Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-10-13


to st. Louis, where he opened a law
Office in connection with a newspaper
of which he became editor. He be-
came prominent at once in the discus
sion of public questions, and took a
leading part in securing the admis-
sion of Missouri into the union. Aft
er a five years residence in Missouri
he was elected by the legislature one
of the states first two United States
senators.
Declined Money Profit from Public
Service.
Immediately upon his election, with
scrupulous regard for his official in
tegrity, Benton called all Of his clients
to his office and told them that he
could not further serve them, as there
might be a conflict between their In
terest and the public welfare. For
some of his clients he had litigation
over land grants, and as senator he
was in a position, through the enact
ment of laws, to make them and him
self wealthy In the settlement of dis
puted titles. He refused even to rec
ommend an attorney to them, lest this
might embarrass him in his public
duty. His idea of public office
was that an official had no more right
to use his public functions to aid per-
sonal friends or to advance his own
fortune than he would have to put his
hand into the public treasury and take
money therefrom to pay a private
debt. Through all his official career
Benton was true to this ideal and was
i~ncorruptible and above reproach from
any venal standpoint.
Championed missouri Compromise"
Benton's career of constructive
craftsmanship was the greatest Mis-
souri, or the west has produced. He
came upon the stage of public activity
with the enactment Of the Missouri
compromise, which was largely his
work. He left public life coincident
with the repeal of that measure.
Under this compromise Missouri was
admitted into the Union Though 1t
was some years later before the state
was formally recognized) as a slave
state, with the provision that no state
created out of the Louisiana purchase,
north Of the southern boundary of
Missouri, should be admitted with
slavery. 1t hushed slavery agitation
for a decade, and any attack upon it
for a time was resisted by south as
well as north. Benton was 80 years
old when he took his seat and had
lived exactly half the years given to
him. Monroe was just beginning his
second term as president, Calhoun was
secretary of war, Henry Clay was
speaker Of the house of representa-
tives. In the next presidential con-
test Benton supported Clay against
Jackson, but aver after that he was
Clay's political enemy and Jackson's
warmest and strongest supporter.
Father of Homestead Law.
To Benton more than any other mar
Is due the fact that there is no from.
tier in the United States today. What
was a wilderness west of the Rocky
mountains fifty years ago is now set
tied by happy and prosperous men
and women by reason of his effort In
securing the enactment of the home
stead law. Benton established the pol
Icy of selling public land at a maxi
mum of $1.25 an acre, giving prefer
ence to actual settlers and securing tc
settlers the right Of presumption. This
made settlement easy and streams o.
sturdy men and began at once
to move westward.
Benton looked into the future fur
Their than any other statesman Of his
time. In answer to the taunts that the
western country, particularly Oregon
would never be anything more thai
a hunting ground, he prophesied tina
the time would come when there
> would be more people west of thu
Rockies than east. He advocated thu
construction Of a military road to New
Mexico, and was SO earnest in his sup
. port Of the idea Of a transcontinenta
railroad that his enemies charged hin
with being mentally unbalanced on tn
subject, and even his friends feare,
! he was too enthusiastic. In one of hi
, first speeches he prophesied that tn
Pacific coast would soon become tn
! door of Asia and advised sending mir
! listers to China and Japan-a propose
} at that time considered extremely hi
q morous.
Brought About Specie Payments.
1t was through Benton's effort ths
r specie payments we're established an
that all our money became based o
s gold and silver. SO earnest was he
It the demand for a specie basis that b
n was nicknamed "Old Bullion" {
y which he became very proud, and 1
d his speeches often referred to himse
by that term. He was at first incline
to favor a protective tariff system, bt
d later strongly opposed ~protectio
y merely for the sake Of protection. H
Is stated his position thus: THE fine e
i. fects Of the tariff upon the prosperit
N of the west have been celebrated G
a. this floor. With how much reason /,
Is facts respond and people Judge. + d
l. not think we are indebted to the hie
tariff for u fertile lands and nav
il gable rivers, and | am certain we al
Indebted to those blessings for ii
e, prosperity we enjoy" While he o
posed the protective system he vote