The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-06

tant. So we moved to that town. where
my mother opened a millinery shop.
Soon she was appointed postmistress.
There wasn't a white Republican in
the village, and no Democrat wanted the
honor because it only paid 500 year
NV two brothers and myself grew up in
the postofice. Long afterward 1t was
said that we were brought UP on me
money paid us by a Republican admin
istration. Therefore, so 1t was argued.
we shouldn't oppose the Republican par
ty. / replied that my mother took the
postofice because no one else would have
1t. We were poor, that I admitted, but
my mother. L said. rather proudly. would
have starved before she would have sold
her sons into political slavery. My elder
brother Is judge; my younger brother
has been Solicitor Of North Carolina
II can't tell why. but 1 always wanted
to be a newspaper man. The ambition
came into my mind when 1 was very
small boy. / hung around the office OF
our village weekly. and became well ac-
quainted with the proprietor At the age
of fifteen 1 established an amateur pub
lication called the Cornicopia. Multum
In parvo was the motto with which ]
appealed for patronage. l was in touch
with amateurs all over the country. We
formed an organization, which is still in
existence. and gives a dinner every year
in New York.
Becomes an Editor at Seventeen.
Il bought third interest in the Will
son weekly when I was seventeen years
old for 500. my mother mortgaging her
house for the money. In a year or two
1 owned the whole property, such as 1t
was. My mother remained postmistress
Of the village. She was Wing; L WAS,
PERHAPS. a fanatical Democrat. We had
5000 more negroes in our Congressional
district than whites. 1 was youthful,
energetic. and full of zeal. The Ad-
vance, for such was the name of my
paper, believed in Caucasian supremacy.
Understand?
Then I'D rose a man, a white Repub-
lican. eight miles out in the country He
wanted the postoffice at Wilson. Polit-
ical charges were formulated against my
mother and sent to Washington, d. c..
along with copies of my newspaper. They
were not the mildest copies, either. The
Daniels family needed the salary. One
of the boys was In college. and the Ad-
vance was not what might be called a
fabulous proposition. Therefore, 1 fol-
lowed the charges to Washington. i saw
Gen. Matt w. Ransom, our Senator. Tim
othy O. Howe. of Wisconsin. was Post
master General. and while in Congress
had tried to give the negroes of Wash
ington the right of suffrage The face Of
matters looked ominous. Neither did I
know that Howe had seen my editorials.
"'You wait out here Gen. Ransom
said to me at the door of Howe's ante
room, while / go inside and ease the
way for your entrance / never got
any farther. Howe produced the file
OF my paper instanter. That he said,
Is the activity of one son. The other
son is a chairman of the Democratic
committee Of Goldsboro.' Ransom was
a quick man. The editorials. however,
took him by surprise. OF course he
said, 'Josephus Daniels Is a Democrat.
He lives only two or three counties
from my own home. 1 make it my
business to see that all the promising
young men in my neighborhood are
Democrats. 1 go among them at least