen actions, been twice
wounded in battle. and seven times pro-
NOTED upon merit.
Gen Otis is fond Of telling of his first
experience in Journalism. which con-
sisted of carrying Iaths for plastering the
country printing Office in which he became
an apprentice in the winter Of 1S5l-52 He
worked his way upward through many po-
sitiOns until the Times was founded In 1881
his cfrouo Tarson F5fsr hos haer, p+as4