Evening star., 1915-01-31

bad year for a Southerner to be born.
The plantation business went on the rocks
along about that time, the Sweeney
family. after the war, moved to Texas
seeking opportunity. Opportunity did not
rise up and snite the family III the eye,
but somehow the family got along.
Then the name 30 Sweeney was
written on the enrolment of the
schools of Hillsboro. Tex. 30 may
be regarded as Texas spelling. His
mother was of French Huguenot de-
scent and IT is altogether probable that
the original spelling of the name was
Beaux, that being name long in the
family, but Texas declared it was Bo,
and 30 has satisfied the bearer ever
since. To change il he would regard
an affcctation.
The boy got his primary education III
private military academy, and later
h" took the law course at Cumberland
University in Tennessee, from which
Institution he was graduated in 1888.
From the start he had had his eye OH
the star of empire, and the moment he
received his Shcepskin he started fol-
lowing that star. 1t led him to Trini-
dad. Col.
Trinidad Is tho center Of a large coal
mining and stock raising region. It
received the Young man with open arms
citizen. 1t could not very well help
that. Bo Sweeney was about the most
prominent animate thing on tn. Trinidad
landscape.
After four wears residence Mr..
Sweeney acquired the habit of being
elected to the Colorado Legislature,
which habit he kept UP as long as he
lived in the state. At the session of the
legislature beginning in January, 1898
lie was the minority fdenIocratic) caucus
chairman and nominee of his party for
speaker. Only the trfling circumstance
that there were only two other demo-
Gratis in the house, while the republicans
had thirty-tliree and the popuists had
twen'vninc, kept him from being chosen
TO preside.
Presently the Sweeney practice covered
Il large part of southern Colorado and
reached well over into New Mexico
Then Mr.. Sweeney. in the face of sue
cess. felt the call of the star of empire
again. In 1897 he migrated to Seattle
which, in his opinion. is the permanent
abiding place of the aforesaid star Of
empire
Since then and until he came to
Washington last spring assistant
Secretary of the Interior. ne has been
variously occupied In his law practice,
in completing his collection of i'm
proved real estate and in placing him
self burnt Offering on the altar of
his party. In q community where DEM
ocrats are few and far between. he has
never faltered in his political faith.
Now and again he has gone on the
ticket to lead a forlorn hope and to
keep the party alive
Last spring the administration cast
about for IN assistant secretary Of the
interior The specifications called for
d democrat. a good lawyer. a man from
the north Pacific coast, the south Pa
cific coast being already represented by
the Secretary Of the Interior himself.
Geography, 1t should he known, is an
important thing in politics.
With the specifications in one hand
and a list Of names in the other the
administration began to balance them
The result was Bo Sweeney. In all
fairness it should be said that Mr.
Sweeney did not seek the office. Never
had he thought of himself in that posi-
tion. The offer came quite unsolicited
So he has left temporarily the star of
empire to look out for itself out in