The St. Louis Republic., 1902-12-29
MISSoURrs SENAToRsuIP.

There is 4 certain samcness about chasing the
furtiyc Globe back To its hole often. But admit
ting readers that better use Of space might he
found. The Republic VIII put end to one more
Globe rrIsChGoG.
To understand the extremes of the Glche'S
dacity il is often necessary To see is exact words
Yesterday appeared this EDITORIAL
The Republic also or3!ts TO say anything
for fear that Stone
viii be elected and put the Bob Acres or
h.s blacklist.
What WAS there TO say about Senator Vest: His
interview in The Republic restatem"nt of an
extended interview which he gave this paper last
summer. At that time The Republic expressed its
unqualified approval
If the Globe is insinuating that The Republic has
nothing 10 say about the gosspped possibility qf
another election of Senator Vest The Republic, for
information. will repeat its wellknow opinion. If
Senator Vest were Il candidate the State of Missouri
would not he stupid enough To voluntarily lose the
national prestige which George Vest the unrivaled
debater and trained confers upon its
in the United States Senate. People who compos
mentis do not trade stake-winncrs for uncertain
quarter-SprinterS.
Provided George Vest considers his health suf
cently reestablshed for active service, the Legis
lature could best the will of the voters by elect
ing him again. whether not he is candidate.
If the Globe will quote the foregoing the peculiar
sect of party bigots-not the better Republicans
which forms its constituency will understand all that
the entire Democracy of Missouri, with The Republic,
has to say about George G. Vest.
But what the Globe is driving at is Ex-Governor
Stone Not to make two bites of a cherry. let's finish
that falsehood with the other. The Republic has
with appropriate fierce delivered its opinion about
the SenatOrship cOnteSt-if there Is he contest.
That opinion is of the unruicd Indifference.
Stpu is u MAJ to tn adj tiOu
lie is not orator. dehater, student and thinker like
Vest. He is less Of speaker than Governor Dockcry
and does not remotely approach the present Governor
in administrative grasp. He has not the penetrating
mind and lucid statement of Judge De Almond He
has not Champ Clark's attractive style menta!
sympathy with Western life and spirit. He has not
the intensity of intellectual conviction which has been
shown for lifetime by William II. Wallace of Kan
City. Comparisons might be carried further bur
these are the men who have at different times been
associated with possibility of election the United
States Senate. Other Democrats qualified fer the
Senatorship need not be introduced
ON the other hand The Republic would not hr Il
trustworthy Democratic newspaper if it could not 40
justice to Il candidate for Democratic nomination
whom II would not itself select if the choice were
ferred to its judgment.
Governor Stone has made fair open ard active
canvass for two years. Competitors had abundant
making virtue of discovering faults might ll q
better begun the fight before the Legislator, was
! elected. They did not know much Of Missouri his
tory if they did year ago have all the material
| which they lavsh!y parading.
The allegations against Governor Stone may he
summed up in the charge that since leaving the GOV
ernorship he has represented many large corporations
attorney: of them corporations deeply inter
ested in legislation There is charge that he used
corrupt means in behalf Of his clients. There is
| charge that he did anything which any lawyer i'll
good standing might not have done without rcurring
| professional criticism. There is no charge that he
| did not conscentiousy. advocate. believe that
! the causes he represented We're Just
| Here enters what Ex-Governor Stephens and the
ant-Stone newspapers would probably call the chic
question 1t would go to the sincerity of Governor
stones political speeches. taken in comparison will
The course of his legal practice. The Rcpublc might
/ agree that political leader ought TO live snow
and sleep under ! fence rather than accept employ
ncnt from institutions concerned in legislation Bu
! lawyers do net look at the problem that way; ans
The Republic cannot recall any Political leader:
WHO have educated themselves to the SNOW hahi
when there respectable employment on pleaSs:n
terms pressing for acceptance.
. Governor Stone. as far The Republic knows
has obeyed the rules of professional ethics law
yer rs political leader he has exercised his righ
Of free speech There is nothlllS 10 JUSTIFY speca
opposition to him on the ground of unftnesS.
The Republic does regard Governor Stone
Saul among his brethren. But it must not be for
gotten that he has made square public fight befor
the voters of the State. going into the counties
meeting the people face TO face. If they desire tha
he represent them Senator the decision is betwee
him and them. The Republic does not boost cand
dates for nomination and it does not oppose theT
unless they are distinctly unworthy. Governor Ston
is entitled credit for what he is aud for the ope
canvass he has from the first adopted.
All of which The Republic has in substance SAT-
before This paper has enough to do without max
ing daily Juror over matter about which it care
nothing and is not called upon by any party dut
10 care.