The San Francisco call., 1896-08-25
Fidelity of the Politician of the
Corn State Is Suitably
Rewarded.
Has LONG HELD FULL SWAY.
With Rod of Iron the Western
Statesman Dictated All the
Fat Appointments.

BUZZARDS BAY, MASS, Aug. "a
President Cleveland announced tonight
that David R. Francis, Ex-Governor OF
Missouri, had been appointed Secretary OF
the Interior, vice Hoke Smith, resigned.
and that he will assume the duties of his
Office September l.
WASHINGTON. D. c., Aug. 24.-Ex-
Governor Francis has not let theS grass
grow under his feet. On Saturday, when
the news of Secretary Smiths resignation
became public, Mr.. Francis dropped into
town quietly and spent the afternoon
with Secretary Carlisle at the Treasury
Department. Yesterday morning he spent
with the Secretary at his residence on <
street, and yesterday afternoon departed
as quietly and mysteriously as he had
arrived. Mr. Francis is a Cleveland man,
after the Presidents own heart, and has,
shared the fate of all other Cleveland men.
When "Dave' Francis defeated old
"Garden Sass Cockrell for the guberna-
torial nomination in Missouri years ago he
was regarded as the coming man in Mis-
souri, politics. For awhile he .ctated
politics absolutely. Then he joined the
dents "grand almoner" of all the Federal
patronage in Missouri, and to-day it is
doubted if Mr.. Francis could rally 5000
votes out of the hundreds of thousands OF
Democratic voters in Missouri.
Mr. Cleveland's admiration for Francis
was without limit. Every appointment
that he made in Missouri was dictated by
Francis. He absolutely ignored Senators
Cockrell and Vest and in the case of the
latter carried this disregard of Senatorial
prerogative to open contempt. Al the re-
quest of Francis President Cleveland ap-
pointed Samuel Priest Federal Judge for
the Eastern District of Missouri.
Mr.. Priest was an excellent lawyer, but
he had been for years Mr.. Gould's at
torney for the Missouri Pacific Railroad,
and his appointment was very unpopular.
Mr.. Cleveland paid no heed to the pro-
test. but Mr.. Priest, after few months
service, retired from his position. He
wrote out his resignation, but instead of
forwarding it to the President he handed
it to Mr.. Francis. Francis placed the
resignation in his pocket, came on to
Washington, saw the President, and in
half an hours interview had Priests
resignation accepted and the appoint
ment of George Adams, personal friend,
made out. Senator Vest of Missouri had
been for twelve years member of the
Judiciary Committee. AS Senator from
Missouri and as a mem ber of that COM
mittee which passes upon qualifications
of Federal appointments, he had right
to demand that he be consulted; but Mr..
Vests first knowledge of Mr.. Priests
resignation was when he read in the after
noon paper that his successor, Mr.. Adams,
had been appointed.
When Postmaster-General Bissell an
nounced his determination to retire from
the Cabinet President Cleveland had Sc
lected Ex-Governor Francis as his success
sor, and he intended to send Wilson to
Mexico TO succeed the late Governor Gray
OF Indiana. Mr.. Wilson wanted the place.
and said so very frankly. Consequently,
when at the last moment President Ceve-
land. for reasons which it is not necessary
to enter into at this moment, changed his
plans and named Senator Ransom OF North
Carolina for the Mexican mission, Wilson
was indignant, and he placed no limits on
the passionate language in which he de-
nounced the "chief of the Muscovy
drakes," as he dubbed Mr.. Ransom, who
had robbed him of the coveted post. So
great was the outcrv of protest raised by
Wilson's friends that President Cleveland
was reluctantly compelled to shelve Fran
els and give the postmaster-generalship to
Wilson. Francis accepted the situation
very gracefully and now has his reward.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Aug. 24.-David Row.
land Francis was boFE of Scotch Irish
parents in Richmond, KY, October 1,
1860. supplementlng his common school
education in Kentucky, he graduated
from Washington University in this city
in 1886, with the degree of bachelor of
arts. After three years apprenticeship in
commercial life. he organized the D. R.
Francis & Bro. Commission Company
which is still one of the leading firms op-
Grating at the Merchants Exchange. In
1883 he was elected vice-president of the
exchange and then chosen president He
has been lifelong Democrat and in 1884
was delegate to the convention that
nominated Mr.. Cleveland for President.
The following year he was elected Mayor
of st. Louis by 400 majority, overcoming
a former Republican majority of 14.OOO
Long needed municipal reform fourished
under his administration. In 1888 he was
elected Governor OF Missouri by one of the
heaviest maiorlties ever achieved by his
party in Missouri, and his wise conduct of
the Office is still a criterion. Prior to the
Chicago convention of this year he was
very prominent in the ranks of the sound
money Democrats, and took leading part
in the effort to beat back the rising of the
silver agitation. In 1886 Mr.. Francis was
welded to Miss Jennie Perry OF st. Louis
daughter of John Perry. president of the
Laclede National Bank. Six boys were
born of this union.
EnAMn Q1lMTEnno fnaH