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What the Editors Say About the T\[elr> Haga
The first number of Watson’s Jes
fersonian Magazine has been greet
ed with a chorus of good wishes which
are highly gratifying and furnish re
newed inspiration to high endeavor.
These generous words of welcome
come from all over the country—
from men in high station and from
the< most representative newspapers.
It would be a pleasure to repro
duce in full all of these generous
comments, if space permitted, but we
can _only give a few, selected practi
cally at random, and assure each and
all that these expressions are deeply
appreciated.
Our local readers will perhaps re
call the kindly terms in which we
were greeted by the press of Atlanta,
and for the time being we will con
tent ourselves with an appreciative
acknowledgment of the courtesy of
these contemporaries.
The words of welcome throughout
the state were equally hearty, and
again we are confronted with an em
barrassment of riches.
What are we to do?
Well, we will present a few of the
brifer paragraphs, reserving the more
extended notices of the magazine for
another day. The LaGrange Graphic,
for example, thinks that the maga
zine “bids fair to be one of the
best ever published in the South.”
The Thomasville Enterprise remarks
that Col. Mann’s “epidermis is tack
ed to the wall”; The Gibson Rec
ord, scenting the breath of the mead
ows, calls it “a daisy.” The Dub
lin Times remarks that it is “in
every way superior to the New York
publication, if it was printed in the
South, and filled with in.te‘re»ting
reading matter from cover to cover”;
the Homerville News thinks it
“should be an inspiration to its read
ers,” and remarks that “Mr. Wat
son has shown that it is his earnest
desire to lead the cause to victory,
although he may go at it on different
lines from some of us.”
JuSt for the sake of being whim
sical, we will jump up to Minnesota,
and quote The Clarkesville Challen
ger, which says that “Col” Wat
son’s—save the mark—“new mag
azine” is “well edited and contains
much valuable as well as interesting
reading matter. We bespeak for the
new enterprise the very best of suc
cess,” and then The Willmar Trib
une, of the same state is glad to see
that tihei magazine receives so much
of Mr. Watson’s “personal atten
tion.”
That was only a flying leap, how
ever, to show you that we “have
spread abroad, wide as the waters
be,” and, to come back nearer home,
we are going to quote in full wha*
Editor Claud L’Engle has to say in
The Sun, of Tallahassee, under the
heading of “A Man with a Pur
jK)se ’ ’:
“It is refreshing to turn from the
mass of aimless and inconsequent rot
that litters the desk nowadays to a
publication which carries a message.
Such periodicals are few—they can
be numbered without consultation
with your pedicurist. lam glad that
Tom Watson has shaken himself free
of the odious MANN of his New
York experience and established his
magazine in the South and gathered
about him a staff of Southern men.
Watson needs no help in making a
publication powerful and readable.
His style is no less fascinating than
forceful. He doesn’t dawdle, be
cause he is fired with a purpose. H?
is fighting the battles of the people,
and has been for years. He deserves
support in making Watson’s Jeffer
sonian Magazine a continued success.
“But there was newer a man so
brilliant or so well equipped whose
efforts were not made more effective
by the assistance of able and sympa
thetic collaborators. MR. WATSON
has been peculiarly fortunate in hav
ing associated with him Mr. Charles
J. Bayne as managing editor—he of
the classic education, poetic poise and
near knowledge of ancient places
coupled with a liberal experience in
practical journalism. Nor should
mention be less appreciative of those
capable creative artists and cartoon
ists, Mr. A. K. Taylor, formerly of
The Sun, and Mr. Gordon Nye, whose
work is a distinctive feature of the
first issue.”
Editor Stovall—or was it Editor
Ed. Lambright?—of the Tampa
Tribune, speaks of “the fine install
ment” of Mr. Watson’s “Life of
Jackson” and the “many contribu
ted articles of literary merit and
public interest,” while Editor Bul
lock, of The Gainesville Elevator, is
good enough to say that ‘‘ he feels
honored to have the magazine on his
table,” and sends a bouquet from
the Land of Flowers to every mem
ber of the staff.
And the press of Alabama did the
handsome thing, too.
There is the Dothan Eagle, which
welcomes “the only genuine article.”
The Girard Watchman thinks that
“no one can afford to pass The
Jeffersonian by”; the Eufaula.
Times says right out loud that “it’s
a bright periodical, well worth the
perusal of the public,” while The
People’s Advocate, of Columbiana,
remarks that “it is full of editorials
and good reading matter and every
one should subscribe.”
The Montgomery Journal thinks
the magazine presents “a most credi
table appearance,” while the “illus
trations could not be better.” The
Montgomery Advertiser remarks that
the editor of the magazine, ‘ ‘ whether
people agree with him or not,” has
“a speaking and inviting style which
attracts arid holds attention.”
But there are some other good
things which have come out of Ala
bama, which we shall reseive for the
future.
Over in the Palmetto State the
•Spartanburg Journal remarks that
Mr. Watson’s “new magazine has
been received with warm approval
throughout the south.” The York
ville New Era—well, we’ll just print
this one, anyhow:
“Watson’s Jeffersonian Magazine
is all that can be desired in the way
of a literary treat. A copy of the
first issue is worth the price of a
year’s subscription. Mr. Watson’s
THE WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN.
explanation of how he became en
tangled with the Cb(l.
Topics outfit of New York should
prove entirely satisfactory even to
his severest critics. Many pages of
the magazine are necessarily devoted
to this subject and what he does for
the notorious ‘hoop-skirt’ publisher
of ‘Fads and Fancies’ is a ‘cau
tion.’ The magazine contains over
a hundred and fifty pages and there
is not a dull page among the num
ber. The editorials deal with many
current questions and all are illum
ed with Mr. Watson’s brilliant pen.
He has the gift of reflecting his light
in every crevice of a subject and
leaves the reader convinced of the
righteousness of the cause he has
championed.
The Clinton Chronicle of the same
state, is good enough to put the pub
lic on guard. After remarking that
“Those who have read Mr. Watson’s
writings know how to appreciate one
who is well up to the situation both
in the field of politics and history,”
the Chronicle goes on to say: “The
New York Co. are still trying to
hoodoo the people but we wish toi
make this statement so that if there
are any who are thus being deluded
they can right their wrong by writing
flor Watson’s Magazine, published by
Mr. Watson himself and not by some
one using his name to deceive the
Southern people.”
n
From up in the other Carolina
come some kindly sentiments. The
Winston-Salem Journal “predicts
success” for the “new venture.”
The Charlotte Chronicle wasn’t feel
ing very well that morning, thank
you, but pauses to say that Mr. Wat
son “writes like a streak of light
ning,” and that “his sketch of An
drew Jackson is as good a thing as
is to be found in any magazine.”
n
Nothing short of the whole tribute
from that staunch champion of the
rights of the people, The Missouri
World. “The cover page is very
handsome, but that is not all—it
suggests the great principles of gov
ernment that Thos. Jefferson stood
for, battled for and died advocating
by giving a picture of Jefferson and
of Jefferson’s home, Monticello. The
magazine contains 148 pages of read
ing matter besides many pages of ad
vertising. It is full of life. In a
26 pa|ge article Mr. Watson tejllsi
how ho got into and got cut of the
New York Watson’s Magazine. It
is an interesting narrative from start
c °
to finish. Although it contains only
a few more facts than he gave in an
article in his weekly paper some time
ago, it is of different wording, is in
tensely interesting, and is convinc
ing. In the concluding pages of the
article Mr. Watson re-dedicates his
life to the people’s cause in language
that produces sensations of patriot
ism, making the blood rush through
the veins and causing the reformer
who reads it to resolve that he too,
will battle to the end.
“In the first number Mr. Watson
gives the two first chapters of
his ‘Life and Times of Andrew Jack
qqUj’ which history will run as a se-
rial for a number of months.
“There are many cartoons, some
stories, including the first 'chapter
of ‘Ann Boyd,’ by Will N. Harben,f
‘A Survey of the World,’ by the
managing editor, Charles J. Bayne,
in which he discusses the important
news and movements, Educational
Department—questions of
and answers by Mr. Watson.”
The Ozark Democrat advises the
“admirers of Mr. Watson and of his
vigorous writing to change their sub
scriptions and get the real WAT
SON’S MAGAZINE”; the Lock
wood Times says Mr. Watson is “an
honest and conscientious writer of
much ability,” and the Helena Sun
declares that THE JEFFERSON
IAN “starts out at the beginning of
1907 without an equal in this class
of magazines. The literary features
of the magazine are of fihe highest
grade, the reviews and general sur
vey are fine, the ediitori&lp—well,
nothing better can be said than that
they are Watson’s. You will enjoy
every number.” The Springfield Ex
press says: “Watson’s Jeffersonian
Magazine, first number just out,
ought to be read by every honest
voter in the land. Gome or send to
this office and subscribe.”
One of the leading papers of the
entire south is The Nashville Banner,
which, in reviewing the magazine,
says: “ ‘Watson’s Jeffersonian
publication and not the spur
ious Tom Watson’s Magazine
which the malodorous Col. Mann is
issuing from New York, has made its
appearance from Atlanta. It has the
genuine Watson flavor and is full of
matter in the editor’s spicy and en
gaging style.”
The Knoxville Independent finds
“the old time ring,” and says that
Mr. Watson “has the old spirit in
him yet.” The Journal and Trib
une, of the same city, says:
“The first number of Watson’s
Jeffersonian Magazine, published and
edited by Thomas E. Watson at At
lanta, has been received at this office.
The first eighteen pages of this num
ber are taken up with his “Fore
word,” and it is strictly Watsonian,
being profusely and characteristical
ly illustrated. He relates his expe
riences in New York, with Col. W.
D. Mann, and others whils publish
ing Watson’s Magazine in that city,
of which he was the editor, but from
which he withdrew. In reading of
Mr. Watson’s experience in Goth
am, as told by himself in the eigh
teen page foreword to his new maga
zine we have been continually re
minded of the man who went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho and fall
ing among thieves by the way, came
out of it in a dilapidated and rai
mentless condition. That is about
the condition in which Tom Watson
found himself in New York, but he
does not seem to have had one there
to do the Good Samaritan act. But
what he does to the gang in his fore
word. is a plenty. He is writing a
life of Andrew Jackson, the first two
-chapters of which appear in this
number of the magazine. It contains
other articles that are lively and in
teresting. It is a handsome publica-