The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-08-13
GEORGE GRAHAM VEST.

"Llttle Giant, as ne was auectiOn
ately called By those who admired hin
for his proves in debate, or TIT
"Senator OF two Republics" as b.
was called by those who took a large.
view OF his life and services, was
man to be sketched in charcoal. Hi
pOrtraiture is most satisfactory IL
bold outline. There was a largenesi
about the talents Of this man, which.
as in the case Of Benton, will give
him a greater place in the estimation
Of posterity than in the estimation
Of his contemporaries.
In last analysis all that is abiding
about Vests fame rests in two quail.
ties which he possessed In unequal
degrees: emotive force and courage,
He was a mar of much intellectually,
but not greater than that Of hundreds
Of men who have failed to attain ever
local eminence. He was learned 10
law and in statecraft, but not more
so than scores whose names will not
survive the first quarter of this Gen.
fury. In his earlier days he was
wonderfully popular on the stump
because Of his e%loquence and his re-
markable faculty for story telling.
But these qualities have all been
possessed by men who lacked that
other something which is necessary
to effect things Of real Importance
This other something is emotive
force, in which Vest in his prime
showed a spiritual kinship with Mira.
beau and Charles James Fox. 1t was
this quality that enabled him to mar
shall his forces and hurl them with
irresistible power against a position
he chose to assail. Older men will
remember how he did this years ago
when IL was sought TO deny to those
who sympathized with the South
participation in the public duties Of
citizenship and government. 1t will
be remembered too with what superb
courage and resistleSs power he crush
ed the fiat greenbackers and the
political element of the old grange
movement in Missouri. Even the
youngest readers Of the public prints
of the day can remember when two
years ago this same power came upon
him, when supported on his feet by a
body servant be aroused the people OF
the nation and compelled an unwil.
ling congress to strike of the pro-
tective duty on anthracite coal i'm
posed by a subservient government
in the interest of a corrupt trust.
Vests courage, 10 at least one
situation In his public life, has been
called in question. The iucorrectness
Of this view will be seen when it is
remembered that he never was able
to interest himself very seriously in
any merely economic question. 1t
was only in matters involving con-
stitutional principles or personal
that his interior promptings
moved him powerfully, 1t was a
matter Of personal rights that stopped
him on his way to California and de-
termined him to locate 10 Pettls
In the last exhibition OF
his great powers it was not the error
the economic theory Of protection
that moved him but the spectacle Of
a band Of millionaire Pennsylvania
freebooters holding up the defense
less poor who we're suffering from
Vest was never a platform
maker and never concerned himself
very much about his party's platform
in matters which belong.
ed to the domain Of political economy.
But when his party showed signs of
departing from ancient landmarks by
lnclining toward the plan of electing
senators by a direct vote Of the people,
1t heard from Vest in no uncertain
sound. He had no scruples about
going against the known wishes of
his constituents 10 a matter in which
he held a contrary conviction. He
understood his government to be a
representative republic and not a
direct democracy, and he stood upon
his right as a representative.
1t is a fashion of the day to give
the worlds applause to the construct.
i've statesmen-an uninteresting lot
who have doubtless been too much
neglected in the past. But so long
as men rank the Lees, Sherldans,
JacksnnC Cbnruanc ond 7 onrctroo@,