The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-02
MR.. VEST AND HIS VIEW OF I'M
.PERIALISM.

Senator Vest, whose term expires in
1903 has announced that he will not be
a candidate for reelection when he
closes his twenty fourth year of con-
tiuous service in that body. He is one
of three men-Garland, of Arkansas,
and Hill, of Georgia, being the others
who served in the Confederate Senate
and afterwards in the United States
Senate. The reason for his retirement
is, though he does not say so, that his
health is so poor that even now he
sometimes performs his duties under
PHYSICAL disabilities. His friends have
been anxious about his condition for
some months.
Senator Vest is the last of the four
great VS. who were leaders in the Sen
ate-Vance, Villas, voorhees, and Vest,
a, uuartette of able men who served
their country with conspicuous ability
Two of them, after a life time of hon
orable public service have gone to the
great assembly of the skies. Senator
Villas has retired to private life and Sen
ator Vest will soon follow him to pre-
pare for the world beyond. In view of
his appreciation Of the fact that not
many years remain to him here, the fol-
lowing extract from Senator Vests
euogy on Senator Morrill, has deep in
terest:
1T is said that death is the great
enemy Of our race, but under certain
circumstances. and environments this is
not true. When the young, vigorous
ambitious, and hopeful are stricken
down, we stand shocked, as if before
some unfinished painting or statue where
the pencil or chisel has fallen from the
nerveless hand of a great artist; but
when life's work is done, when the task
is finished, and we simply await the
inevitable end, death is oftentimeS
friend.
LET me not live
After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff
OF younger spirits, whose apprehensive
senses
All but new things disdain."
Every intellectual man will appreciate
these lines of Shakespeare. He meant
that he did not wish to live after pas
sion and appetite were dead; when life
had become an everyday hand-to-hand
conflict with disease and pain, and when
we were about to sink into that stage
of senility and second childhood when
we become objects of pity, if not OF
contempt"
When ne retires from the Senate, it
will lose one of its ablest debaters, best
constitutional lawyers, and truest de-
tenders of republican government He
is, perhaps, the trueSt disciple of JEFF
ferson living and a few years ago de-
livered the best address on Jefferson that
we have seen. No man who had not
worshipped at the shrine of the sage OF
Monticello and had not caught the in
spiration of popular liberty from that
shrine could have made the speech which
is the model of eulogy.
Though not in vigorous health, Sena-
tor Vest has lost none Of his vigor of
intellect that has for half a century made
him a leader of men. His was the first
voice raised in the Senate against the
policy of imperialism which threatens
to undermine the mudsills of our gov
eminent which derives its just powers
from the consent Of the governed" He
has always been noted for having the
courage of his convictions, never voting
for a measure that he believed to run
counter to the Democratic idea or what
was contrary TO the spirit of the con-
stitution. Early last year. he introduced
a resolution in the Senate, declaring that
under the constitution no power is
given the Federal government TO ac-