The Washington herald., 1908-06-02

Death claimed distinguished citizen
OF Washington and the United States at
o'clock yesterday afternoon, when Il
laid its hand upon former Senator James
Kinbrough Jones, at his residence, 1872
Nineteenth street northwest.
The end came suddenly. OF an attack
Of heart failure. 8Ir. Jones had Just re-
turned from Arkansas. where ne had
gone 10 visit one Of his two married
daughters. he had spent short time
in the State. and returned to Washington
apparently in the best OF health.
In the Bryan Campaigns.
Mr.. Jones was best known through his
management Of the Bryan campaigns of1sg6
and 1890. when he was a prominent figure
as chairman OF the Democratic National
Committee. He conducted these cam
paigns with vigor and originality. II not
with success. More recently he had lived
in Washington! engaging IN the practice
Of law with his son. James X Jones. II.
Mr.. Jones was a member OF the United
States Senate from 1885 to 1903. and served
on the subcommittee OF the Committee on
Finance, which drafted the Wilson tariff
bill He was active in connection with
legislation in the Senate, and, although he
never became a spectacular leader. he
was man Of influence and power in his
own party.
His erect. soldlerly bearing gave evi-
dence Of his military service in the civil
war. which he used to refer TO as the
late unpleasantness."
MI Jones was for many years serious
and ardent worker in the United States
Senate from Arkansas. He was always
faithful Democrat.
Native of Mississippf.
lie was born in Marshall County. Miss
on September o. 1893. He received a
classical education. and at the outbreak
OF the civil war entered the Confederate
army. From the close Of the war until
1913 he lived on his plantation. in that
year commencing the practice OF law. IN
the same year he was elected 10 the
State senate Of Arkansas. OF which body
he was elected president in ISU. He was
delegate 10 the Democratic national
convention in 1896. and chairman OF the
committee on resolutions in that conven-
tion, and reported the platform Subse-
Quenuy. be was elected chairman OF the
Democratic National Committee.
He was elected delegate TO the Demo-
cratic national convention OF 1900. and also
reported the platform adopted by that
convention, and was again elected chair
man OF the national committee
he served in the Forty-seventh. Forty
eighth, and Forty-ninth Congresses. and
was elected 10 the United States Senate.
taking his seat in 1855. being reelected TO
the Senate in 1890 and 1897.
Mr.. Abbot HIS Friend.
He first came into national prominence
when, in 1885. he was the leader Of the
Arkansas delegation and listened to tho
famous Cross Of sold and crown OF
thorns' speech by W. J. Bryan" said Mr..
Willis J. Abbot, a close personal friend
Of Mr. Jones. last night. Senator Jones
did not go TO that convention as a Bryan
man. He Went there as a friend OF Rich
ard T. Bland. I recall very well that in
the early stages Of the convention Senator
Jones was not at all for Bryan. and. in
deed Mr. Bryan was not in the early
stages a possible or probable candidate.
He came as the head Of p coutestinE dele
cation. But when the speech was deliv-
cred. Senator Jones. who Has the leader
on the floor OF the convention. walked
over 20 Mr.. Bryan and said: We will
put IL now TO a vote Bryan's answer
was: Let II go over for twentv-four
hours, for II the boom I seem to have will
not last that long. 1t win not last longer
After the nomination, Senator Jones
was made chairman OF the national com
mittee. He fought a good fight against
overwhelming odds. The funds al his
disposal We're not one-tenth Of those
which his rival Mark Hanna. had.
happen 10 know, as I was one of the
workers in that campaign, that the total
fund which James X Jones had at his
disposal In the 1896 campaign was less
than $4,000. In the 1850 campaign Il was
less than S400,000 Yet the fight he made
In those campaigns. with such utterly
inadequate means, and which were placed
against the enormous means possessed by
the Republican National Committee.
stamped him as a political manager OF
no mean order. It is true that charges
were made that he was not tricky. cor
rupt or sufficiently shrewd but as q
matter Of fact, he got out OF his or
ganization in both campaigns all the
work that man could do in any cause.
An Honorable Man.
Il remember well certain pictures being
brought TO him. and certain statements,
that might possibly have helped to q
slight degree, had they been published.
But Senator Jones was always the gen
tleman in politics. and he refused to use
material Of this sort. Nor was he ex-
travagant in expenditures. Money was
sent to him toward the end Of the cam
paign, which he returned, on the ground
that it could not be effectively used. and
to my certain knowledge money was re-
turned by him because Of the sources from
which II came might embarrass the can
didate whose fortunes he was pressing
When James X. Jones died. a man who