Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-19

Wv Linz Oh elOQuenc0 IN speech
and manliness In public life
everywhere without regard to
political opinions mourn the
death Of ex-United States Senator
George Graham Vest Of Missouri. For
twenty -four years he was one Of the
most conspicuous figures in the senate
Of the United States, to which he re-
fused reelection two years ago by rea-
son Of failing health. Missouri has sent
twenty-five different men to represent
her in that body. There are several
great men-scarcely q small one-in
the list. Her first two senators-David
Barton and Thomas Hart Benton-at
once took high rank in the councils of
the nation because Of their command
ing talents. For thirty years Benton
held the center Of the stage.
Benton was the first man to serve
thirty years consecutively in the federal
senate-"six full Roman lustrums," as
he was fond Of saying In his pompous
way. To use the parlance Of the prize
ring, he held the belt in that regard
until the 4th day of March, 1897, when
Justin s. Morrill, Of Vermont began
his thirty-flrst consecutive year and
sixth full term in the senate.
Missouri is the only state in the
Union that ever elected two men to the
senate for five full terms. General Fran
els Marion Cockrell Is nov serving his
thirtieth year and in January will be
reelected for another term Of six years.
He is only seventy, in robust health
and bids fair to live through that term
and perhaps for seventh. He will be
senator so long as he lives.
There is vast difference between an
orator and a debater. A man is lucky
to be either. Vest was both, and in
the front rank at that.
OF all the twenty-five Missouri sena-
tors he was one Of the most brilliant.
He welded a Damascus blade and
boldly entered the list against oil
Corners. Some Of his orations are
classics. If he was ever worsted In q
debate there is no record Of his defeat.
His reputation in the country ut large
will perhaps forever rest on his career
in the senate, but in Missouri he will
be chiefly remembered for his achieve
ments on the stump. In that field Of
oratory he was superb. No man eyer
knew the Missourians better. He I'M
derstood thoroughly that strange in
strument called the human heart, and
he played upon It with a masters
touch. He could be humorous, witty,
sarcastic, logical, eloquent or pathetic,
just as his fancy determined. A bet
ter story teller never faced an Ameri-
can audience. He set the Missourians
wild. They heard and were sntranced.
They determined to place him whore
the world would hear and be en-
tranced, and they did 1t. He was their
pride and glory. They are in sack
cloth and ashes because that eloquent,
that wonderful tongue is silent in the
grave. II all the books and newspa-
pers extant could be destroyed, II the
art Of printing were forgotten, Gen.
turtles hence Missourians would be
quoting Vests sarcasms and withcisms
'to point moral or adorn tale"
He was one Of the first jury lawyers
of the age. Missouri is full OF tradi-
tons as to how he won yerdicts against
the law and evidence by leading
twelve good men in a box" cap
tive by his eloquence. One of his short
jury addresses, that one in which he
described the loyalty Of dog for his
master, one Of the most eloquent, pa
thetic, heart moving and tear CON-
polling passages in our vernacular. has
been printed in nearly every newspaper
in Christendom.
1t was matter Of infinite pride with
transmississippi Americans that for
years two Of the most brilliant orators
in the senate-Vest OF Missouri, radi-
cal Democrat, and John James Ingalls,
OF Kansas. a radical Republican-were
from west of the great river. How 1t
happened that they never engaged in
an oratorical pitched battle will per
haps never be known, for there was
scarcely an important proposition of
politics or public policy on which they
agreed. Such a contest would have
been worth Journey across the CONT
nent to hear.
Vest served in both houses Of the
Confederate congress and was bril-.
liant figure there, fully the equal Of
such men as Wigfall and Ben HILL
After leaving the senate of the Unit
ed States he wrote series Of intensely
interesting and graphic articles for the
Saturday Evening Post Of reminis-
cent character. His friends fondly
hoped that his life would be spared
to write a history Of the great events
which he had witnessed and part-a
large part-of which he was, but It was
not to be. He has crossed over the river
to meet Wade Hampton, Allen G.
Thurman, George FL. Pendleton, James
@. Blaine, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus
Lamar, John B. Gordon and the other
great worthless with whom he was as
ISOLATED in this glorious world. There
Is one abiding consolation, and that is
that, notwithstanding his physical
his mind b]azed like Sirius
to the last. A1issourians were inefrably
proud of him in his life, and they will
cheriah his name and fame as among
their most priceless treasures SO long
as grass grows or water runs.
Republican Economy.
OF all the appropriations made by re-
cent Republican congresses for the use
IF this Republican administration-and
they have been large, fat and juicy
there Is but one which remains I'M
spent and at the present rate will con-
lnue plethoric until the retirement of
resident Roosevelt next March. OF