The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1910-03-12
An Interesting Senatorial Posi-
bility.

Henry n. Cary in Harper's Weekly.
A boy who sold newspapers
with wan news in Richmond, Ken
tucky, when the stage came in
from Lexington a student who
borrowed money to get a college
education at Washington Univer-
sity, and took up a shipping
clerks duties to pay the debt; a
grain commission merchant who
was made the standard bearer of
the younger element and elected
president of a great Merchants
Exchange when he was only
thirty-three years of age; a Dem
oerat who became Mayor of the
fourth city of this country as the
popular solution of a party dead
lock a municipal executive whose
record of public improvements
and reforms suggested him for
Executive of his State; a Cover
nor who advanced the standing
of his commonwealth in educa-
ton, in finance, in pubic spirit.
in good government generally a
member of a cabinet who added
millions of acres to the forest re-
serves and instituted service re-
forms which we're accepted and
continued by a succeeding admin
istration of different politics; the
president chosen by the unani-
nous voice of his fellow citizens
to head aand conduct the move
ment which created and carried
through the greatest of World s
Fairs these are the rounds of
the ladder up which David Row
land Francis has climbed. They
lead to a candidacy for the Unit
ed States Senate, which has been
announced in Missouri under a
law which had it's initial test in
1908. Voters in that State make
the nominations of their respect
i've parties for the United States
Senate. On each ticket at the No
vember election appear the names
of candidates of that party for
Senator. The voter scratches all
names but his choice. The candi-
date receiving the majority of
each party vote is given the vote
of that party in the Legislature
at the session following. This
Missouri method is not the cleo
ton of United States Senator by
direct vote Of the people it but
aims to accomplish that result in
directly. One result of it is to
elicit formal announcement by
candidates many months in adj
vance of Election Day.
The three fold prominence which
he has attained makes Mr.. Fran
els one of the mott interesting
personalities of t8i5 generation.
1t embraces business success in
great measure, political honors as
high as those who have contri-
buted to educational advance
ment in the present day. The
high political offices Mr.. Francis
has filled demonstrated his pos
session of executive ability Of the
highest order. If the new ambi.
ton shall be realized, capacity for
constructive legislation will be
tested at a time when the coun-
try is very much in need of that
kind of ability.
While his political offices have
been those of Mayor, Governor,
and Secretary of the Interior, Mr..
Francis has placed largely to his
credit beneficial legislation. With
every office he has held he has
established effective personal re-
lations with the law-making bod
les. WheE he was Governor he
gave receptions at the Executive
Mansion he dined numerous SEN
atoTs and Representatives he
made it a custom to take the
chairman Of committees to lunch
con with him for the purpose Of