Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-06-16


to think have very patient mind. l mean by
that mind which moves slowly, which plods for
ward instead of dashing or leaping. There is moth
ing brilliant about it, brilliant mind it strikes
me. is like thoroughbred horse good for race
but afterward needing to be stabbed for day or
two My mind is like pillow horse. It cannot
squirt, but it can go on turning furrow after fur
row. That lets me get through lot of work.
by patient mind" he went on Il also mean
a mind which does not leap to attitudes and decf-
sons, but feels its way. And a mind which does
not get its back up easily. Opposition does not
make my mind bristle. A difference of opinion is
not a personal thing with me.
And think" he said, his dark eyes twinkling
and his wide lips qurking with fun 1T has been a
very decided advantage to me to be so little and
to look so young. really mean that" he fastened
to add and cited two instances in illustration. One
was his argument before the Supreme court of the
United States in the Cleveland traction cases. an
argument which attracted the fattering favorable
comment Of the learned justices. The other was
speech which one of the outstanding features
of the Baltimore convention which nominated
President Wilson.
Neither of those" he commented could by
any stretching of words be called great speech.
The natural fairmindedness of men was what
pulled me through in both cases. | looked so
handicapped that my hearers said instinctively.
Give the boy chance'"
Such cool, almost academic selfanalysis led
me to ask him how life struck him. so to speak
what ambitions it stirred in him. I'D like to prac-
tice law" he said. THAT is my one ambition.
There is no Office position that care for. But
I'd like to practice and practice and practice law"
Further talk along that line developed the rather
interesting fact that the new secretary of war is
Of those men who seem to have been moved
forward by the urgings and propulsion of their
friends instead Of fighting forward of their own
accord in response to an inner impulse. Post
master General Wilson ali but dragged him from
his briefessness in Martinsburg to get his first
taste of cabinet ways and. duties and responsible
ties. Martin Foran dragged him to Cleveland to
become trial lawyer. Tom Johnson dragged him
into politics. And Woodrow Wilson has just
dragged him g the war department.
The circumstances Of the Foran case are un-
usual enough to partake of the romantic. In 1897,
when the young and still younger looking attorney
returning from his first visit to Europe, he
was table mate of the late w. T. Stead and mild
hammered, retiring English barrister. One day
Baker on deck to find the barrister in a peck
of trouble. stalwart lawyerish, six-foot Irish
man, full OF Gaelic fire. had wayaid him and was
charging him, in his own person. with all the
wrongs England had perpetrated on the dis
tressful country. Il happened to be rather ia
miliar with the Irish land laws" SO Mr. Baker
tells it. land contrived to substitute myself for
the barrister in the argument. The upshot of it
was mat my opponent and became good friends
and spent the rest Of the voyage playing chess
together. We parted in New York. l went back
to Martnsburg. and no word passed between US
for two years. Then the man-Martin Foran-
wrote me the firms business had so increased that
another partner required and that he wanted
l had long felt should be in a larger COM
munity than Martinsburg. and liked Cleveland.
but l knew they wanted a trial lawyer, which l
was not. So went on full of excuses. prepared
to thank him and be dismissed in friendliness.
Before could get my first excuse out Mr.. Foran
had ushered me into Office and said. Here's
yours and before l caught my breath he had sent
some clients in for me to talk with / stayed in
Cleveland and learned to be trial lawyer"
His enlistment as active fighter in the John
son camp was equally casual Tom" was sick
one night, and the young lawyer was pressed into
service to fill his place at a rally. Toms sick. !"
said the man who introduced him. This is New
ton d. Baker. who's going to speak in his place.