Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-03-09
GHAAP aAREISETIER
Missourians Who Have
Graced the Senate.
INDUSTRIOUS DEMOCRATS.
Benton and Blair Of Unsurpassed
Brilliancy.
INDUSTRIOUS DEMOCRATS
TWO CURIOUS FACTS IN HISTORY.

= --~SeN = ~~S@N - 49, - . .
sfissenri IL the Only state That Ever
Elected Two Men For Five Fan
Consecutive Terms In the Senate.
Life ans work Of Her Greatest
stateamsR--Nen who shone In the
Nation's ceuaeIIs.
Especial washington Letter.l
Two Of the moet illustrious Demo
Gratis that ever lived In America were
Thomas Hart Benton and Frank r.
Blair Of Missouri In presenting their
statues 10 congress among other things
I said
Mr. Speaker. when Governer b.
GraiE Brown, one Of the most brilliant
Of all Missouri Statesmen. on historic
occasion said. Missouri il a grand
state and deserves to be grandly govern
ed. he uttered an immortal truth He
might have added with equal veracity,
'she deserves TO be grandly represented
in the congress Of the United States"
and she has been in the main, particu-
larly in the senate. where paucity Of
members and length Of tenure more
surely fix man in the public eye than
service in the house.
First and last Missouri has commits
stoned 81 different men TO represent her,
at the other end Of the capitol, in the
less numerous branch OF the national
legislature. In the chamber Of the con-
script fathers. in ''the upper house Of
congress. " improperly 50 called, or, as
Senator Morgan Of Alabama would
have it, as ''embassadors Of sovereign
state" to the federal government Be
ginning with David Barton and Thomas
IaISs-. Benton. her pioneer senators, who
AZ once attracted general attention and
challenged universal admiration by rea-
son Of their commanding talents, down
10 this very hour, when In the persons
Of Francis Marion Coclren and George
Graham Vest she holds such an envia-
bic position in that conspicuous arena,
Missouri Eas taken second place to none
Of her sister states
These go senators naturally divide
themselves into two classes-the Barton
line and the Benton line. Is in the for
mer and only 6 in the latter.
In the Barton line are Barton him
self, Alexander Buckner. Lewis F.
Linn. David R Atchison, James s
Green. Waldo p. johnson, Robert VIII
son. B. Gratz Brown. Charles D. Drake,
Daniel F. Jewett, Frank P. Blair, Lew
Is V. Bogy, DavidH Armstrong, James
Shields and George g. Vest
In the Benton line are Benton him
self, Henry s Geyer, Trusten Polk,
John B. Henderson. Carl Schurz and
Francis Marion Coohrell
Curious Fact.
An examination Of the dates at which
Missourians entered and left the senate
win disclose two curious facts In Mis-
souri, history. She is the only state that
ever elected two men for Ave full con
secutive terms 10 the senate Of the
United States-''six Roman lustrums
as Benton was won't 10 boast In his
pompous way These were Benton and
Cockrell She was the first state that
had only one senator for any consider
able length Of time through failure to
elect another By reason Of the unre-
lenting warfare between the Beutonites
and the -Bentonites the legislature
chosen in 1854 never could and never
did elect senator. as it was in duty
bound TO do. so that for two entire
years Henry 8. Geyer was Missouri's
sole senator.
What is more the governor did not
appoint or attempt to appoint any one
70 I'LL the vacancy, nobody then dream
ing that the governor had such power.
But in these later days several states
have followed Missouri's example in
failing to elect senators. and, strange
TO say. divers governors have insisted
on the right to I'LL vacancies by ap-
pointment under similar circumstances,
until finally the senate, after lengthy |
and ponderous debate, solemnly vindi- |
Gated the wisdom and knowledge Of con-
stitutional law possessed by the govern
or Of Missouri in 1885 and 1855, Stir |
ling Price. by declaring that governor |
has no right to make ouch ad interim
OF Missouri's 81 senators there were
II Democrats, Wing and Republic
ans OF 1855 years Of senatorial repre-
sentation to which she has been entitled |
2 were not used. fell to Wings, a2 to
and 126 to Democrats
This roster Of Missouri senators Is an
array of names Of which the nation, no
less than the state, may well be proud.
There are many great men-scarcely a
small one-in the list
Distinguished Statesmen.
Missouri is proud Of her immeasur-
able physical resources, which viii one
day make her facile princeps among her
sisters but there Is something else %
which she is prouder still, and that is
her splendid citizenship. consisting at
this day Of nearly 1000, 900 indus
trious. intelligent patriotic, progress
I've, law abiding, God fearing people.
When questioned as 10 her riches, she
.ould with propriety initiate the exam
pie and quote the words Of Cornelia,
The mother OF the heroic Gracchi and,
pointing to her children, say truthfully
and pridefully. These are my Jewels
In sending Thomas Hart Benton and
he younger Francis Preston Blair to
forever represent her in the great Amer {
can Valhalla where the efigies Of a