New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-24
Burt G. Wilder Tells of Incidents IN
Mr.. Reid Life.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Thank YOU for the three pictures
OF the late Whitelaw Reid in The IND
une OF the 18th. and for so placing theih
that all might be removed without inter
ference with one another.
OF the tributes published i'm the same
issue several refer 10 Mr.. Reds CON
sistent stand for clean journalism. 20
far as / recall The Tribune never con-
tanned a personal column. IL deh@d the
world, the flesh and the devil, ana prop
ably had few readers in the undeEWoIiu'
In one instance known 10 me ans stahu-
ard was maintained at what must nave
been a pecunlary sacrifice. immediate
although perhaps not eventual
Not long before Mr. Reds appointment
as Minister 10 France, in 1872 there 'p-
peared IN The Tribune an advertisement
by large publishing house specifying
cheap TRANSACTIONS OF the more or less
pornographic works of Well known
French writer. / wrote 70 Mr.. Reld eN-
pressing my regret upon the ground thd''
while the originals might perhaps Dc
ranked as literature no such claim
could b. made for cheap translations.
(As evidence of my sincerity ! added that
in the college town where l then resided
purchased the entire stock Of those
books from the only puryeyor OF theni'
made a bonfire OF them and persuaded
the dealer 20 abandon that branch OF MS
trade) Mr. Reid promptly sent person
al letter 10 the effect that the advertise
ment had escaped his notice and should
be discontinued. IL was. During his aO-
sence from the country II reappeared' a
Ike appeal to his successor elected
similar response and action. So far al
know The Tribune has never since 6een
patronized By the firm In question.
Mr. Reds candor tact and orcadth oi
mind were displayed I'm the following IN
cident: In the fall OF 1873, while under
going initiation into a secret Greek .etter
society, IL student lost his life under CIR
cumstances which any unprejudiced per
ron would regard as eyinclng gross ara
ineXcusable negligence upon the pa.t OF
those In charge Of him. Exaggerated ana
injurious rumOrs were rife. A cor
rect account OF the mlshap. with observa-
tons and reflections upon college secret
ShilFi4tS III bf4lflc4, W Do N'AtA W 4 hN N''D
uue by me- with the suggestion that 1t
be utilized in the form Of an editorial
IN q Photograph letter (Which has been
carefully preserved, but Is now 1t my
summer home) Mr.. Reid assured me that
in many respects his Views coincld-
ed with my own, but that editorial nSe
Of the material would embarraSs him
somewhat al that time because he had
been member OF a fraternity and had
recently accepted an invitation 10 deliver
the address az It's approaching cOnven-
tlon. lie would, however, publish my on
tire communication. Il had been written
hurrledly with pencil, and no proof was
submitted 10 me, thus accounting Tor
some iufelicities and typographical err
Iors il appeared in The Tribune OF Oc-
tober - 1873. with an editorial paragraph
stating that Il "arraigns secret societies
with remarkable energy ana directnsss
and that the matter viii be debated
largely etc I may be permitted % add
that / nave since seen no reason to
modify the views therein expressed
Women. however. had not then en-
croached upon the traditional masculine
prerogative of ostentatious segregation
so far as 10 organize Greek letter sorori-
ties. BURT g. WILDER,
Washington. Dec. is. 1872.