Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-19
THE LIPS OF THE ORACLE ARE DUMB
"reminiscences Clair McKewa Who Abandoned the Bar for
the Tripod and Made Brooklyn Journalism Famous-His
Philadelphia Brother Gave Him Loyal Legion Button.
By GEORGE w. DOUGLAS.

invaders carpet -baggers," and sent it to the
composing room. Manton Marble, then editor
of the World, saw the heading in the proof,
and asked McKelway to write an editorial
article about the new phrase. The next morn
ing "Carpet-bag government" was denounced
the editorial page and its inauguration
announced in the news columns. The phrase
fitted the situation so exactly that 1t still
survives.
He was an editorial writer on the Brooklyn
Eagle for several years, and then went to
Albany to edit the Albany Argus, owned by
Daniel Manning who was to become Secre-
tary of the Treasury in Cleveland's Cabinet.
my salary was $4,000 a year when the Re-
publlcans were in power and $500 when the
Democrats controlled the State government"
he said to me once. But managed to see
to it that conditions were such that / got
s35OO most of the time that 1 was with the
Argus"
Tradition in Albany
After a short interval under another editor
he succeeded Thomas Kinsella editor of
the Eagle. Kinsella is the man who is
credited with nominating Hancock for the
Presidency. Long before the convention he
had sent William C. Hudson one of his ablest
political writer's, through the South and the
cocks availability. He sowed the seed
which bore fruit in the convention. Kin
sella was great editor, and for several years
after McKelway took charge of the Eagle
men in the office would say in times of
crisis, "Oh, II Kinsella were only here to
handle that subject" And it CALLED him to
know that there was feeling that he was
not so big as his predecessor. But one day
he went back to Albany and visited the
Argus office. His friends all said that they
wished they had him back there again.
And whenever something big happens"
they told him, I'VE all say among ourselves,
oh, If McKelway were only here now, we
should have something worth whle'"
He stopped worrying about the traditional
greatness of Klnsella when he discovered
that he also was a tradition.
While he was in Albany he delighted In
unusual words One of the office boys said
that he kept in his desk a small dictionary
of obsolete and obsolescent words-the office
boy did not call 1t that-and studied 1t every
day, And they say that the Albanians
waited eagerly for the Argus every morning
to discover what new word the editor had
used. In his later years. however, he cul
tivated simple and direct style. once
used "caoutchouc" in an article He came to
me and said:
II wouldn't use that word The girls in
the composing room do not know what IL
means. Put india rubber in its place."
But he would persist in writing long SEN
tences. AT dinner in honor Of his birthday
the boys of the staff printed on the menu
the most recent example of his ability 10
marshal words that moved with orderly pre-
cision to full stop and it filled as much as
three inches Of newspaper column.
Best Speech of the Bunch
There was time when he was one of the
most popular afterdnner speakers i'm New
York. But he had to give up going to pub-
lie dinners because it was impossible for a
man to work all day and then talk all night
The popular, II profane. estimate of him as
speaker was expressed by an Irishman
after attending a meeting in the
Brooklyn Academy of Music. held TO de-
nounce some political chieanery.
ihat blankety' blank blankety blank Nc
kelway made the best speech OF the bunch"
ana y r. OConnor, who heard him in a
debate on immigration. wrote: II never
heard a wittier. more sensible or more n,,I.
verizing speech than that Of St Clair Nc
kelway The one man who could nav.
made such speech In my experience u
Sir William Harcourt; and l am not sure
that even he could have made it,"
Like so many other men, he shortened a..
name given him at birth. He was cbr,s-
tened ST. Clair Kirtley McKelway Bur hi
remarked TO me once, Five names were 100
many for one man to carry. SO I dropped one
q them But If you should happen 10 49,
any quotations from the philosopher KlrtIsv
on the editorial page you win know Who
be Is" "Ne
Although he was not the eldest son he
wore The Loyal Legion button His elder
brother kept a drug store IN this city unt1
ae aAsa ana years go he surrendered ~