Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-02
Views and Reviews
MarSe Henry WGtterSon's Col
den Jubilee IN Journalism

den Jubilee IN Journalism
What wonderful career has reached its
climax in the completion of Henry Watterson's
81 wears editorial guidance of the Courier Our
nal along with his entrance upon his seth year!
II is indeed justification for the "Marse Henry
Edition" which that paper is issuing in tribute TO
Colonel Watterson embodying in it bouquet OF
paper-and- pencil flowers from fellow editors.
authors and public men who have come upon the
stage in the half century that Mr.. Watterson has
reviewed events and characters in its columns.
NV response in answer to the invitation to JON
in this tribute is as follows:
ut is a privilege, as we'll as a delight, to
be permitted to send greetings to the Grand
Old Man of American Journalism through
the Marse Henry Edition OF the great
newspaper whose editorial policy he has
shaped and controlled this half century COM
passing the most vital world happenings ana
unparalleled world progress since the dawn
of history.
"To know Colonel Watterson is to love
him my own personal contact with him
dates back now almost Is years and before
that my fathers intimate friendship with him
and admiration of him had made me feel
real acquaintance. Though diametrically OPP
posed in political point of view, though they
had enlisted on opposite sides of the great
Civil war that left such deep and lasting scars
they had many traits in common which drew
them close together They were both born
fighters, ready to champion their convictions
at the drop of the hat, keen, far-seeing, out
spoken to brashness, answering and unco1n-
promising in unfolding principle giving and
taking in political warfare and asking no
quarter fair to generosity to the adversary
thoroughly devoted to a lofty conception OF
public duty, welding the pen as sword or a
rapier always for the right as they saw It,
That is why Colonel Watterson ranks among
~ ( IL. f.cG.e
is why he is respected by those who have telt
the force of his lance, even as he is loved by
his friends.
May his sunset of life bring him the rest
and enjoyment he has earned with the oppor-
tunity still to dip into the current of life now
and then, and stir it up in his customary
vigorous fashion"
Coincident is the appearance in the Saturday
Evening Post of Colonel Watterson's memoirs
serialy forthcoming whose start, in his charac-
terstically picturesque style, gives promise OF
hitherto withheld gmpses into political life
with which Marse Henry has been in close per-
sonal touch as a companion of notables and
high-up in the councils of the nation. My at
tention is challenged to the allusion to his
early introduction to the halls of legislation,
where speaking of his boyhood in Washington
he SAYS Il was fond of going up to the capitol
and of playing amateur page in the house OF
which my father had-been member and where
he had many friends though l was never oftlci-
ally a page" He evidently had an experience
that | was under the impression was uniquely
mine, of having served as volunteer page for
these august lawmakers Through the courtesy
OF another distinguished Kentuckian, bosom
friend of Colonel Watterson, who then occupied
the speakers chair, John G. Carlisle, / enjoyed
the unprecedented favor of "the privilege of the
floor" of both branches of congress- In the
senate, / was down as assistant sergeant-at-
arms without pay" and in the house card issued
by the doorkeeper and countersigned by the
speaker put me through where all the other
senate pages would be stopped In ColonelWat-
terson's day the machinery was evidently run
much more freely to let any willing-to-work son
OF a former member in on the floor, without being
subject to discipline or direction. There is no
question that the experience is good one for
wide-awake boy or that it was not factor in
the making of Colonel Watterson demanding
mention in his "reminiscences.
George F. Edmunds, who has just died in
ripe old age was one of the towering figures in
the United States senate whom / remember
from my page-hood days. Even at that time,
30.years ago, Edmunds ranked among the older
men. He was bald as a bat, with head re-
sen1bling the pictures Of Charles Darwin, alert,
incisive, rasping in voice, recognized as the
great constitutional authority a colleague of the
veteran justin MOITll, making vermont repre-
sentation stand out above them all. Edmunds had
queer way of writing his name so that, when
turned on end, it looked line an outline human
skeleton. 1 have his autograph along with
many others in the collection l made in those
days. He was talked of once or twice as a
presidential possibility. He should have been
kept in public life right along.
have note from Colonel "B1l" Hayward
telling how "this business of being hero" has
kept him so occupied that he has had little OPP
portunity to write to his friends. He was just
finishing the job Of mastering out which pre-
veited acceptance of urgent invitations to come
out here and let the home folks entertain him
as.our hero, and he recalls the time when he did
come to speak to the Omaha club at Wash
inston birthday dinner-"and what a lot has
Happened since thenl" This further informa-
ton of special interest is conveyed in the con-
Guiding sentence, Am starting a law shop Of
my own next week." which obviously means
that. return to Nebraska except possibly for a
visit is not for the. present in the cards.
az r. I'D