Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-01-22
William Joel Stone.

Much hullabaloo has been and is be-
ing raised over the selection of William
Joel Stone to succeed George G. Vest
as Senator from Missouri. Mr.. Stone
was unfairly attacked. Nothing was
urged against his fitness until the last
moment, when he had practically no
chsnce to defend himself. He stumped
the State for months as an avowed
candidate One rival after another
withdrew from the contest and left
him free field. While he was
campaigning for the Office no charge
was made against him, Only when
the Senators and Representatives had
been elected and pledged to him did
the battle begin against him, and quite
q nasty fight 1t was, too. That it,
failed to stampede the caucus must be
matter OF rejoicing to all fair. minded
men. 1t is good to know, too, that in
all Missouri, no Democrat could be
found willing to 60 forward and try to
take the toga Stone had fairly won, on
the strength of the ugly fight that was
waged against him. The time to have
beaten Stone was when Stone was be-
fore the people, but those who wanted
to beat Stone did not want TO defeat
the party, though they now proclaim
that he won solely because of per-
verted sense OF party loyalty. 1t Is
being said now that Stone is 'too small
for the job" That remains to be seen.
The same charge was made against
Vest when be first ran for the Senate,
and now Vest is 'the little giant" In
the opinion of the Mirror, Senator
Stone will be found TO be worthy OF
the place he has attained. He is q
man of ability, and If he is "only a
gumshoe politician" now, we must re-
member that before now, politicians,
! who are mostly "gumshoes, have be-
come eminent statesmen. Mr.. Stone
is not a great orator, but he can make
fine speech. He is not deficient in
diplomacy, and work is done in the
Senate, in these days, by diplomacy
and compromises rather than by
orations. Mr.. Stone will be found to
be, in the near future, Democratic
leader In the Senate. His methods in
the past may have been open to criti-
cism, but has there not been general
drop in the character of political
methods, due not to leading politicians
any more than to general conditionsF
Judging Mr.. Stone by all the tests ol
the '.historical method" it is safe to
say that he is able and clean, accord.
ing to the contemporary average o.
such things. And, furthermore, mos
of what we have read about Stone wal
printed e1 p0rte and colored, con
sciously or unconsciously, to accomp
lish his defeat. If the Mirror dis
liked Mr.. Stone much more than /
does, it would still feel called upon tt
say in fairness that it would be well t.
give Mr.. Stone chance to do some
thing before we assert that he Is "to'
small for his job" He made goot
Congressman, he was q fairly goo'
Governor, he is good lawyer, and b.
has won out In politics against power
full opposing interests and withou
much money at his disposal. Thes
things show that he is far from bein
an accident. He sgot there" on some
: thing more than q ''gumshoe sneak,
? although the only fight upon him wa
itself OF the nature OF sgumsho
I sneak" There were able and popula
: candidates against Mr.. Stone when b
! entered the field. Not one Of them
with any possible chance Of winning
y stayed to the finish. There we're abl
: politicians and powerful newspaper
and colossal corporations against hin
: They failed to beat him BY all th
\ tricks they knew. A man who b,
y beaten such a combination Is not goin
I to be lost In the Senate. He has Il
! real stuff in him, and 1t will asse
: itself. Missouri will some day be
!, proud Of Stone as she is to-day
Cockrell and Vest. 81. Louis Miro