The Topeka state journal., 1908-08-05
Joe" BRISTOW.
Sketch of the Man Whom the
Republicans
At Primary Nominated Tor
United States Senator.
A WIDE REPUTATION
Made as Fourth AS istant Post
master General.
Now Editor and Proprietor
Salina County Journal.

Joseph L. Brlstow. nominated for
United States senator by the Repubn-
cans at the primaries Tuesday. is edi-
tor of the Salina Daily Journal, has
filled many places of profit and trust
He made a national reputation in the
office of fourth assistant postmaster
general, which he resigned in 1905, be-
ing then appointed as special commits
sioner to investigate the Panama rail-
road situation. This service he COM
pleted. returning to newspaper work
Sketch of Bristow.
Here is a summary of his public life:
Fourth assistant postmaster general.
April l, 1897. to January 20. 1905; born
in Wolfe county, Kentucky. July p,
1861; son of William and Savannah
Bristow; graduated from Baker uni
versity, Kansas, 1886; married in
Fleming county, KY. November IL,
1879, Margaret A. Hendrix; clerk dis
trict court Douglas county, Kansas,
1886 to 1890; owned and edited Salina
Daily Republican, 1890 to 1895; bought
Ottawa Herald, 1895; private secretary
to Governor Morrill, of Kansas, 1896
1897; secretary Republican state COM
mittee Of Kansas July, 1S94-1S9S; had
charge Of investigation of Cuban pos
postal service, 1900. Again bought Sa-
lima Daily Republican-Journal Febru-
ary 1, 1903. Appointed by President
Roosevelt special Panama railroad
commissioner 1905; now editor Salina
Daily and Semi-weekly Journal.
FaxOn's Sketch of Bristow.
An exceedingly interesting article on
Brlstow was written several years aga
by Ralph H. Faxon, formerly a State
of U
years private secretary for Senator
Long. Here is the Faxon sketch:
Occasionally there appears in high
public position a man whose standard
of morals is so lax that he either will
fully or indifferently suffers the loos-
est methods to obtain among his sub
ordinates and about his office. This
shortcoming may not be criminal, but
usually is. Occasionally there also APP
pears a man in a similar position
whose character is what is usually
termed Puritan meaning whose Off
cial uprightness and rigid official
manner strikes terror in the hearts OF
whose indefatigable zeal amounts TO
frenzy; and whose moral makeup
nearly approaches that of those who
burned witches at the stake in old
New England days.
\ Good Natured Zealot.
"Of neither of these two classes,
happily, is one high public official
whose name now appears many times
per day In the public prints. And yet
Joseph L. Bristow, the fourth assis-
tant postmaster general, comes as near
the latter class as it is good for any
man to do. He is a zealot-but he
is a good natured one; he is rigid,
tense, and precise-but he has an ap-
probation of humor, and is even kind
ly during office hours.
The work of this man-in Kansas
he is Just Joe Bristow-is filled with
results, always. He never in his life
set out to do a thing that he did not
conclude just about as he had intend
ed in the beginning, and with credit to
himself. The secret of his success has
been his rigidness of principle and &C
ton; and his absolute honesty and ex-
treme scrupulousness; his illimitable
capacity for work. For Bristow would
rather work than eat or sleep. He
has perhaps been more bitterly CEN
sured and assailed by newspapers and
statesmen than any other one man
outside of the president. This has
only stimulated him to greater energy
and the successful performance of
greater tasks. His tenor in office,
more than six years. has been a most
stormy one, and various gentlemen ac-
credited with pulls have camped day
and night on this Kansan's trail, to
no avail. The press of the country
has had Bristow removed more times
In given period than it has thus hon
ored any other official. And still
Bristow sticks. Most of all. and what
is more to the point. the president
seems to think he will continue to
stick.
A Native of Kentucky.
Joseph L. Bristow is a native OF
Kentucky. In Kansas. that was never
laid up against him. For his parents
had the excellent judgment to bring
him to the Sunflower state at a young
and tender age. His early life was like
that of any other boy of large family
the head of the family not being in ex-