The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-09
REM NISCENCES OF
THOMAS H. BENTON
EDITOR GREASY ON THE GREAT MISSOUs
SENATOR.
The Episode of His Expulsion From the Phi
anhropic Society at the
'Univers ty.

Col. Creecy in Il. City Economist.)
1t is said that an old man is nothing
but a bundle of "reminiscences. We know
not whether it is intended as compli-
mcnt or Il reproach. 1t is certainly true
that old men live much in the past and
that their retrospective reflections form
much of their happiness. But it is not
true that the past is their sole source of
enjoyment, and it is not true
that they lose their interest
in the stirring present. But whether that
or this be true, or whether it be true,
as some of our brethren of the press
have said. that the Economist makes a
speciality of "reminiscences, we beg to be
allowed to furnish few "reminiscences
relating to native son of North Caro-
lima. who climed to the highest round
of national distinction i'm the days when
there were giants who strove to beat
him back at every round.
Thomas Hart Benton was born in the
Hawfields of Orange county. His pri-
mary education was obtained in Hills
boro, where he was probably student
of the celebrated Bingham school. when
it was conducted by the first William
Bingham. in the closing years of the
Eighteenth century. He went to the
University ofNorth Carolina, soon after
it was founded and was a student there
about 1906. 1t was of an incident there
while he was a student, that has be-
come historic, of which various state
ments have had currency, that we pro-
pose to state what we know and have
heard from authentic sources of infor-
nation.
Benton left North Carolina under a
cloud, but he never forgot his old mother
State. and spoke of her with tender af
lection in the climax of his grand career
and it is for that pious virtue that we
love and honor his memory.
When Benton entered the University of
North Corolna he was in his early teens
probably not more than fifteen. with
limited means. in the spring time of life
without an abiding sense of personal
responsibility. and in an evil hour he
fell before the tempter and appropriated
money that was not his own. and that
dark cloud logged his long and illus
trious life through an eventful career of
personal antagonisms and bitter rival
ries.
In the early thirties there lived at
Chapel Hill an old negro man. over so
years old. who had been a servant of the
University from it's foundation and was
servant when Mr.. Benton was a stu
dent. His name was Daniel Brady. He
was disabled by age, but sometimes he
would come to the scenes of his old SER
vice and would call on the students who
were kind to him. EIe loved to talk of
the old students he had waited on who
had become prominent actors in the
worlds drama. He often told us of the
college life of Mr.. Benton, who was
then in the opening of grand career as
Senator from Missouri. and was learning
lessons in sturdy craftsmanship at the
feet of old Nat. Macon. the heroic Sen
ator from North Carolina. whose "Ro-
man virtue" had never wavered before
the frowns of power or the whispers of
ambition. Several times he related TO
us in detail the circumstances of Ben
toms sad fall and disgrace.
He said that Benton was suspected
Of taking money that did not belong to
him. He said that some of the students
i'm order to confirm the suspicion, set a
trap for Benton. They marked a sill
yer dollar. placed it where BENTON would
be tempted by it, and induced him to
play with them game of ''pitch quoits. "
A silver dollar was used as a 'quoit,
and Benton was induced to furnish the
dollar to be used as ''quoit." The dol
lar that he produced was the identical
dollar which had been marked as bait
for Benton. Upon this evidence he was
expelled from the Philanthropic Society,
of which he was a member.
In order to verify this statement of
Brady. we once searched the records of
the society to see if the records referred
to the circumstances. We found them
and they contained the same facts relat-
ed by old Bradley. A little pen mari
shows the odium in which Benton was
held by the Secretary. When the record
was first made he was called Mr. Ben
ton, but the pen afterward passed
through Mr." as an erasure
In the year 1880 we were in the town
of Warrenton, being privately prepared
for the University by Rev. Jos. III. Saun-
ders. father of the Secretary of State,
Col. w. l.. Saunders, deceased, rector of