The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-17
PICTURESQUE MISSOURI STATESMEN
OF DAYS AGONE. Speeches t s.ssb w espass !. Ssf'' v

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
1t is doubtful If any State. Kansas not
excepted, has produced as picturesque an
array Of statesmen as the pioneers of MIS-
souri, who were occupied witt the affairs
of government. Missourfs political history
antedates that of her neighbor, Kansas.
The Kansas statesman of the earliest days
Of political history in that Commonwealth
was developed amid conditions more excit-
ing. but the Missouri product of pioneerdom
was of the soil-of such n type as are his
descendants. of whom Thomas Nelson Page,
John Fox, Jr., Opie Ried and others have
\ treated.
The public men lived in. the days when
the pioneers of Missouri were retaining
the land from the Indians and wild beasts;
when the male population in homespun
/. cleared the land and fought the redskins.
and the women were manipulators OF the
I, loom and spinning wheel: when every set
Element was made near q spring and the
prairies were deemed trackless wastes, not
tadapted to cultivation or convenience.
It was in such an environment as this
that the old-school statesman of Missouri.
who almost Invariably was of Kentucky or
Virginia nativity or lineage, was developed.
Major Isaac Van Bfbber, a patriarchai-
Appearing pioneer of Montgomery County,
and prominent in politics of that region In
= early Gays, hau eccentric OHluluuS upoh
various topics. His especial hobby upon a
4 philosoPhic topic was n belief In the trans
:, migration of souls. Every 5000 years. he
argued. nature underwent a complete trans
' formation. At the expiration OF each such
speriod everything would be restored as 1t
had existed an equivalent number of years
before.
While he was keeping n tavern at Louter
Lick a party of Kentucky homeseekers re-
manned one night with him. Now. Van Bib
Der deemed this a most favorable oppor-
tunity to enlist converts to his BELIEF. SO
he talked long with his guests. growing
enthusiastic and fully explaining his faith.
That night after he had retired the Major
told his wife that he was sure his dodgers
were converted. He lay awake nearly two
hours congratulating himself.
The following morning the spokesman Of
the party said, as they were about to
leave: Major, we were converted by your
argument last night. and, being now a lit
tie short of funds. we've concluded to wait
until we come round again in 5000 years
and settle our bill"
The Major was disconnected for a mo-
ment- then retorted: NC. you don't; you're
the same scoundrels who were here GOO
years ago and left without paying your
bills"
The Kentuckians settled.
Martin Palmer, who was elected to the
State Senate in 1926 from q district em-
bracing Clay and Randolph counties, was
u public man of the old school. This story
of hin offers choice bits of character, dia-
lect and environment peculiar to the period.
Two or three days before the appointed
time for the Legislature to convene Palmer
loaded a small keelboat. the forerunner of
the steamer, with salt. and. taking with
him his son and a negro slave. started down
the Missouri River for the State capital.
Astride the tiller. with great intellectual
exertion, the unsophfsticated legislator
elect spelled out the essential thoughts Of