The Butler weekly times., 1897-01-07


promising democrat.
Following the adoption of the
new state constitution of 1865 came
campaign Of personal hate aud
bitterness. All confederate soldiers
and pathiZers were disfranchised
leaving the contest between repub.
licans and Uoion democrats. General
Frank ? Blair led the forces of the
latter, campaigning the state with
frarlessuess and Il determination
which added greatly to his fame as
a soldier without reproach. His
fight was in behalf Of the confeder-
ates, although he had been most
aggressive Union man throughout
the war 1t was he who saved the
arsenal at St LOUIS. who caused
General Harney to be 5eposad. who
secured the supremacy of General
LYON who fought the battle of VIII
son Greek.
It is related that on one occasion
he had been advertised to speak at
Warrensburg. and his friends there
called upon him with the advice that
be either should not speak at all, or
should omit from his address his
usual appeal for the enfranchisment
of ex Confederate citizens. His an
swer was characteristic. The fierce
little man drew himself proudly up
and answered, Nobody has ever yet
dared to call Frank P. Blair cow
ard. Ii there is an enemy in front I
will meet him. l propose to speak
tonight at the Court house, as ad-
vertised, and the first man who un.
dertakes to interfere will have trou-
bic on his hands"
That night the Court house was
crowded, and, as in those post.bel.
lum days everybody carried gun,
the prospects for trouble were very
brilliant. Frank P. Blair entered
promptly at the appointed houf,
pressed forward to the judges desk
and said: Fellow citizens, I have
been advised that it might be dang.
erous to address you on the issues
pending in this State I believe the
advice was bad" Here he drew q
couple of revolvers from his pocket
and laid them softly on the desk be
fore him. Then he went on: "But
lest there might be some turbulent
man present who should be inclined
to interfere with me, want to say
at the outset that intend 10 resent
any and all Interruptions" Repub-
licans and Democrats united in pro
longed cheers, and his speech, al
though bitter aud fuller than usual
of invective, met with no opposing
demonstration.
Blair became a candidate for the
United States Senate His Repub
lican opponent was the distinguished
lawyer, Charles P Drake, who had
presided over the constitutional con.
vention of 1865, and after whom the
constitution was named. Mr.. Drake
made no canvass, but when the Leg.
islature met, in January, 1867, the
vote for Senator resulted: Drake,
127; Blair, Ga; scattering, IA. Three
years later, December, 1870. MIR.
Drake was appointed judge of the
Washington City Court of Claims, a
lifetime office, and resigned the Sem
ators alp. He died two years age.
Daniel L. Jewett, still a familiar
figure On the streets of st. Louis,
was appointed Senator December
Is, 1870, vice Drake, and held the
office just one month, when the Gen
eral Assembly,, which by that time
had become Democratic, by reason of
the Liberal party-composed of
Republicans and Democrats-elecsed
Frank p. Blair to the Senate to fill
Judge brakes unexpired term, end.
ing March 4, 1873, the vote being:
Blair. l02; Henderson. 50; Benjamin,
3. Henderson had a majority of one
in the State Senate, due to the fact
that when the 6nal vote in the Uni.
ted States upon the question of the
impeachment of Andrew jackson
came up he cast the deciding vote