The Washington herald., 1915-12-16
HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Pioneer Newspaper Correspondent
BY DIR. Z. }. EDWARDS,

| In the course OF an evening ] spent
with the late Henry u. Stanton. who al
! though he was highly esteemed as a
newspaper writer. and also as a political
speaker, was perhaps best identified as
the husband Of Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
he spoke to me OF some OF his associa-
tions with men who in the early days
or newspaper writing In the United States
had gained distinction. Among others
| with whom Mr.. Stanton had maintained
friendly relations were those two bril-
liant sons OF Maine. James and Erastus
Brooks. both of whom. after preliminary
! training as Washington correspondents
had. while still In control of a newspaper
or New York city-the Express-served
as members OF congress. Erastus having
also been nominated by the Democratic
party as candidate for governor OF New
York
There is a curious commentary" said
Mr.. Stanton. which Is made possible by
comparing the tragic ending Of James
Brooks with the triumphant career Of
others who were named at the time Mr.
Brooks was as participants in the aIIeg ed
Credit Nobilier scandal
Il knew Mr.. Brooks well. am sure
II was not possible for him TO have par-
ticipated In apy act which involved Il
breach of moral integrity. lie was n bril-
liant man, and I often thought that his
letters from Washington-which were be-
gun about the time Andrew jackson was
near the end of his second term AS presi-
dent-were as perfect pen pictures as any
thing that n. p. Willis ever wrote.
think Mr. Brooks was the first to write
regularly as a correspondent from Wash
intgon- He was the creator Of Washing
ton correspondence
Mr.. Brooks was one OF the first TO call
to
were to secure the harbor of San Fran
cisco. OF constructing a railroad from the
Mississippi River to San Francisco. That
was some years before We bought Cali
fornia from Mexico. He always took Keen
interest In the various propositions for
the construction of railroads to the Pa
cifc coast. I have heard that he was
the best-informed man I'm congress upon
that subject He gave cordial support TO
the Hesitation which made IL possible to
buSld the Central Pacific and the Union
Pacific railroads.
1T was for this reason that President
Andrew johnson appointed Mr.. Brooks
one OF the government directors of the
Pacific Railroad when that railroad was
completed.
-Four years later. for what I am sure
were purely political reasons, the inves-
tgation into the construction company
the tHlOn racine was made
by a committee Of congress, resulting in
resolution for the censure of Mr.
Brooks. He was deeply Inundated and
crushed by what he and his friends be-
lieved to be a piece of political Injustice.
II really broke his heart, for he died in
something like collapse soon after the re-
Port Was made. but he lived long enough
to feel some qualification that his friends
In New York supported his denomination
for congress by giving him one OF the
largest majorities obtained up TO that
time In any congressional district.
Now. look at the other side Of the
picture. One of those named in tho COM
mittee report was James 4. Garfield. n
that report had any foundation then this
great man had sold himself for the
paltry sum of s3s9 But the American
people were persuaded that this investi-
CATION was purely political. SO that Gar
field was triumphantly nominated for the
presidency. and elected. You will find
one of the strange stories OF politics In
the comparison between the fate of
James Brooks and the triumphant career
OF James A. GARFIELD"
Copyright, 1915. by +. J. Edwards. All rights re-
scrved.)
Tomorrow DIR. Edwards will tell of
Men Who Triumphed Over Physical
Disa bility."