The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-18
Wayne MacVeagh, Whom Matthew Arnold
Called Most Interesting American"

, counsel of the United States at the
Hague under Mr.. Roosevelt 1t was us
a trusted personal adviser. howeveE.
that he rendered the most valuable
service to each.
Hated Carpet 6ageers.
The most aren't OF union men, MIR.
MacNeagh was IA sincere friend Of the
south and did more probably than any
other one person 10 break up carpet
bag government, thus fetching upon
himself the obiurgations of Benjamin
r. Butler, who tainted the "rcformer'
with having married the brilliant
daughter of the mighty but unrcgcner-
ate Simon Cameron. The response was
eminently CHARACTERISTIC. Mr.. Mac
Veagh lamentcd this symptom of fall
ing powers as likely to go far to de-
stroy that reputation for effective
scurrility" which Rutlcr had so sedu-
lousy fosterGd for years. His chief
purpose in continuing the controversy
was he explained to Butler. ito OK
Iliblt you tS IL Wal lilIS " younger ulcus
by showing them that. in spite of
great ability and energy, you had be-
| come tho icpcr OF our politics, by rea-
son of the general conviction that you
habtually disregard the eighth and
| ninth commandments" And ne added
that he should not take the trouble to
notice any more of Buffers attacks.
for those who know me will not be-
licve anything you say against me. and
those who know you of course will not
believe anything you say against any
body.
Enjoyed Roosevelt.
We surmise that, whether at his best
| then or not, Mr.. MacVcagh got more
fun" out of life during the second
! Roosevelt administration than at any
other time. The zcst and vigor of
| the president in his dealings with 1.-The
interests represented by the strong
men in congress was as cxhilarating
to his eager spirit on the one hand as
the peculiar charm of the first lady
Of the land was captivating to his crit
tcal appreciation Of social aptitude. One
winter in particular was made notable
by a series of luncheon parties, which,
as occasions for springhtly conversa-
ton, have hardly been eXcelled. In
varably the day was Saturday. when
the work of the week had, ended, and
the party--wcll. the party was not
| always the same, but usually sccre-
TN ia
Taft and Speaker Proctor Nhc droll-
est and dricst of alb. and Mr.. Francis
Sergeant and occasionally Senators
Aldrich and Bcvcridgc, Mr.. Wattcrson,
Major Hemphill or others who hap
pcncd to be in town and always Mark
Twain and Mr.. MacVeagh. The un.
varying question, so Mr.. Root was
accustomed to remark, was, which will
get started first today--Clcmcns or
MacNcagh? And, so, indeed, it was.
Either was good for a monolague Of
two hours at least and neither would
brook an instant's interruption even
it anybody had been disposed, as no.
body ever was, to check the flow of
humor from the one or wit from the
other. AS n preliminary of the en-
counter. 1t became a habit of the two
to meet lat 1913" massachusetts
avcnuc) in the morning ito timber
| up when to each other they were
"Uncle Wayne" and Uncle Mark" and
spoke freely their opinions of the hu-
man race In general and of constituted
, authorities. political, literary and re-
ligious, In particular. And these talks.
too. were far from spiritlcss.
| Both Needed Audience.
But the truth Is that, to put forth
the full issue Of their inspiration, both
Mr.. Clemens and Mr.. MacVeagh re-
CURED an audience-not merely Il Ger
tain number Of listeners but n con-
| geries of minds upon a plane with their
own. such as have been Indicated. We
| have never known two men further
removed from Charles Lamb in 'lov-
ing fool" And that is rather sur
| prising, too especially Of a master OF