The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-04-26
SENATE HON0RS
Stone; BODY WAS
Sent TO NEVADA
Senator Reed Eulogizes Great
MissOurian Before
Congress
FUNERAL TO BE HELD
THURSDAY AFTERNOON
Prominent E.en Accompanie d
Body To Nevada, Mo-, Home
OF Late Senator

WASHINGTON, April 15.-As
mark of respect to the memory o,
Senator w. j. Stone of Missouri, whc
died Sunday afternoon. the Senate adj
journed shortly after converting TIL:
afternoon. This action was taken up.
on motion of Senator Reed, who spen,
a beautiful tribute to the Missouri
Senator.
With tears in his eyes Senator ReeC
reviewed the life of the senior sena
tor Of Missouri 'Dishonor neve,
never laid its touch upon the life of
Senator Stone, who devoted nearly
half a century to public service" said
Senator Reed.
Funeral services were held at the
late residence here this afternoon, and
the funeral party departed for Ne
vada, Mo, the home of the late Sena-
tor. The body will lie in state at Ne
vada Wednesday, and the funeral will
be held Thursday.
Speaker Champ Clark, Senators
Reed Of Missouri, Hitchcock Of Ne
braska. and number Of other prom;-
nent members Of the upper branch of
Congress accompanied the body.
Senator Stone was in public life
forty-five years and during that long
period probably engaged in as many
political contests as any man of his
::me, ranging all the way from con-
troversies over county Offices to the
broadcast national issues.
at the entry Of the United States
into the war, Senator Stone perform
ed the trying feat Of antagonizing his
own party administration, and then
realigning himself with it in a gener-
ally satisfactory manner. 1t was in
connection with the bill proposing the
arning of American merchant ships
that he took sharp issue with Presi-
dent Wilson. He stood with the doZ-
en- senators whose opposition caused
the failure Of that measure at the
close of the Sixty-fourth Congress,
and brough: down the denunciation of
the president upon the "wilful twelve"
His opposition to the declaration Of
war with Germany was also pro-
nounced, and he declined to take
charge of the war resolution as would
have been expected of him as chair
man of the Committee on Foreign Re-
lations. He did not seek, however, to
place obstacles in the way of con-
sideration and transferred the leader
ship to Senator Hitchcock, next rank
ing Democratic member of the COM
mittee.
His attitude on these two questions
was synlbolical of his position toward
the world war. He believed that
American participation should be
avoided if possible, but when the die
was cast for war he changed over
night. He took his place with the
supporters of war measures and con-
sistently maintained that attitude.
Although he had served in the
House of Representatives and had
been governor of his state. Senator
Stone first attracted national atten-
ton in connection with William Jen-
nings Bryan's first campaign for the
presidency in 1886. He became the
Missouri member of the National
Democratic Committee and soon took
front rank among the Bryan manag- |
ers.
In national, as well as in state pol
itics, he worked quietly, seeking for
effects. To this quality he owed the
sobriquet of "Gum-Shoe Bill and his
friends say that he never sought to
avoid the use of that name for him
self.
Stones position as d member of the |
National Committee led to his se!ec-
ton as vice chairman for Bryan's sec |
ond campaign. As consequence Of
their associations the two men became !
close friends, and the intimacy con-
tinued until the Democratic Conven-
ton in 1912, when Stone led the fight
for the nomination of Speaker Clark.
The events of that time caused
cooling of the friendship, although
Senator Stone, as chairman of the
Committee on Foreign Relations, put
through most of the Bryan measures
while Bryan was secretary of state.
He was largely responsible for
prompt ratification of the long list of
Bryan peace treaties of 1914.
Stone was born May T.. 1S4S, IN
Madison County, Ky. He removed to
Missouri in 1869. Stone attended the
common schools of Kentucky, and aft
er coming to Missouri he entered the