Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-09-15

our oRugntere lS q spark from Ms
anvil. He did more than act his part
on the stage of life. He lived his part
in the duties Of life. He was as he
seemed, he seemed as he was; no
more, no less. There was complete
selfhood, but no claim of fictitious
parts; he was fully and only a man.
With him there was neither plumage
nor deformity. In this was his great
ness; in this was he a teacher of man
kind. He folded his arms in final rest
az the sun wraps itself in the solemn
glories of the evening. He took no
mans crown; no man took his CROWN
That paragraph is full of meat. !
have heard all sorts Of adjectives and
phrases applied to men, but nowhere
have I seen or heard applied to any of
Adams sons the descriptive adjective
which DIR. Patrick applied to Cover
nor Hardin when he says: "He was
q normal man."
II 1 should live a thousand years /
never could forget the first time I saw
Governor Hardin. 1t was at a sort of
Democratic love feast held at Fulton,
In Galloway county, in the month of
May, 1876. I had been in the State
not quite a year and went over there
to have q little love feast of my own
not a political love feast, either. Gov
ernor Hardin, Judge John A. Hook
aday, Judge Jackson L. Smith, Cover
nor Norman ]. JColman, Stilson
Hutchins and other great lights in the
Democratic party, spoke. I have for
gotten all they all said except one
sentence from Governor Hardin's
speech, which surprised me so that it
found a permanent Judgment in my
memory. 1t was this: "The chief
glory of my administration will be the
fact that during my term Of office the
credit of the State was so improved
that a Missouri six per cent bond
sold at par" which statement was re-
cefved with great applause. repeat
now, after the lapse of % years, that
his declaration filled me with astonish-
ment.
Governor Hardin was perfectly
justified In his pride in the fact that
during his administration a Missouri
SIX per cent bond was raised to par.
Indeed, before his term expired it sold
at q premium.
While the credit of the State, which
loved SO fondly, had been raised SO
high that a Missouri 80 per cent bond
sells at such a premium that it is
really a 8 per cent bond, it proves
that Missouri's credit is actually bet
ter than the credit of the National
Government, for a United States bond
is non-taxable and a Missouri bond is
taxable, when found, a feat NOT always
easy OF performance. When the last
bond is paid off and burned, when
is absolutely free of debt,
when we celebrate, Is we will cele-
brate that great deliverance with
solemn thanks to Almighty God, with
bonfires, Examinations, bells, guns,
songs, speeches and by every known
method of Notification, of jubilation,
among the names which will be upon
my lips will be that Of the founder of
Hardin College.
Governor Hardin was a candid
very soul of candor. In
1890 he voted against me in the Con-
gressionai primary. In 1892 he voted
for mo. I would have been glad of
his support In 1890. I was proud of it
in 1892. When I came to Mexico in
the spring of 1892 on an electioneering
tour I met Governor Hardin on the
east side of the public square. He
greeted me cordially and invited me
the rear room Of the Southern
Bank. When we were seated he said
in his serious way: "Mr. Clark, I
voted against you in 1890 because of
what I regarded as an act of injustice
which you committed against one of
my valued friends while you were in
the Legislature" He then went into
the details of the matter and added:
"But you have been punished enough
for that, and believing that you will
make a capable and faithful repre-
In Congress I will support
you this time" Then he gave me
some kind, fatherly advice. While
his conversation did not change my
opinion as to the justice of my action
In the Legislature, his perfect candor
and his determination to be just to
himself, to his friend and to me,
amazed me and gave me an exalted
opinion of his character.
In my opinion his chief characters
tics were his candor, his integrity, his
honor, his industry, his love of justice
and his moral courage.
Gov. Hardin was too modest to write
his own epitaph. Had be done so he
ought to have set forth the founding
Of Hardin College as his chief claim to
the love and gratitude of his country
and countrywomen. That is the
capsheaf of his fame. Not that he had
not done many other important things,
Tor he had.
Gov. Hardin was a most excellent
of Missouri, but there are,
hank God, plenty of excellent citi-
Eens. He was q conscientious, palms.
able, successful lawyer, but
.udrain county and the..State of Mis-
souri, r rich in lawyers who adorn
hat noble profession. He discharged
Inc. multiplied and multifarious duties
of Circuit Attorney with signal ability.
He was an eminent Senator, a wise
he was q great Governor.
| may say, without exaggeration, he
vas Q "modeln Governor of this i'm
eerial commonwealth. Governor
was Or honest Governor,
ust Governor. Like jefferson, he was
Of the public money. He
gave the state q clean, wholesome,
administration. No breath |
" scandal touched his gubernatorial
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