The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-10-13

aAYAaISSsl ltt.ls,.llIk stgr. Clay and Calhoun
kyh. MI arc familiar words
H4lK SMl 4 everywhere, yet Benton
" Mn served In the United
KISTSBEf States senate longer
kaSS,.S9ASSa,B than any OF those, and
was responsible Tor
moro sound legislation than all Of
them together His namo was never
prominently connected with the presi.
doncy, yc, he accomplished more for
ais country than hay, the majority Of
the presidents,
This remarkable man came into tho
world IN l5s2, SIX years after the IGN.
Ing OF tho Declaration Of lndcpcnd.
vGC., and departed I'm 1855, three years
before %. Ciyi! war Thus his lie GOV.
cred he formative epoch of govern
tncnt by the people in the making, and
ended iusl before the outbreak that
shook th" foundations Of the republic
and bathnd N" nation In blood For
many years he ignored the muitrr.nRs
IN the political sky and preferred 10
believe the talk Of war be'w,.u the
states over the Uu atOn of slavery
E'r' IH'' cha''eT Nnrn b" realize"
'h"i 'H' sentiment al dlsuulun was
real H' TOOK mn incorporating 'Nnd
III FAVOR OF ih" union ana refused to
amer ms position or trim his sails TO
meet The bru"lge from Missouri that
were blowing ~" other way Though
entering phuiIa lle as an advocate OF
tho admission oil Missouri iu.' the
union unrestricted rs TO sit' 49, ne
ieii me public sorylc" In the evening
o.! HE b"raus" h' would not consent
10 vote Tor the extension o. slavery
into territory that had br'"r" been
ir''. lie was q hrw believer III the
doctrine Of stat" rights, which WAS. as
no understood H. the lEht of me
states to govern themselves az to all
matters except ihos" delegated 10 the
Federal government Ills theory OF tho
republic was an ''indissoluhIo union OF
E'InSoyornlug states "A Federated re-
pupbllc,
HIS education. mat l. III" school
grammar schools and short timc in
che University of North Carolina. In
i larger sense he continued his studies
until the day Of his death, and was
on" OF IN" best Informed men of his
Elme. While other statesmen werc In.
du'ging in the designations common to
chat period among public men, he de
voted hin spare moments to investiga-
Ion ana study, ana his knowledge OF
ia" details OF public matters was vast
iy superior to that OF any of his com.
peers
Hcnion's high moral character was
blemi5hed by his pugnaclous dIspo
Sitlon. In his early days he was In.
volvod In many affairs OF honor as
ducls were termed then. He had not
been in St Louis long when the most
unfortunate event In his career oc'
CURED. In the trial OF law suit
some trivial dispute arose between
MIN and young attorney named
Charles Lucas, highly esteemed and
most Csiimable young man. Lucas
won the cas-" and h"nton challenged
him. Lucas declined the challenge
nj hrst, but henloh p"r6Istrd ana
oileT'd deliberate insults. Lucas theh
accepted, Ih'y fought hrst duel
ana no one being injured second
meeting was insisted upon by Doth
parties. In the second duel Lucas
fcll mortni'y wounded. heiore dying
he took Benton's hand ana loFEnve
him. but Benton never iorEaVe nm
self, ana the shadow OF TINS tragedy
went with him through thr years TO
his grave. The codeduciIo was re-
sorted TO In those days often for In.
significant things and every pubic
man Of consequence had inquired III
such an affair either MS principal or sec
ond. This duel was fought the year
after Benton arrived In 81 Louis
-Four years later the iather OF the
lamentod victim OF the duelllnF Gus
tom was one OF IN" unsuccessful can
dldates 70: senator against bchton,
His Fight win 'Oid Hiekory''
Benton, like Andrew J'eEsol' was
OF North Carolina bllin, ana, IKE Olu