The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1914-10-02

z
cratic ticket. The delegates from
jefferson county to the Democratic
Convention held in that year of
whom the writer of this report was
one, loyalty supported Mr. Kennett
for Governor to the end but Clai-
borne F. Jackson, statesman of the
Calhoun type, was nominated and elec-
ted. In the light of the events of the
next two or three years we may ask
"what might have been" the course Of
events in the state if kennett instead
of jackson, had been made Governor
in 1860.
The convention to nominate candi-
dates for constitutional convention
was held at Pennington in February,
1861. The writer of this report was
a member of that convention. We had
an exciting time for three or four
days. We all agreed on the preserv-
alton of the Union and opposed mill
tary coersion, but we disagreed as to
what the state should do if coercion
was finally resorted to. One faction,
to which the writer belonged insisted
on declaring that in case of attempt
ed coercion by the National Govern
ment, the state should stand by her
sisters of the South, while the ether
faction, to which Judge c. S. Ran
kin belonged, opposed saying what the
state should do in such a contingency.
On this rock the convention split and
two tickets were put into the field.
One faction declared for the Union
and against coercion but in case of
coercion, it declared the state should
stand by her sisters Of the South and
nominated Ferdinand b. Kennett.
Firmin A. Rozier and Geo. B. Cole to
run on that platform, and the other
faction declared for the Union and
against coercion, but stopped there,
and nominated c. S. Rankin, Joseph
Bogy and Milton =. Cayce to run on
that platform. From the start the
Kennett ticket got the name of being
the secession ticket and the Rankin
ticket the Union ticket and the latter
won in walk-ovcr. We all know what
happened afterwards. kennett was
not at the Pennington convention and
it is very doubtful whether he was in
full sympathy with the platform on
which he ran. He made no speeches.
After Colonel Kcnnett's death and
shat Of his nv sometime in the sew
enties, an effort was made to get the
state to locate an insane asylum ut
/ Kcnnetts Castle and the writer of
this report with several other citi-
| zens of the county rode down there
/ to meet the state commissioners to
| induce them to buy the castle for the
/ asylum. The writer remembers well
that Mr., Brent and his charming wife,
| the latter being a daughter Of Colonel
! Kennett, entertained the Commission
ers and others over night in the Cas-
tie, but the asylum went elsewhere.
The writer does not know who now
owns the castle.
Selma, near which the castle stands
was made postollice in 1927, and
Luther NJ. Kennctt was appointed
postmaster that year. Ferdinand Is.
Kennett and Luther NJ, his brother.
operated shot tower there then.
III.
We deem it appropriate to refer to
the place OF your present meeting as
one Of the most interesting points.
historically, in the county. A volume
of "reminiscences could be written
about it. But the writer has not the
strength to write more now. But let
us urge you and especially the people
of Crystal City to take steps to erect
a modest monument here to the men,
ory of William Summer Jewett, who
did more than all others combined TO
induce capitalists to erect the glass
factory here, which has been such a
boom to the county and state.
JOHN l.. THOMAS, Chairman
in the Jefferson County Democrat