I mentioned a while back that I'm sitting next to the writers from the Rhode Island student paper.
That publication has by far the greatest name of any newspaper in the country: The Good Five Cent Cigar. Though the writers admitted they weren't quite sure of the history of their newspaper's title, the conventional wisdom seems to be that it came from Thomas Riley Marshall, who was Woodrow Wilson's Vice President.
In 1917, Marshall grew bored in some debate or another and uttered the phrase: "What this country needs is a really good five-cent cigar."
The Rhode Island paper is not that old; in fact, it was only formed in the 1970s. There was another student publication at the time, and the writers here told me that "we put it out of business within three or four years."
With a name like that, it's no wonder.
Comments (1)
You are correct that Marshall is the source of the quote. During a particularly long and boring speech by Kansas senator Joseph Bristow, who began each sentence with "What this country needs ...", most of the senators had left the floor. Vice President Thomas Marshall had to stay as he was the presiding officer; reporters had to stay, as well.
When Bristow finished, Marshall turned to the reporters and said: "Bristow hasn't got it right yet. What this country really needs is a good five cent cigar."
It is perhaps the most enduring phrase in American political history.
You can learn more in "He Almost Changed the World: The Life and Times of Thomas Riley Marshall."
Send me an e-mail, and I'll send you a copy signed by the author.
Posted by David Bennett | June 6, 2007 8:12 AM
Posted on June 6, 2007 08:12