The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-08-18
MISSOURI.
She is Seventy Years Old To day
and is as Gay as a Maiden.
A Great State and q MIST Inter
estiDg HistOry-A Brief Re-
sumo.

The St. Joseph News contains
most interesting history of Missoul
incident to her SEVENTEEN birthday tt
day from which the following
taken.
just seventy years ago this 10tl
day of August President Monroe il
sued proclamation announcing th
admission OF Missouri into the sister
hood of states, making the twenty
fourth state in the American Repub
lie.
Thirty-six months prior to this th'
state had asked for admission. A
that time John Scott was the territor
ial representative in congress, bavinI
just succeeded Mr.. Esston at thI
election OF 1917. Mr.. Scott under
the consultation, had DO vote, but hi
had a voice, and what voice it mus
have been. The historians tell US b.
was a tower of strength on the fJoI
and in the committee. and when il
came to ''log-rolIing" and that sort oil
work he was without q peer.
Feb. Is, 1919, the national house
of representatives resolved itself into
a committee IF the whole, and the
ttMissouri question, as it was called
for at least twenty years af:erward,
was brought before the country.
Tallmadge, the me Dber from New
York, created a sensation by tossing
an anti slavery resolution into the
arena.
Then followed weeks and months
of di, cussion.
Mr.. Tallmadge was an able man, a
powerful debaler and a vigorous
champion of anti-slavery. Mr.. Clay
was then in the house, and in the
prime of his usefulness. He opposed
the Tallmadge proviso. The provisc
was finally adopted by vote of 70
to 81.
The senate amended the house bill
and the house refused 10 concur.
This ended the battle for that con-
gress. In the Sixteenth Congress the
question again came up. David Bar
ton was speaker of the territorial house
that year, and the memorial passed
by that body was presented to con-
gress. The memorial was presented
Dec. 20, and on January Is, 1920,
taken up for discussion, and the first
motion made was to postpone, which
was lost by a vote of 88 to 81. Then
from day to day the question was
discussed.
February 10, 1920. Maine knocked
for admission to the Unien, and the
memorial from Maine had been so
amended as to connect it with the
Missouri question.
Congress was the scene of a despe-
rate struggle. 1t was a battle of
giants. The question Was slavery,
and it was the beginning Of the great
slavery battle which was finally set
tied forty years later on the field Of
blood.
The bill passed. the house on March
2, 1920, aud March 6 the President
gave it his approval.
The matter then returned to the
Missouri Territory for final approval
of conditions.
There we're then fifteen counties,
and the first election in the state of
Missouri was held on the first Monday
in May and the two succeeding days
three days of voting. This was
done for the reason that the counties
were very large and means of transit
not SO convenient as now. This cleo.
ton was for the purpose of selecting
representatives to meet at IT. Louis on |
June II, 1920. for the first
state convention. The names of the
fifteen counties were Cape Girardeau,
Cooper, Franklin, Howard, Jeffer.
s1n, Lincoln, Montgomery, Madison,
New Madrid, Pike, St. Charles. st.
st. Louis. Washing on
and Wayne.
These counties have since been cut
up into ia.
There were forty-four representa-
lives chosen at that election, the OBJ
Jet being to discuss a constitutional
and other matters looking
10 the perfection of the state. Among
the names 10 that convention, which
ater became prominent in Missouri
affairs, were Alexander McNair, the
first governor; Pierre Chouteau, the
owner of St. Louis; David Barton,
Edward Bates, the first attorney gen.
,ral of the state; Alexander Buckner
md many others. These men met in
he Mansion house in st. Louis, on
he corner of Third and Vim. streets,
han sha r,orv hoart of tho c;<v Thar |