University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-05-22
Thomas Hart Benton

pioneer. and one of our greatest states
men. was Thomas Hart Benton. Mis-
souri, is proud of the name OF Benton
Well may il be. Benton was one oil
the men who made Missouri great.
And not only Missouri, but the whole
United States. 1t was Benton who
first conceived the possibilities OF our
great West and who worked harder
THAN any other man to bring his
Ifellow-citiZens TO see that the Pacific
territory was necessary part of our
nation.
Thi, noted MissOurian was not ma
Tive to this state. He was born in
North Carolina in 1872. When he was
only eight years old his father died
and upon the mother developed the
charge of bringing up the family. And
well did she do it. She was woman
of strong heart, of great industry.
honesty and tenderness. Young Ben
ton grew up under her rigid care and
from her he acquired a great part OF
his early education.
BentOns school days were limited
in the University of North Carolina.
But he was fond of reading, and read
| ing of the deepest kind. History and
geography he considered light. His
scholarly habits continued throughout
life and he became learned and cul-
ltivated man.
When he was sixteen. his mother
moved the family TO a large estate in
Tennessee, 10000 acres in the midst
of IAN unbrOken warlike Indian terri
tory. Here Benton developed rapid
ly and in short time took his stand
among prominent men OF the state.
At an early age he WAS admitted to the
bar A little later he was elected to
the Gene raj Assembly, and, though
he served only one term, he left his
impress npon the statute books as
the author of several good acts.
From his early years, Benton was
a strong believer in the power Of the
press and its mission as a promoter
of the public welfare. He wrote a
series OF articles for the Imperial In
quirer and Cumberland Repository
IcOndemning the poor system of courts
and advocating Justice very near
Ievery man. door. When he crossed
lover into st. Louis after the close of
the Civil War he felt the need there
lOf a newspaper of decided stand and
firm convictions and he set about to
get control of one. He managed in 4
short time to get the editorship of
quired considerable part of the firm.
While he was an editor, the Enquirer
stood stern and unflinching for those
policies Benton believed to be for
the good of the country.
The war of 1912 served great pur-
pose in Benton's life-it brought back
health when he believed death newt.
ably near, and it caused to be born
in his mind that great conception of
try He found that will could control
the issues of life and death. that
man is man and master of his fate,
he dreamed of a nation comprising
that seemingly illimitable West, and
it changed the whole plan of his life.
When he went to st. Louis, it was
4 mere village of narrow dirty streets
and houses generally fral and I'M
comfortable. The people We're mostly
ct je parle ma langue' type. But the |
town represented big interests and
there was an atmosphere of businessT
about the place. Ii gave enough of !
opportunity for man of BentOn's
kind to make himself felt on the COM
munity. He had made long strides in
Tennessee; he was to advance still
farther and still faster in Missouri.
When the question of MissOuri's ad- |
mission into the union came up Ben
ton entered into the fight and used
his paper as an instrument in pro- !
noting Missouri to statehood In this
connection it is interesting to note
that the measure passed with the ap-
preval of the two houses on March 2 |
and was signed by Monroe on
March 6, but the news was not re-
ceived in st. Louis until March 81.
Benton's Enquirer got out an extra in
the form of hand-bill. Ii was big
news even though it was twenty-three
days old.
Benton was elected one of MissOuri's
first two senators. For five cOnsecu-
tive terms did he serve Missouri in
this capacity. in the Senate he got
the chance he was wanting to bring
before the people his idea of expand
ing the union to the West He was