The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-12-03

an article printed In Inc OutiOOh'
which Pres. Roosevelt will help edit
when he gets thru being President.
They are written about Joshep i.
Bristow, the new senator from Kan
sas. a Kentucky boy, who has made
a great reputation as fighter OF
evil in pablo life. He is man OF
whom Kentucky can well be proud,
and these comments are worth read
ing
Bern in a log cabin in Wolf County,
KY, July %, 1861, of Kentucky feud
blood surely there should be no sur
prise IL the call to the wild some
times stirs the soul and brain OF Bris-
tow. (The article then tells of his
early struggles with poverty, his
working his way thru college, his
entry in political life and steady
rise till he became fourth assistant
postmaster general. 1t was here that
his real work was done)
When rumors came of the corrup-
ton in Cuba of tho postal service in
Cyba we stood at the parting of the
ways in national life. and there can
be no doubt that the honest, search
ing. fearless inquiry into these things,
carried on by Mr.. Bristow, affected
Intellectually the course and conduct
of public affairs at that crisis of our
history. 49, The officials in Cuba who
were exposed and afterwards sent TO
the penitentiray were the appointees
and friends o. the most powerful men
in the party arr the Nation and moth
ing that party personal influence and
party coercion could do was left un-
dcne. first to dissuade and then TO
destroy Bri5tov.
But the corruption In the postal
service in Cuba was nothing to the
corruption that honeycombed the de-
partment at home, and the storm Of
hatred and opposition that descend
ed upon Bristow by reason of his
conduct of the investigation under
Mckinley was Insignificant compared
with the tempest which was let loose
here. 80" That the postoffice was be-
ing looted was known to men prom
trent in politics, and it was connived
at by not a few. The strict party man
the true spoilsman-counted it a
discourtesy, and worse than that.
breach OF party faith. to give the
alarm against fellow spoilSman. -
Nothing but the most extraordinary
courage and moral stamina could
have withssood tho efforts of the in
eliminated officers and their numer-
GUS and powerful friends in Congress
to call off the investigation and crush
Bristow. The rogues who were rob
bling the government were crafty, and
cool and well intrenched. and nothing
that subsidized newspapers and dis
honest accomr,ices in the House and
Senate co1ld do was left u1done TO
modify the rigor of the inquiry and
to dlscredit Bristow. 90" What honest
citizen will not agree with the Pres
idens that "the liberation OF wrong.
not the exposure of the wrong. is the
real offense"? Yet Mr.. Briatow was
so maliencd, abused, and hated by
scores Of prhlic officers in Washing
ton. including many Senators and
Congressman, that he was willing TO
resign.
Mr.. Bristow has been fortunate in
the enemies he has made. . . In
1893 he risked his life to pluck an in
nocent negro from the hands Of a mob
Beavers. a pcstofficc culprit
=" begged that that damned wolf
Bristow7 be kept off him To the
men whose wrong doing nc has un-
covered he has seemed cold. pitiless.
devouring, Unsuitable. 49,
But he mas been equally fortunate
in his friend min Not that he has
a genius for friendship. These who
have been ciozo TO him in recent
YEAR, have thought him cold remote.
self centercd. But . no child was
ever afraid OF him. and have yet
to hear OF his a genuine friend whom
he has betrayed. He viii fight for
a friend as he will for a principle.
He has always beer near the people
and has always enjoyed their con-
fidoncc. 49,
And there is In Drlstow a certain
suggestion II the hardy simplicity of
the ancicnts. His simplicity and di-
rectness render him almost grotesque
He is gaunt. tall and ungainly. His
shoulders are somewhat stopped, he
has a long awkward sGride. "'' He
has read much. particularly in the fields
OF history, biography. political econ
omy and current politics -. Web
ster, Lincoln, Blaine and later, Nc
Kinley. arc tho men who have stamp