Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-16
Tuesday, May IS, 1916.
Harpsr's Weekiy-in Memoriam.

Harpsr's Weekiy-in Memoriam.
"Harpers Weekly is the name OF a
Giant that was. With the issue dated
May 13th-last Saturday-that name
took it's place in Memory. To many
who are now bearing great responsible
tiles in the worlds affairs, this memory
is Of slight significance. but to others,
whose years are Of greater number. it
is full of suggestion and replete with
interest
Each week. for three thousand and
ninety-nine weeks-nearly 60 years
Harpers Weekly bore its message to
thousands Of people, a message, often
times, of wonderful power.
Among the men who have been asso-
cia1ed with it, especially distinguished
in the mind Of the public was George
William Curtis. When the paper had
existed for about nine years, GURUS,
then young man of SO and recognized
as of extraordinary brilliancy, became
it's editor Four years before this, how
ever, a young artist had joined the
staff, who was destined to eclipse, in
the popular mind, and for a time, at
least, the distinguished editor in-chief;
and the time soon arrived when the
name of Thomas Mast was known to
hundreds where the name of Curtis
was known to one. And when the pop
ularity of Mast was at its height, the
effectiveness of the Weekly was great
est; and the cause of that effectiveness
was the genius Of Mast.
Thomas Mast began to draw for the
the greatest picture paper in the
country, and Nast's contributions were
pictures rather than illustrations or
caricatures in the beginning. The Civil
War was raging and he accomplished
much by his appeals to the loyalty Of
the North-so much. in fact that Lin
coin said of them that they were the
best recruiting sergeants on the side
of the Union"
In 1868 appeared the first of his carl
his popularity was wonderful, and his
name became a familiar one through
out the country. General Grant, at the
close of the war, declared that in his
opinion Mast was the foremost figure
in civil life developed during the Re-
bellion.
But the reputation gained during this
period was as nothing compared to
that which came a little later, when he
trained the guns Of his great talent up
on the corruption in New York. His
warfare against Boss Tweed and his
ring" was the most relentless, the
most destructive warfare ever waged
in the whole history Of American Jour-
nalism up to that time, and it is doubt
full if it has been equaled since. Tweed,
with unlimited power in city affairs,
fought with every means in his power
to stop the attacks being made against
him. He bullied and threatened and
tried to bride. He was beside himself
with rage as the thrusts came harder
and deeper. Let's stop these damned
pictures" said he. Il don't care SO
much what the newspapers write about
me,-my constituents can't read; but
damn it, they can see pictures" Mast
lived beneath the constant menace OF
bodily harm. The Harpers came in, OF
course, for their share Of trouble
Tweed had all the school books that
they published thrown out Of the city
tracts with the city. But the fight went
on. Mast seemed to grow richer in re-
source, the more he expended. Idea fol
lowed idea, of increasing strength an6
destructive power. In this struggle
Mast led forth the Tammany Tiger fol
its first appearance, when it took it:
place in the geological garden of Car
toondom which it holds today. If thu
name of Tweed sounds familiar to thu
generations born since his time, it hap
pens, not because of his gigantic cor
ruption, but because of Nasts terribl,
torture and destruction Of him and hi
followers.
The Nation, in commenting upon thu
downfall of the Ring" said:
Mr.. Mast has carried political illus
trations to pitch of excellence neve
before attained in this country, ant
has secured for them an influence OF
opinion such az they never camo nea
having in an country. ii is right [
saw that he brought the rascalities o
the Ring home to hundreds OF thou
sands who never would have looked a
fine figures and printed denunciations
and he did it all without ever for on
moment being weak, or paltry, or Wi