University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-05-03

had attained ii pr"mince which induced
him Ia establish journalistic spOke>
man at the seat Of government. and IL
! head became Il member OF his kitchel
cabinet. Duff Green. the editor of th'
/ Telegraph. was hi- first mouthpicce il
the press but i'm the Calhoun schi-m ii
the Democracy he belonged To the ele
mcmt which favored the South Caro-
Imam. and in lSil Jackson got another
edited by Francis p Blair. who ha,
been brought from kentucky for thai
purpn-r This Francis p Blair was tn,
! father ri the man Of the same nam,
VIII" figured prominently in the politic'
and social life of St Louis and Missouri
il generation later. and took leadin.
part in kccpin" Missouri in the Union
in the civil war days The first Blair
assisted durin" part of his days as ed
ii"r by John {. Rivers, made the Globe
an exceedingly interestin" and active
paper. as it was compelled to be in or
der Ia meet the cNi@rncic~ of the time
Some oi .Iack>on'> Democratic and
Whig enemies accused .JackSon Of writ
ing certain editorials for the Globe
which We're quoted at the time aS bein"
especially significant in showing the de-
ory. like the Young Hickory of 1901 -o9.
WAS Il fighting president. and the man
warfare in the press WAS compelled I"
he ii"htin" editor. Blair filled this
role with admirable ability and courage.
Whoever in those days wanted To get
at the inside of the influences which
We're in control "f the administration
wa> compelled To give his days and
nights I" the study of Blair's Washing
ton Capital
The Capital was the organ of the ad
mini>tration durin" 1887 II. the term of
.IackSon's heir in the White House. Van
l;urcn. and it voiced the spirit of the
Jack Democracy durin" the lTar-
>onTylcr Viii" intcrrcgnum OF lS4l-
Il. When Polk entered the White
House in lSl5. however. he selected Il
new editor. although Jackson. to whom
Polk was largely indebted for his cleo
tinn. urged the retention OF Blair in
that role The jackson of lS29 b. like
the Jackson of recent days. always
chung To his friends through evil and
good report. Polk. however. selected
Thomas Ritchir Il well known editor OF
that day. for the post "f chief "f the
Democratic administration organ. Rit
chic was the editor "f tn cRichmond En-
t he .Iack>onan element of the Democ-
racy was falling into the back kground
and the Calhoun faction was i'm the as
rrndant. Ritchic was an extreme state
advocate. and was il more
ardent adhercnt of CalhouniSm than
was the South Carolina leader himself
During Polk'> term the Democratic ad-
organ wa> known as the
Cnion. and it retained that name dur
in" the successive Democratic prc>i-
icnt> onward to the civil war. The
,plit between the Calhoun and the
Jackson elements of the Democracy in
Polk'> tim" eventually put Benton.
Blair and all the rest of the Unoni>t
'hicftain> of the Democracy out of
'owcr. and seriously weakened that
'arty in tn" catacly>mic days which
were ahead of it. Blair wa> one of the
cadrr> in the Free Soil movement of
SIS. when rN-Prc>idrnt Van Buren, be-
anne the candidate Of the Free Soil
PARTY. and. in the division OF the Demo-
ratio vote in the decisive State of New
"rk. defeated Ca>>. the regular Demo- |
ratio nominee. and gave the presidency
q Zachary Taylor. the Wing. In the |
ftrr time Blair like his sons. Francis |
,. "f st. Louis. and Mont .omcry. be- !
anne active spirits in the Republican |!
'arty. but during the reconstruction !
'rri"d all of them lriftcd back into the |
Democracy.
Charges by Douglas
Douglas charged that certain edito- /
ial> against himself in the Washington /
mon Were written or dictated bv /