The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-10-04
NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE
WRITERS FOR ROOSEVELT
Agree to Donate Two Weeks Work to
the Cause of the Progressive
Party

The National Progressive Headquar-
tiers has put under way plan OF pub
licity which is probably unique. The
story really began when Frederick Pal
mer, the war correspondent, came into
camp and volunteered his services.
You know" he said, that most of
the magazine writers are progressives.
Why don't you use them? I'm will
ing to give my services free for any
thing I can do"
Several other magazine writers vol
unteered. Then Will Irwin, engaged
in writing fiction in the country, had
an idea which sent him posting to
headquarters in New York.
Lets get up a syndicate of maya
zine writer's" he said, and give one
progressive newspaper in every city a
story every day, written and signed by
man or woman we'll known in the
magazine world"
Richard Harding Davis had already
declared himself an ardent progressive
and gone to work on the stump. The
project was referred to him and he
also became enthusiastic. The result
was an informal meeting last week at
which the matter was put on foot.
Will Irwin, having had experience as
magazine editor, magazine writer and
a newspaper man, volunteered to give
up two weeks Of his time to act as
city editor" and set the syndicate
going. He went to work last Thurs
day morning and by Friday night he
had corralled twenty writers, all of
whom had promised to give every as
sistance in their power.
The following was the list when the
Office closed last Friday evening: Rich
ard Harding Davis, novelist, short story
writer, and perhaps the best reporter in
America; Frederick Palmer, novelist
and correspondent for American publi-
cations in seven or eight wars; Jesse
Lynch Williams, novelist; c. P. Con-
molly. professed muck-raker, who has
lately made much stir by his attacks on
the courts; Arthur Weyl, author Of
THE New Democracy" which has
been called the best statement of Pro-
gressive principles; P. c. McFarlane,
clergyman, fiction writer, magazine
article writer; Louis Evan Shipman,
playwright and novelist; Issac M. Mar
cosson. authority on finance; William
Allen White, wheel horse of the Pro-
gressive movement whose literary ac-
tiyities are too wide for description
here; Judson c. Welliver, Washington
correspondent and magazine muck
raker; Frank A. Munsey, whose maga-
zine speaks for itself; Samuel Merwin,
co-author Of the famous Calumet X"
and more recently author of The Cita-
del," statement in fiction OF Progress
sive principles; his collaboration on Cal
umet X" Hemp Kichell Webster,
author of innumerable novels and maya
zine articles; DR.. Woods Hutchinson,
writer OF popular science for popular
magazines; Franklin P. Adams, of New
York, and Bert Lesion Taylor, OF Chi
cago, who divide between them the
honor Of being the wittiest American
paragrapher; John T. McCutcheon, the
inimitable cartoonist and humorist in
the Chicago Tribune; George Fitch,
the humorist; Edna Ferber, whose EN-
ma McChesney stories and lively hum
orous reports on the National Conven-
tions have brought her sudden recent
fame; Wallace Irwin, probably the most
prominent American writer of light
verse, and the author Of The Japanese
School Boy" his brother, Will Irwin,
article writer and novelist.
This list" said Will Irwin yester-
day, is only a hap-hazard thing. 1t
is made up merely Of those prominent
writers whom l could find in two days
of frantic telephoning and telegraph
ing, There are as many more of equal
prominence whom have not yet been
able to reach. OF course, I have not
approached any writer who is not known
to be Progressive, but no one has
turned me down so far; in fact, the