Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-10-14

senator from another state, and the
other as a candidate for the presi
dency of the United States year
or so after the fight Benton moved
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
leading part in securing the admis-
sion of Missouri into the union. Aft
er 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 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
incorruptible 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
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 II
was some years later before the state
was formally recognized) as 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
| Co nd oh
for a time was resisted by south as
we'll as north Benton was 80 years
old when he took his seat and had
lived exactly half the years given tc
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 ever after that he was
Clay's political enemy and Jackson:
|. warmest and strongest supporter.
Father Of Homestead Law.
To Benton more than any other maj
, Is due the fact that there is no from
|, tier in the United States today. Wha
, was a wilderness west of the Rock!
, mountains fifty years ago Is now set
, tied by happy and prosperous mel
, and women by reason of his effort II
, securing the enactment of the hone
, stead law. Benton established the pol
, icy of selling public land at a maxi
|, mum of SIPS an acre. giving prefer
, ence to actual settlers and securing II
, settlers the right Of preemption. Thi
, made settlement easy and streams o
, sturdy men and women began at ono
TO move westward.
, Benton looked into the future fur
, Their than any other statesman OF hi
time. In answer to the taunts that tn
western country, particularly Oregon
, would never be anything more thai
, hunting ground, he prophesied tina
the time would come when Their
. would be more people west OF tn
Rockies than east He advocated tn
, 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 nj
, first speeches he prophesied that tn
Pacific coast would soon become tn
, door of Asia and advised sending min
, listers to China and Japan-a propose
, at that time considered extremely hu
, morous.
, Brought About Specie Payments.
: II was through Benton's effort tina
r specie payments were established ant
, that all our money became based OF
) gold and silver. So earnest was he II
[ the demand for a specie basis that h
, was nicknamed "Old Bullion" o
: which he became very proud, and Il
I his speeches often referred to himsel
: by that term. He was at first incline'
to favor a protective tariff system, bu
| later strongly opposed protection
, merely for the sake of protection. II
) stated his position thus: The fine ei
fects of the tariff upon the prosperit
, of the west have been celebrated Of
this floor. With how much reason lie
) facts respond and people judge. | d.
not think we are indebted to the higl
tariff for our fertile lands and nav
T gable rivers. and | am certain we ar
indebted to those blessings for tn
prosperity we enjoy" While he OF
posed the protective system he vote,