Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in 1921 & 1922 Dean Taylor

"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, October 6, 1921
Page SIX

NO. 32

DEAN TAYLOR

The scene depicted above should be included in the "Great Moments in History" series--and probably will. In all likelihood an enlarged copy of it will hang on the White House walls and each member of the cabinet will have a copy occupying a prominent place in his office. Republics may be ungrateful, but republicans sometimes are not. And there is no better way for the republican party to make a sincere, every-day, non-committal expression of its gratitude than by displaying copies of this picture to the world.

Introducing to you Mr. Dean Taylor, editor of the Ledger-Journal, sometimes facetiously referred to as the two-in-one. Here Dean is depicted at his editorial work. At the time he was engaged upon one of those momentous editorials which saved the republican party last fall and had so much to do with getting Warren Gamaliel a job at Washington. Realizing the importance of the moment, and the historical value such a picture would hold for republican posterity, Dean summoned a photographer. He had paused from his labors just long enough to pose for the photo; his famous south paw, with pencil in hand, is eager to resume its work of salvation for the party.

You democratic readers may recall with a sickening sensation that republican wave which swept over the county last fall. Well, Dean was riding on the crest of a wave, with his eye on the local postoffice job. Dean rather outguessed some of the seekers of that job. Rumor has it that while Dean played Kopp to win, his partner played Holstein to win; that made the firm playing both ends against the middle and made it rather hard for some of the deserving republicans who were gazing wistfully at the postmastership. Dean made a good guess, Kopp won.

"For your noble efforts in behalf of the republican party, and your heroic self-sacrifices, your ringing editorial utterances and unselfish zeal in my behalf, I feel that you should receive some sort of compensation as an expression of our appreciation," Senator Kopp told Dean. "How can I repay you?"

"Mine was a labor of love," Dean told him. "I expected no pay for it, nor do I wish any now. However, if you feel that I can give still more service to the party in some humble position you might pass the postoffices."

And Mr. Kopp obligingly passed them.

All the world is glad to note that the honest, hard-working newspaper editors are finally securing just recognition; Dean and Warren Gamaliel have finally each secured four year jobs, and the Tribune editor has just been appointed to membership on an old settler committee.

Newspaper writing comes easy to Dean Taylor. All his family on both sides have been newspaper folk for nearly a hundred years. Both the men and the women of the family worked at the business, and the kids carried papers. Dean has inherited the family liking for printers ink and loves the smell of it. He can write a left-handed editorial as well as many people can write with their right hands. You can always detect Dean's editorials in the L-J.,--they're the left-handed ones. To get a proper understanding of them you should turn the paper upside down and read, or else read from right to left. That's the way in which you get the angle from which Dean writes.

Fifteen years ago Dean came to Fairfield and began writing for the Journal. In all that time he has never been jailed or sued for libel, and never been whipped by a reader. Which is some record. Occasionally some irate reader does go into the office for the purpose of whipping the editor, but the sight of Dean's six-foot, broad-shouldered athletic frame has a soothing effect on him and he comes out forgetting his mission. Six footers are usually the most fearless editorial writers.

Dean is pretty well qualified for his new job as postmaster. Being possessed of a superior education he will be enabled to read the post cards much more readily than the less educated democrats who have preceded him. Newspaper readers will get their papers promptly because, naturally, Dean will regard them as of greater importance than letters.

But Dean Taylor is going to bring some other qualifications to the office. He is going to meet people with that unfailing, good-humored courtesy which he exhibits under the most trying circumstances; he is going to bring to the office the unswerving honesty and consideration of others. You're going to like Dean as a postmaster. And, if you can forget that he is a republican and has been for fifteen years the editor of the Journal, you're going to be well satisfied as though as though (sic) J. Wilbur had continued in the office. Dean has always done his share of boosting and working for the community--he's entitled now to loll in a swivel chair in the sumptuous apartments of Uncle Sam's business house, smoking three-for-a-dollar cigars and reading our daily papers and postal cards before we get 'em.

We're for him.