The herald., 1898-09-04
! :
! Quaint Stories About
! Senator Vest
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That statesman of type fast leaving,
George Graham Vest of Missouri lies on
a bed of death at Asbury Park. 30 tne
wires tell US. 1t is doubtless true, as MI
Vest himself, basing his conclusions on
his physical condition, has OF late ire
nuentlv predicted his early taking off.
To say the truth. the nearness or the
hereafter in his case did not seem to
worry him much. He faces the future
with the came determination and cour-
age that has characterized MIN IN MS
whole personal and political career
"you can always tell when a senator
Is about to de-" said Mr.. Vest, with
gloomy cynicism, one day toward the
end of the extra session. He was walk
ing about the senate corridor in his GUS
tomary style, but stopped briefly to NOR
alize on signs and omens.
always when a man Is going to die
you will find other senators in his seat.
other senators or visitors. I never knew
it to be otherwise, and 1 regard 1t as sin
gular that you have never remarked 1t
yourself. When poor Walthall was at
home awaiting the call his seat was
never empty. 1t was the same when
Harris lay dying. Some one or other
was always in his chair. and" he added.
somewhat vigorously, II have been walk
ing around here two hours waiting for
that Virginia man, John Daniel, to get
away from my desk"
| When he was confined to his house a
short time ago, Senator Vest looked du-
biously upon his chances for recovery.
The second day of his illness Col. Ed
wards, one of the senate employees, called
to inquire touching his condition. The
| Hawaiian annexation resolution was
| then under consideration, and Senator
Caffery had the floor. The Louisiana
statesman, in accordance with his GUS
| tom, was prepared to deal at length with
the question under debate. 1t may be
remarked, by way of parenthesis, that
there are but few frayed shreds of in
formation outstanding after Caffery gets
through with a speech. He leaves moth
ing unsaid, no ignorance unlighted. Sem
ator Vest inquired of Edwards the news
Of the senate and received it without
comment. "You will be over in a day
or two, SENATOR" said Edwards, cheer
fully, as he was taking his leave.
mo, Jim, don't believe SHALL" weak
ly replied Vest. ''It's UP with me now,
sure. I'm dying man, Jim, and I doubt
if I'll ever be back in the senate again"
"Yes, you will, senator. You're just a
little down on your luck. You'll outlive
it ALL" said Edwards. Don't talk that
way; you make me nervous"
Edwards" responded the senator SOL
EMMY, II am surely losing my grip.
much doubt If I can live until Caffery
finishes his speech"
1t Is pure accident that Vests name
Is on the Missouri list Of statesmen. He
broke away from the blue grass region of
Kentucky in 1858. and headed for Utah.
with an ultimate view to California. 1t
was overland travel in those days, for
the Pacific railways did not come to
mortgage the nation for upward Of fif-
teen years. A snowstorm and the i'm
possibility of navigating Missouri mud
caused Vest to go into winter quarters
l at Georgetown. AS graduate of Cen
ter college, Kentucky-an institution
which has produced more lawyers
statesmen and warriors than any other
seat of learning'in the land-Vest re-
garded himself as entitled to practice
law anywhere on the face Of the earth,
and why not Georgetown?
He intended to continue his journey in
the spring, and aimed to disturb the even
flow of Missouri justice briefly. Among
the incidents of his early residence in
Georgetown, a negro slave stole horse
or murdered a farmer or did some other
act which, under the laws Of Missouri
entitled him to be hanged. The court
was hastily organized for his trial. and
Vest appeared for the defense. The
Georgetown public appointed a commit
tee to wait on the new lawyer and notify
him that it was considered eminently
improper to interpose between negro
malefactor and the hemp which had been
twisted to facilitate his removal from
| earthly criminal temptation. Vest was
told that if he appeared in defense Of his
client he would surely be lynched as soon
as the business of hanging the negro was
disposed of and the ends of justice satis-
fed.
The peppery man from Kentucky told
the committee that he would defend the
negro in question, and likewise any 9TH
er man, white or black, who might re-
quire his services in legal way and who
was able to make proper representation
for such aid.
| nc IldinSQ llIIoclA up w I'LL certain sew
en-pound pistols, which were his herit-
age from his immediate ancestor. The
negro was hanged In due form of law
but Vest was not lynched, nor did he
leave Georgetown when the roads set
tied the following May. He remained in
Missouri, perpetual defiance to the law
and order committee.
Being q Kentuckian by birth and a
Missourian from force of habit, he early
lapsed into politics. When the war broke
out he was in the Missouri legislature
and presently became a member of the
Confederate congress. He was close to
president" Davis, as Vest called the
leader of the Confederacy as late as 1876
and at Davis request entered the Con-
federate senate after his term in con-
gres., Vests selection for the senate
was contested on the ground that he did
not exhibit that heat in war which was
expected of a southern statesman. Gen
Joe Shelby, who was at Richmond tenn
porarily, told Vest of the criticisms that
were heaped upon him.
"They say won't fight, do they Joe? ??
inquired Vest. when you go home you
can settle that doubt. You saw me fight
at Lone Jack yourself. You were there
and saw me in it with the rest If they
press you, though, Shelby, you can tell
them that although did fight at Lone