The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-25
The stolen rigs of a senator.

That reminds me-" said Gov. Critten-
den, according to the Kansas City Star.
that over thirty years ago heard Sen-
ator Vest tell a very amusing story on
himself, which shows how often, or how
occasionally. an innocent man must con-
fess guilt to avoid punishment. He said
he was candidate for the Legislature in
Cooper county in 1860, against Thomas
McDearmon and Judge Walker. the father
of the late John r. Walker of this city.
1t was a close ana very exciting canvass,
involving, in the daily discussions. the
approaching secession and war questions.
1t was Vests first candidacy for office,
although his reputation as an orator was
rapidly spreading over Missouri. No one
of the three candidates favored secession
per Sc at that time Vest was rapidly
drifting in that direction. The friends of
the candidates had made a personal
house-to-house. canvass, and each ella m d
the victory from three to tve majority.
Vest was supposed to be in the lead by
the more dis. Interested canvassers. A few
days before the election a story was put
atioat that Vest had stolen three pigs of
the value Of Sc and they had been found
in his pig-sty at his residence in Boz ne
willie. Vest sad he was so hard pressed
by the charge and it was doing him SO
much harm that he had at once to come
out and acknowledge that the pigs were
found in his pen OF else he would be de-
feated.
THE crowds were large that attended
the daily discussion and the excitement
ran very high. The day before the can
vass closed il was we'll known through
out the county that Vest had to meet the
charge in his next speech, either in
Bonneville or Bunceton, which caused the
crowd to be unusually large. The parti-
sans of each cand date were present In
great numbers and seemed so deeply in
terested that no one could foretel what
would be the result. Vest, in that pecu-
liarly happy style of his, was equal to the
occasion. He appeared on the hastings In
the best of humor and his face was ra-
diant with joy. The silvery voice of his
was as clear as a sunbeam. He said he
had two sons that had very much the
trait of many Missourians about them;
they had traded an old pocket-knife,
few cents in money. an old brass ring and
a few other such trinkets to niger
for the pigs, on the streets OF Bonneville,
and it was the boys who had put the pigs
into his pen without his knowledge, and
they were the stolen property. and he
was ready to pay for them. AS soon as
this explanation was made Vests friends
gathered renewed strength and made the
welkin ring with their shouts. 1t saved
the day for Vest. Vest said that had he
denied the charge, his opponents stood
ready to prove it, and a warrant was
there for his arrest. He said that he cast
no reflections upon his children, as there
was no father who did not know that
his boys would trade all day on Bar
low knife and for anything to be trading.
This was the commencement of Vests
political life. Had he been defeated it
may be he never would have become
United States senator, and would never
have been known throughout the country
as one of it's foremost orators and great
est debators.
After Vest had told me this story l
said to him: That was very good cam
paign dodge of yours. Now tell me the
truth about the pigs. He replied, i my
self had bought them of the damned mig
ger, expecting to have Christmas pig
for dinner as a jollifcation after the cleo
tion -