The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-28
D. JAMEs D. MoRRow.


fat banks OF the yellow Potomac.
The Treasury, until Mckinley. and even
later, was the sanctuary, in its best Of
fees. for lawyers and politicians-paunchy
gentlemen in black clothing and with
thick boards or dropping mustaches, who
specialized In delegations and annually
made noise on the stump. Subordinates,
erfaced individuals. did the business, but
In ancient and dreary ruts
The shelves Of a hustling grocer gather
no dust Besides, MacVeagh has been IN
factories and banks In addition thereto,
he Is a Democrat Of an exclusive type.
and came to his present functions. with
out political debts.
"Tftular head OF my party" so confess
ed Mr. Taft has abstained from the per-
nicious activities Of the place. The men,
bers CT his Cabinet have been uncom-
monty FREQ OF patronage restraipts and
partisan contracts authoritatively made
In advance. A pie counter built by Taft,
political carpenter. would be so iimsy
oopstructionally that It would break down
at the first rush.
New order OF Things.
So short coats, fancy vests. and stick
pins to match shirts and cravats-the
visible symbols OF a new class-have dis
placed boots and rusty plug hats in the
somber Offices OF the nations Treasury.
The sluggish tread OF politics has given
way to the pushing stride OF business.
Wisdom and prudence may dwell in Mac
Neash, the patriarch and patrician. but
elsewhere there must be vigor. initiative,
and enthusiasm. Witness his young as
sistants. as bearing out the statement
and Lee McClung, the new Treasurer Of
the United States a bachelor Of forty
but a boy when he Is compared with his
antediluvian forerunners
Doubtless, McClung is a DEMOCRAT.
MacVeagh has not cross-examined his
staf about their associations or convic-
tons politically. Not one OF them has
worked in his ward or been a challenger
in his precinct on the day OF election
But Meetings. blood, Confederates
though whiggish, points to his politics
with pretty certain guess. However.
he makes no flourish OF his views and in
iis speech. now accented by the East.
he declined to mention John Marshall.
the Chief Justice. or Albert Sidney john
ston, killed at Shiloh, or John Morgan.
the cavalry leader and raider-all OF
whom were of his family in the past
unless in answer to a question.
At Yale. McCmng-still square muscu-
lar, and heavy-breasted. slim at the
waist. and thewed In the legs like a
racer-was captain OF the football team
and famous as a plunger and runner
fcTf - l.. Il all
he was conspicuous and popular. He
went into traffic as a profession-obtain-
ing freight for a railroad-and then he
became treasurer Of his university,
watching 100000 OF endowments and
receiving Sl.25O.0OO annually in rents. I'm
torest. and tuition,f
One Wei Known m DueIist.
Some OF the McClungs-Scotch Presby- |
terians. back In the Highlands. fierce
men in love. IN war and as musicians
brought their ;emperaments1 eccenuici- |
tics TO America and handed them down
to their generations. A notable heir.
notorious heir. indeed. TO such an in
her1tance. was Alexander Keith McClung.
the Mississippi duelist, who should have
maintain a graveyard of HIS own and
employed an undertaken In his retInue. I
solicited Lee, the Treasurer. for such par
tioulars as he had pertaining to his
knsnan.
Il think. from cursory consideration /
OF the evidence" was the reply. that
Alexanders victims were counted twice
and then doubled Cor good measure. He
was hasty man. TO doubt, and certain
with the trigger. but tradition has the
habit o. ornamenting the facts end add I
ing to the circumstances. am assured |
by careful historians IN the South that /
Alexander killed only three men. Several /
years ago I was introduced 10 one OF eur /
army of,csrs in Cuhs.
Are you fr3m Mississippi he asked. |
mo, I replied. II live in Tennessee. !
but II ere are Meetings. in difTarent parts |
OF tho Southern country. Alexander 1
Keith McCluaF. or jackson, belonged 10 !
my family said. not IN pride. but as a
geographical contribution to the dla-
logic.
"'wen the ofhcer replied. he shot my
ErHnSatheH
VERY ll71ly.' observed. W6at was
20 GRANDPA Aisr's n.meT
lAleSs Alie faitceE AnbWbfo4-
you are right, ssi4 My relative
killed q Yates anssg the rest. Let US
shshs hands over the Unnecessary evsnt |
WAsrtat we we're god FIJI pds.
DueIist Ends HIS Life.
There were two brothers" Loo Nc |
Chung continued to say. John Alexan- |
der, an author ana Clergyman, who |
preached at Indianapolis for several |
years and was drowned In Niagara River, |
and Alexander Keith. the duelist THAR
mother was the sister OF Chief Justice
John Marshall, Of the United States SUI
prere Court Alexander Keith MeCIuns /
was "A lieutenant colonel in the Mexi7Sn /
war and served directly unSer JenerssR /
Davis. who was in osmmans Of tho First /
Mississippi Rifles Afterwnrd he prRc-
ticed law at Jackson until his death By
suicide at the axe Of tarty-threa
1T was said that tho spirits OF the
men he killed on the field Of honor drove
him to tRks his life with L pistol he
had used in some OF his duels. He was
an orator and a poet and Robert Lowry.
once governor OF Mississippi told me
that his speech on Henry Clay. delivered
at the invitation Of the legislature. has
never been excelled in this country, either
In eloquence OF the purity OF language.
Reason held tho helm he said. refer
ring to Clay's oratory. while passion
blow the gale On table near his dead
body were found some original lines
which he called An Invocation 10
Death obtained a copy OF them sew
eral years ago. To me, they sound like
sood poetry. but read them yourself and
judge: