The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-08-13
SENATOR VEST is DEAD.

st, Louis, Mo-, Aug. "a special to the Post-Dis-
patch from Sweet Springs, Mo-, says:
After lingering for weeks between life and DEATH
former Senator George Vest passed peaceably away
today. He had been death for the past three
days that the end without a struggle. He was
conscious until about a. m. Sunday morning when
he sank into state Of coma, from which he never
aroused. He lost the power of speech Saturday
ing, but for several days before that he talked very
mperfectly, and during the last thirty-sx hours of
his life his breathing scarcely perceptibe. The
hutter of his pulse all that showed that life still
remained.
Only few days before this news reached the
country by telegraph, priest sat at his desk in St
Louis counting the hours when the great soul of
Missouri's great senator would leave its earthly
prison. He composed what is printed below. At
the top of the page he wrote: Senator Vest is
Dying" No praise more sincere for the living, no
loftier tribute to the dead will be written; indeed
can be attempted by another on the American press
1t is Father Phelan who speaks through the West
ern Watchman
For weeks the life OF Senator Vest has been hang
ing by a thread In fact his physicians surprised
that he still lives. When he goes this state will have
lost the brightest who figured in her poll
tics. His career has been of eyer-increasing
splendor until it reached its zenith in the last years
of his last term in the senate Since the time of Clay
and Webster. there has not been in the upper
branch of the national legislature who challenged so
much attention and helped to direct legislation
into wise and prudent channels There has not been
question before congress for quarter of century
in which Senator Vest has not been found on the
right side Although a senator from this state in
the Confederate congress, his attitude towards the
federal government all through the reconstruction
period has been honest and statesmanlfke He has
been Democrat but the silly issues into which the
grand old party has been from time to time drawn,
never found in him advocate. He was not Green
hacker. He was a very hating advocate of the I'M
limited coinage of silver. While not favorng any
extreme measures of the party he always good
party man. and the Democracy of this state swore
by him to the last. Even though broken down in
health and unable to perform senatorial duties, he
would have been elected years ago if he had not
positively refused the honor This is saying a great
DEAL taken in connection with the fact that egisla
tre which elected Senator Stone could not be expect
ed to appreciate official integrity of which Senator
Vest was such bright exemplar. But there men
whose purity of life is conspicuous that the
base must pay tribute.
1t was during the sad years of the A. P A. move
ment that Senator Vest showed the stern stuff of
which he was made. Although the country Democ-
racy was drawn into that movement our senior SEN
ator never ceased denouncng it the stump and in
the press, until he had uprooted the noxious weed
from the soil of the state When Stone and Stephens
and Dockery hearkened to the sirens song Vest
steered clear of the dangerous and listened not
to the strains of treason If the Catholics of this
state not in the camp of the Republicans it
is owing to the manly course of the greatest Demo-
crat Missouri has ever produced.
In all matters affecting the Catholic religion Sen
ator Vest has been undaunHed champion. When
ever the sisters wanted friend they found one in
the senior senator from Missouri. When the Catho-
lies of New Mexico any other part of the Union
were assaulted Senator Vest appeared their defend
er. When the Catholic Indian schools were made
the subject of unjust and discriminating legislation
by the government Senator Vest undertook the de-
Tense of the Old Church. her policy and her history
and the words he uttered in highest legislative
halls will not be forgotten while truth and e4euuence
are held in honor by that body And so manly was
this championship of the Church that he not only
won friends for her, but he compelled the respect
even Of. his enemies. There never was man in the |
senate who from the first day of his entrance into
that body until his final eave-takng who enjoyed |
greater respect among his colleagues
We write these lines that Catholics everywhere
N the land may at this hour of his final struggle re-
member Senator Vest in their prayers for he is not
Catholic. 1t is sad to think that man who has SO
many devoted Catholics among his friends and who
mas said much good of the Church, should die
without her pale. Public men have not time for re-
gion in the heyday of their political prosperity and
hey have little taste for it when they come to die
But the grace of God is not limited by the perversty
II man, and prayer work wonders We ask all
readers to pray for the conversion and happy soul
# George G. Vest. We ask the priests to make
nemento of our dear friend in their masses We ask
he religious orders, whose friend he was for half
century, to pray for mercy his soul.
Poets and novelists speak elouuently of the avv
ul mystery of life. There is mystery in life ex-
,ept when sin clouds the lirht T ovn God o,,I -