The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-14
Scores of Newspaper Men in
Cabinet, Foreign Posts, Con-
gress and Other Political High
Places.

SdOlilcC, FOIclSn FOStS, SOn-
gress and Other Political High
Places.
Washington, July 13-President
Woodrow Wilson Is an author. In his
Cabinet Secretary OF State William j.
Bryan owned and edited the Commoner
ana still controls that publication; Sec
rotary of the Navy Josephus Daniels
was tho owner and editor of the Ra-
leigh. N c., News and Observer. and
stu controls that paper; Secretary OF
the Interior Franklin K. Lane was n
reporter. correspondent III tho West
Tor New York newspapers, and finally
part owner and editor OF the Tacoma
wash. News In the earlier days OF his
public career. and Secretary OF Com
merce William c. Redield, OF New
York. served five years in the manu-
featuring establishment of the II. Hoe
Company, makers OF printing presses
Perhaps these facts may help to ex-
plain why 1t Is 80 many writers are
receiving recognition at the hands of
appointments.
The fact that the President and his
Cabinet have welded the pen SO hand
somely In the past and are disposed to
be so gracious to the members of their
former profession, however. does not
tell the whole story of the rise of the
writer 10 the top OF the ladder of pub
lie fame in Washington. There are
about sixty men with that sort of ex-
perience behind them in the halls Of
Congress
Editors Entering Politics.
For some unknown reason the edi-
torial sanctum has been invaded by the
political bee to an extent hitherto un-
known In the history of tho national
capital, and the net results show that
the editors and writer's OF all kinds and
descriptions have been as proficient In
applying political wisdom to their own
advancement as VIGOROUSLY they have
been in the past in placing their friends
In office by legitimate and discreet pub
!icity. Tho Warwicks of the past
while retaining n two-handed grip on
that phase Of politics. are nevertheless
coming out into the calcium light of
publicity as never before.
The political bee has not confined
itself to the writer's profession In any
one part of the country. to the contrary,
the delegations of no less than twenty
seven different States boast of at least
one newspaper man, or former news
paper man. or an author. One expla-
nation for their multitudinous presence
in Washington, offered by one OF their
number. is the fact that Washington
has made SO much political news in the
last decade that the curiosity of the
boss In the newspaper Office became
so rampant that he picked UP Con-
he looked the field over for himself, or,
failing in that ambition, he fired his
Wa93lingt ton correspondent and took
the job himself
Hold "Rump" Congress.
Anyhow. the editors are here in force,
and when Congress is not in session.
the National Press Club. which Is their
chief "hangout" when not in the legis-
lative halls, represents trump" ses-
sion, at my rate.
Furthermore. these newspaper men
have brought their sense OF news with
them to Washington. One OF the chief
assets OF the Progressive party in the
House Is the fact that Victor Murdoch
its floor leader. a former editor Of the
Wichita (Kan.) Daily Eagle knows
how to dish up its news ready for
typesetting machines. including the
''red-headlines'' and the whole story in
the first paragraph. Speaker Champ
newspaper, and he states the fact most
naively in his biography in the Con-
,gressional Directory, which saws:
1884, was president of Marshall Col
lege. West Virginia, the youngest COL
lege president in America; worked as
a hired farmland, clerked In n country
store, edited country newspaper,
practiced law"
Another House editor who has about
come into special prominence at this
session Of Congress is Carter Glass.
owner of the Daily News and tho Daily
Advance of Lynchburg. Va. Mr.. Glass
is one of the principal trainers of the
Democratic currency bill. and he Is
one of the best friends OF the working
newspaper man in Washington.
The most valuable newspaper prop
erty owned by any member Of Congress
Is the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times, which
Senator Oliver, of Pennsylvania, recent
ly stated he considered to be worth
million and n half dollars.
"Ncws Sense.n
AS Illustrating the fact that the
newspaper men in Congress brought
their news sense with them, an Incl
dent occurred during the tariff debate
In the House which broke the record.
a Western Congressman who owns the
best newspaper in his district deliv-
cred speech in the House on sched-
ules in the tariH bill OF vital import
ance to his district. He arranged to
give a copy OF his speech to Wash
ington correspondent representing a
daily newspaper in n large city which
generally circulated throughout his
congressional district. The correspond
ont failed to keep the appointment and
the Congressman calmly filed the whole
speech with the telegraph company
addressed TO the correspondents news
per.
The managing editor, who saw the
telegraph toll bills mounting upward
with every click of the telegraph re-
ceiver. finally lost patience and wired
his correspondent to find out Ii "hc
was sober yet" or words to that effect.
The Congressman so enjoyed his
scoop" that he paid the tolls. and the
correspondent finally squared" him
self in the home Offices.
List of Writer'S Given.
The list OF men In Congress who have
been connected with newspaper Offices,
or with authorship in some form, are
as follows:
Arizona-senator H. F. Ashurst was
a reporter.
misrepresentation Everis A.
Hayes, owner and publisher OF the San
Jose Daily Morning Mercury and Eve
ming Herald: Representative William
Kettner. connected with tho advertis-
ing department Of coast newspapers
for many years,
Colorado-Repreesnta H. II. Sell
domridge, city editor OF Colorado
Springs Gazette two years; Edward
I Of n rf In,