Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-10-13

dency of the United States. A year
or so after the fight Benton moved
to st. Louis, where he opened a law
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 position, through the enact
ment of laws, to make them and him.
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 private
debt. Through all his official career
Benton was true to this ideal and was
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
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 II
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 II
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's
warmest and strongest supporter.
Father Of Homestead Law.
=. To Benton more than any other MAJ
= is due the fact that there Is no from
4 tier in the United States today. Wha
a was a wilderness west of the Rock.
q mountains fifty years ago is now set
4 tied by happy and prosperous mel
o and women by reason of his effort fl
Il securing the enactment of the home
n stead law. Benton established the poI
81 icy of selling public land at a max
4 mum of $1.25 an acre, giving prefer
h ence to actual settlers and securing t
q settlers the right of presumption. Thi
o. made settlement easy and streams G
a sturdy men and women began at ono
J. to move westward.
v Benton looked into the future flu
n Their than any other statesman Of hi
a. time In answer to the taunts that tn
= western country, particularly Oregon
r. would never be anything more tina
n hunting ground, he prophesied ths
y the time would come when ther
r would be more people west Of tn
: Rockies than east. He advocated tn
a construction of military road to Ne
.. Mexico, and was so earnest in his SUI
n port Of the idea Of transcontinent
railroad that his enemies charged hi
with being mentally unbalanced on tn
10 subject, and even his friends feare
"A he was too enthusiastic. In one Of h
a first speeches he prophesied that tt
>. Pacific coast would soon become Il
A door of Asia and advised sending mi
"A listers to China and Japan-a propos
10 at that time considered extremely h
10 morous.
to Brought About Specie Payments.
rs It was through Benton's effort tn
err specie payments were established al
IN that all our money became based {
as gold and silver. So earnest was he
Mt the demand for a specie basis that
IN was nicknamed "Old Bullion"
e. which he became very proud, and
ed his speeches often referred to himse
N by that term. He was at first incline
N, to favor a protective tariff system,
ad later strongly opposed protects
ry merely for the sake of protection.
lis stated his position thus: The fine
N. fects of the tariff upon the prospect
IN of the west have been celebrated
IN. this floor With how much reason
lis facts respond and people Judge.
81 not think we are indebted to the hi
i'm tariff for our fertile lands and ma
of gable rivers, and am certain we a
en- indebted to those blessings for
de, prosperity we enjoy" While he {
tie posed the protective system he vot