The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-11-07
MIR. STEPHENS.

No man who has sought high Office
/ in Missouri in recent years has met
with such a storm of vituperatIon as
has Mr.. Lon V. Stephens, who has
Just been elected governor of Missouri
by a majority which is under the cir
cumstances gratifying to his party and
bis friends.
The malice that has been engendered
against him has been tor no fault which
could be found in him as a citizen, a
business man or an Official. In all of
these he is of the highest type in the
state. Business men, because of par
tisan prejudice, have been led into
doing a grave injustice to a fellow
business man, and usually fair-minded
| people have been induced to join in
| cruel Misrepresentation of the man
and his purposes. The primary u
for this was that MIR. Stephens is a
man of wealth and has been a banker,
and his position on the silver question
| was held to be insincere and treason to
| his guild. Now that the occasion for
demagogy has passed fairness should
prevail. No one who knows him, or
who will take the trouble to trace his
record upon this question, can doubt
his sincerity. Persons may differ from
him-they have the right to do that
but they must grant him rs pure
motives as their own.
But all that is v Mr.. Stephens
is now the governor-elect of the great
state of Missouri. Will he prove equal
to the duties of the high Officer We
can only know by waiting until he is
tried. 1t is trite to say that we can
best Judge the future by the lessons of
the past, but it is true, and as Mr..
Stephens has made a good state treas
urer, many of the duties of which
position intermingle with those of the
governor, it is only fair to suppose
that he will creditably fill the Office of
chief executive. In so far as the purely
business duties of the Office go this is
conceded by all who know him. He is
quick, accurate and reliable as a
business man. His methods in this
direction will compare favorably with
those of any business concern in the
state-bank, counting house or what
not.
Now, as to the higher administrative
duties of the position. The assertion
that he will be under this mans or
that mans domination ID to speak
plainly a vulgar campaign assumption.
If Mr.. Stephens has any fault in this
particular it IS that he is apt to act on
serious matters, which require deliber-
alton and consultation, with more or
less precipitancy and of his own
motion. He is too proud and self
reliant to wear any mans collar. He
will Judge and act for himself. From
conversations we have had with him
we feel sure that he realizes the grave
importance of an honest, fearless,
incompatible constabulary, and that in
his appointments of police commits
sioners of the cities he will be guided
by information and advice from the
best business men of the communities,
and in doing so he will show his
magnanimity and broadness, for no
has been more the victim of
Injustice than has he from many of the
men who stand high in business circles.
In all other appointments to Office
confidently expect 10 see him
choose the very best material that can
be found. Why should he do other
Young, energetic, active, trained
business, unused to sloth or loose
methods, he comes to the governorship
not to make it the stepping-stone to
/ s~enstorship, for he knows that field
s not suited to his talents. His
ambition, then, must be to make a
rood governor, and he will do it.
five him a chance, gentlemen critics,
ind our word for it, when Lon ".
Stephens comes to lay down his trust
Is governor Of Missouri the people OF
Ill parties will join in awarding him
he praise, well done good and faithful
J