The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-16

Judge Archibald Wright. although not
a belligerent, went with his boys into
several battles, and the secretary of
fathers devotion to the confederacy
red saddle blanket he used with the
artillery.
Proves Himself a Hero.
AT the close of the war young
Wright took a course at the UNIVERSE
ty OF Mississippi, after which he en-
tered the law office of his father, who
was member of the Tennessee SUI
preme Court. He was elected Attor-
ney General for the important Mem
phis circuit when he was only twenty
four years old and disclosed the su-
perior legal talents which have al
ways kept him at the front of the
Tennessee bar.
The valor he showed as a boy sold
Ter proved he was of real heroic stuff
when in both the fearful yellow fever
manned in Memphis and with his own
hands nursed unfortunates who were
unable to leave the stricken city.
A man of exceptional gifts and of
vigorous nature, he did not hold aloOf
from politics and was prominent in
both the local and State councils of
the Democratic party, although he
never sought office. He was conspic-
uous among those Democrats who
stood for paying the State debt dollar
for dollar in the famous campaign of
1880. When the issue split the Demo
Gratis, the debt-paying candidate being
John Y. Wright of Maury county, who
died recently in Washington, and the
debt-scalers' candidate being S. F.
Wilson, of Sumner, now member of
the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The
dissension allowed the election of the
Republican candidate, Alvin Hawkins.
Luke Wright when his party again
divided-this time over the money
question, being of the Cleveland or
gold standard wing, which was in the
minority in Tennessee as in all the
Southern States-ceased activity to
participate in politics and devoted
himself to the practice of his profess
sion. 1t was while thus engaged he
attracted the highly favorable atten-
ton Of the Judges on the bench. and
it was his signal ability as lawyer
which eventually led to his being
drawn prominently into official life.
Goes to Philippines.
1t was shortly after it was an
nounced, early in 1900, that President
Mckinley intended to appoint non
partisan commission for the govern
ment of the Philippines, that the late
Judge Eli s. Hammond, of the Western
Tennessee Federal district, met Luke
Wright one morning and asked him
how he would like to be member OF
the Philippines Commission. The sug
gestion was smilingly dismissed as
but the passing idea of a partial friend
A little later, having occasion to ap
pear before the Federal Circuit Court
sitting at Cincinnati and presided over
by William H. Taft. of Ohio, and Hor
ace H. Lurton, of Tennessee, the lat
ter advanced the same suggestion
which had come from Judge Ham
| mond. Again it was not seriously con
sidered until Judge Lurton, pressing
the point. said: Taft wants you to &C
on the commission with him" Wher
Luke Wright went back to Memphis
he consulted his family and his
friends with the result that when the
formal proffer of the post came he was
ready to accept it.
| President Mckinley was happily i'm
pressed by the exceptional ability o
the Tennesseean. President Roose
welt was likewise impressed, as was
Judge Taft by the superior executive
j ability of his associate, who succeed
ed him as Governor General of thu
I Philippines, and the admiration OF thu
j President was signalized by Wright
appointment as Ambassador to Japan
President Roosevelt rarely permittet
! visitors to the White House from Ten
nessee to leave him without saying
something handsome about Luke
! Wright. There was nothing surpris
ing after all, under the circumstances
that President Roosevelt and Secre
tary Taft should agree that LUX
Wright was the man to succeed to tn
war portfolio.