The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1896-04-02

Vest was born In Frankfort, Kentucky. No
cember Q, 1880. lie attended school in TIM
state graduating from the law department a
Pennsylvania University in 1853. He re
moved the same year to Missouri. He In
been n member of the United States senat,
since 1879. His present term will expir,
March 8, 1897.
In the spring of 1853 | let my native
state, Kentucky, for the west. Ny
worldly possessions consisted of q
trunk containing some wearing APP
parel, and Il few elementary law books,
while a small amount of money and a
fine double barreled shot gun completed
the inventory of my effects. Having
reached st. Louis by the Louisville
packet ! took passage on the T. X. An.
brey, then going out ON her second trip
up the Missouri.
River traffic was at its best, and the
scene on the levee at st. Louis, es-
pecially on Saturday afternoon, when a
dozen steamers were leaving port, was
most exciting. There were then on the
Missouri river some seventy steam.
boats, whose bill of fare would
"Put an appetite in the jaws of
death, "
and whose bands of music and gay
banners, allured the passenger, whether
young or old.
Just below Boonville. at the fair
ground, where Il bloody battle occurred
during the last war, the boat broke "A
part Of her machinery, and the captain
told several of us, who were young and
to land, that we could walk to
the town, and when his engine was re-
he would steam up to the
wharf, and whistle us to come on
board.
AS we approached the town it was
evident hat some public occasion was
on hand. The streets were filed with
people obviously from the country, and
all sorts of vehicles and riding animals
could be seen on every side.
There We're in Boonville at that time
famous hostelries known as the
City Hotel and Pierce's, and they We're
worthy 1.-THE best days of the republic.
have Travelled many a mile and
far, but never looked upon their
like again. Their landlords were I'M
as hosts, but utterly dissimilar.
Edward Mcpherson, who kept the City
was Il Marylander by birth, and
4 cultivated, intellectual gentleman.
He was nervous, %excitable, even pas
a charming conversationalist,
and an extreme partisan. Col. Pierce,
Of Pierce's, was a typical Virginian,
large, genial, the soul of hospitality,
and devoted to his calling. He had
in his larder every delicacy of
the season, and was especially devoted
to turkeys. Turkey, sir, he would
say to a guest, "is always good.
turkey is good, cold turkey is
good, and what can be better than tur.
key hash2"
Our party divided its patronage be-
the two hotels. and it was my
to become a guest for the first
of Edward Mcpherson. There
Il crowd upon the veranda and the
central figure was a fine looking man,
of massive form, with an antique,
face, who talked loudly and ag-
g~ressively, while his audience listened
respectfully and often murmured their
applause. While waiting for dinner
l listened attcntively, and soon con-
that he was not an ordinary
man. l ventured at length to ask a
benevolent looking old gentleman in
group, who was the speaker, and l
shall never forget the look of contemp-
pity with which he replied:
You are evidently a stranger, sir.
That is Thomas H. Benton, the greatest
man in the United States" Ny in
formant was DIR. Frederick Thomas,
afterwards one of my best friends.
Col. Benton had been recently de-
by Henry S, Geyer for the
United States senate, and his sun was
setting, but he had lost none
his fiery denunciation, and was es-
pccially severe on Claiborne f. Jack
son, afterwards governor, Jim Green,
as he called James s.. Green, after
wards in the senate, and Louis V.
Bogy, my immediate predecessor. In
speaking of Bogy he said: "He calls
himself Bogy, and says his father was a
Frcnchman. Benton knew his father
well. He was a Dutchman and his
name was Bogus"
| do not think Col. Benton was at
the time / first saw him on a regular
canvass, but had come to visit his
daughter, Mrs. Jacobs, whose hus-
band, Lieutenant Governor jacobs o.
Kentucky, owned a farm twelve miles
west Of Boonville. Afterwards in
1886, when | had become n citizen of
B%oonville, l heard him speak at that
place, when he opened his state cam
paign for governor, in which he was
defeated by Trusten Polk. He subse-
qucntly served two years in the house
of representatives as a member from
st. Louis, but his public career virtu-
ally ended with his defeat for governor
in 1866.
That Benton was a very great man
there can be no question with those
who have given attention to our polit-
ical history. He was naughty, violent
and uncompromising, but his mind
was of the best type, strong, analytical
and untiring. He was inclined to be
verbose in his speeches, and was the
v%ainest man living, but his vanity
was not repulsive. His courage was
of the highest order, and he was de-
stroyed politically by his opposition to
the extension of slavery, which he
honestly believed to be a curse.