The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-22
IS STILL A DEMOCRAT
GENERAL WRIGHT WANTS THIS
 FACT UNDERSTOOD.
Splendid Career of Tennessee Man, . Confederate Soldier, Who VIII Go Into Rooseveltss
 Cabinet

Memphis. Tenn. June 21.--(speciaL) General Luke B. Wright will enter on his duties as Secretary of War as a Dem ocrat.
 In response to many questions asked by his personal friends hero at his home since the announcement was made from Washington. he has replied to all: T am still Democrat and al ways have been. l haven't forgotten how to swab cannon"
 Friends of General Wright have ex- plained the last few words of his re- mark by placing the construction thereon that he is Democratic in prin- ciples as well as politics.
 In political circles in Tennessee Democrats have hailed the appointment of General Wright to a berth in the Republican administration with both joy and disappointment. From con- servative sources 1t has been freely commented upon that the appointment will do more to cause political changes in the solid South than anything that could have happened right at this time to the Democratic party.
 The career of General Wright as a soldier who fought for the Confeder- acy during the war between the States. and as citizen of Memphis prior to his appointment to the Philippines, has been distinguished by numerous sin- stances which have made him respect ed as a man of fearless demeanor and cool and powerful intellect.
 He was born in Giles County, Tenn, near Pulaski in July, 1s45, and will therefore celebrate his s3rd birthday soon after taking the oath of his new office. His parentage was of the sturdy class of pioneers and his father was Judge Archibald Wright of the Su- preme Court of Tennessee.
 Career as . Soldier.
 At the age of IS he joined the Con- federate army In which he soon dis tinguished himself by serving under Breckenridge's command so that he was rapidly advanced to a lieutenant In his brothers battery.
 The strong personal character and devotion to duty began to assert itself as the war progressed. At the battle of Stone River a soldier hurried to him with the news that Captain Eldridge Wright. his brother. and the captain of the battery. had been killed.
 'SThen take his body to the rear" was the command of the young lieutenant who moved forward with his company It was not until after the battle ended that he hastened to verify the news and prepare his brothers body for burial.
 At the close of the war General Wright entered the University of Miss issippi to read law. He did not finish his course but retired to his fathers or flee to study. For eight years he was attorney general for the Memphis dis strict So faithful and vigorous was he in this capacity that at one time criminal judge. 1t is said, charged him in private to be more itentent. The prosecuting attorney continued to discharge his duty and in certain celebrated case 1t is related, the judge threatened the attorney. He was never bothered thereafter for hIs final mes sage to the judge was that should this thing continue one Of us Will surely die"
 Of a distinguished family himself that fought for the South cause during the civil strife General Wright be- came allied with another prominent family by hs marrage to Miss Kate Semmes daughter of Admiral Raphael semmes of the Confederate Navy. Three sons of this union saw service in the Spanish American war.
 As Citisen of Memphis.
 The career of General Wright as a citizen of Memphis where his father moved in 1859 was distinguished by numerous incidents which have made him known. His services during the most trying period Memphis ever en- dured-the yellow fever plague of ls7S-7s--have not been forgotten in Memphis He was chairman of the Citizens Relief Committee and worked day and night for the care of the sick and the salvation of the plague strick- en city.
 On one occasion a negro woman the associate editor of a negro paper pub lished in Memphis. aroused the ire of the white citizens by a series of edi- torials in which insinuations were made aganst white women. A mass meet ing followed at the Cotton Exchange at which none but representative citi- gems attended. Summary punishment was about to be dealt out to the worn- an with a procession to the building where the paper was published but General Wright rose with a masterful course of reasoning and with cool per- suation he induced the people to per init a proper committee to wait on the woman with polite request to sell out and quit the town.
 General Wright began his national service as a member of the Philippine Commission in 1909. Tn 1903 he suc- ceeded President Taft and in 1904 was appointed by President Roosevelt as civil governor. Later he was gover- nor general and in 1906 he was ap- pointed ambassador to Japan