Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Happy Anniversary Abraham Lincoln and Mary Anne Todd

On November 4th, 1842, struggling lawyer Abraham Lincoln marries Mary Anne Todd, a Kentucky native, at her sister's home in Springfield, Illinois.

Mary Todd, whose nickname was Molly, was the child of wealthy parents and received her education in prestigious all-girls schools where she excelled in cultural studies and the arts. Her father socialized with the politically influential and, as a result, she acquired a keen interest in politics. Molly met Lincoln in 1840 when she was 21 and he was 31. She fell in love with the tall, gangly and kind Lincoln and, despite her family's objections to his poverty and lack of political prospects, accepted his proposal of marriage. However, in early 1841, he inexplicably broke off their engagement. The split lasted until the fall of 1842, when they resumed their relationship. Some reports suggest they were reunited a year earlier but kept their relationship a secret. Regardless, after reuniting they wasted no time with a long engagement and were married on November 4.

Mary Todd, even more so than her husband, was a staunch abolitionist. She supported his political career as he rose from the Illinois legislature to become one of the country's most charismatic political orators to speak out against slavery. His views aroused the ire of southern slave-holding interests. Even early on in his career, Lincoln received death threats from pro-slavery southerners, and Mary Todd was labeled a traitor to her southern Kentucky roots. During the Civil War, she felt a deep sense of estrangement and tragedy; most of her male family members fought on the side of the Confederacy. To make matters worse, she was often criticized in newspapers and social circles for what was perceived as undue influence on her husband's political appointments. One reporter went so far as to blame Mrs. Lincoln for causing the president's health to deteriorate, giving him a gaunt frame and hollow cheeks. Those features were more likely caused by a debilitating wasting syndrome called Marfan's disease and the burden of governing a nation at war with itself.

During their marriage, a devoted Lincoln watched apprehensively as his dear wife developed illnesses and erratic behaviors, most likely in response to the death of their 11-year-old son Willie in 1862. She also suffered a head injury during a carriage accident in 1863 and thereafter complained of migraine headaches. Biographers and scholars have suggested that she suffered from severe depression and anxiety. (It is suspected Lincoln also suffered from depression.) On top of everything, after years of threats, her husband was indeed assassinated on April 14, 1865, while she sat next to him at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. It is perhaps not surprising in light of the deaths of her son and husband that Mary Todd developed a spiritualist philosophy that the living could communicate with dead.

After Lincoln's death, Mary Todd was forced to petition Congress for a widow's pension. The death of a second son, Tad, in 1871 threw her over the brink into insanity and she was placed in a mental institution by her son Robert. After two attempts at suicide, Mary Todd was released into the custody of her sister Elizabeth. She lived with Elizabeth in Springfield, Illinois (where her husband and son were buried), until her death in 1882 at the age of 63.

As we learned from this bit of history, women have and always have played a major role in the history of our nation. Whether it was the leading role or a strong supportive role in which they stayed strong in their beliefs and commitments. In closing I once again encourage you to know what you believe and believe what you know.

As always, it is an honor to serve you in the Missouri House. If you would like to discuss any issue, please call 573-751-3629. You can also email me at kent.hampton@house.mo.gov . I look forward to hearing from you.

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Does Congress Live Under a Different Set of Rules?

When I am home in Missouri one of the most frequent complaints I hear about Congress is that its members live under a different set of rules than the rest of America. The idea that Members of Congress should be able to create special exemptions from themselves is not only unfair, it is contrary to the spirit of constitutionalism articulated by the Founding Fathers and reflected in our Constitution. As James Madison wrote in The Federalist No. 57, once it becomes acceptable "to tolerate a law not obligatory on the legislature, as well as on the people, the people will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty."

To ensure Washington politicians are treated no differently than the rest of America, I am announcing my support for a new amendment to our Constitution. The 28th amendment to the Constitution would read: Congress shall make no law respecting the citizens of the United States that does not also apply to the senators and representatives.

The amendment is based on the simple notion that Congress must live under the same laws as everybody else. If Congress imposes burdens on the American people as a whole, then members of Congress must also face those burdens. Put simply, Congress needs to start eating what they’re cooking. For people who believe in constitutional government, it just makes sense.

Recently over 100 Members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, joined with me in having their salaries withheld during the government shutdown. The principle behind the 28th Amendment, Congress should be treated no differently than anyone else, led me to have my salary withheld. Over 800,000 federal employees and countless private sector workers felt the pinch of the government shutdown. This week I wrote a personal check to the United States Treasury for the 16 days of the government shutdown. Back home in Missouri folks get paid once the job is done. I returned 16 days’ worth of my pay to the Treasury because Congress was not getting the job done during the shutdown.

From unconstitutional recess appointments to statutes that surpass the powers delegated to Congress, America is experiencing a breakdown in constitutional government. Those of us who believe that American exceptionalism is rooted in the unique nature of our founding principles must commit ourselves to upholding the intent of our founders and the integrity of our Constitution. The 28th amendment begins the process by striking a blow against the ruling-class mentality that has taken over Washington.

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Ending Washington's Spending Addiction

As you know, the government shutdown created by Washington’s inability to work together for the common good is now over.  The Senate and the House of Representatives passed legislation to extend our nation’s borrowing limit and end the first government shutdown in 17 years. While I fully support ending the shutdown, I could not support this legislation that does nothing to address our nation’s spending addiction or to protect families and individuals from the harmful effects of ObamaCare.

Folks in Washington need to recognize what families in Missouri already know, America has a serious spending problem. Only in Washington would the solution to a $16.7 trillion national debt be an increase in our borrowing limit. President Obama has said that increasing the debt ceiling does not increase our debt. I disagree. The debt ceiling has been raised 74 times since 1962. In that time frame our national debt has gone from under $1 trillion to the staggering $17 trillion from the increase this week. It’s time to cut up the credit cards and start living within our financial means.

During my campaign for Congress, I promised families in Missouri’s Eighth District that I would fight to change the way Washington does business. My vote against extending our nation’s borrowing limit, without making major cuts to federal spending, does just that. This vote will definitely not make me the most popular guy in Washington, but I am more concerned with the $52,870 share of the national debt already burdening every man, woman and child in America.

President Obama’s demand for a clean debt ceiling increase just does not make sense. It would be like a family in Missouri going to their local bank and asking for a loan with no money down, no repayment plan, and no strings attached. There is not a banker in Missouri, or America, who would make that loan. Yet, that is what President Obama demanded and that is exactly what this debt ceiling deal does.

Since the founding of our great Republic, each generation of Americans has been charged with protecting our freedoms and preserving Americas place in the world. Past generations have fought through wars at home and abroad, fought through a Great Depression and defeated terror. Now is the time for a new generation of Americans to stand up and defeat the debt crisis that threatens our nation’s future. In order to preserve the American Dream for future generations, we must end our nation’s spending addiction.

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Congressman Jason Smith and the Smith for Congress campaign announced his campaign chairman, co-chairman and grassroots team of activists.

State Representative Todd Richardson (R-Poplar Bluff), who ran against Smith for the Eighth Congressional House seat, and Cape Girardeau community leader Doug Austin, will serve as Campaign Chairman and Co-Chairman of Smith for Congress. Additionally, Smith announced a team of grassroots activists, with members from each one of the 30 counties that make up the sprawling Eighth Congressional District.  

State Representative Todd Richardson praised Smith’s leadership in Congress and his willingness to fight for families in Missouri’s Eighth District.

“As a former opponent, I can tell you no one works harder for the folks he represents than Jason Smith. During his short time in Congress Jason has stood up to leaders of his own party to force a vote to defund Obamacare, he voted to defund the NSA surveillance programs that infringe on our privacy rights, and he has battled rogue executive agencies that are trying to regulate everything from baptisms in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways to kids working on the family farm. As Jason’s Campaign Chairman, I will work to share Jason’s common sense message of taking power away from Washington and returning it to families in Missouri,” said Richardson.

Cape Girardeau community leader Doug Austin said Smith is the right man at the right time for Missouri’s Eighth District.

“We need more people like Jason Smith in the United States Congress. Jason is a man of integrity and high moral values who leads by example. One of the first pieces of legislation Jason co-sponsored in Congress was the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to limit abortions in America. I have no doubt Jason will continue to be a strong voice for traditional values and personal responsibility. As Jason’s Campaign Co-Chairman I look forward to sharing Jason’s message and commitment to Missouri families during the campaign,” said Austin.

Smith said he is honored to have State Representative Richardson and Doug Austin serving as his Campaign Co-Chairman and he is excited about the grassroots team his campaign has formed. 

“Todd Richardson is well-respected across Missouri for his commitment to our conservative causes. My campaign will benefit greatly from Todd’s leadership and I am honored to have him serve on our team. Doug Austin has consistently fought for pro-life and family issues. Doug’s reputation is second to none and I am honored to have him join our campaign,” said Smith. “The grassroots team our campaign has put together is second to none. We have activists in every one of the 30 counties of the Eighth District who will spread our message of fighting the Obama Administration and ruling class in Washington.

Brett Dorton, Etheleen Montgomery, Ray Rowland, and Russ Oliver have been named as members of the Jason Smith for Congress Grassroots Team from Stoddard County.  Congratulations!!!

Submitted by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Americans love Halloween

We as a country spend over $5 billion a year celebrating it. But where did the holiday come from? And how did traditions like asking strangers for food and dressing up as ghosts develop?

Halloween has its roots in Samhain (pronounced sow-in), an ancient harvest festival held at the end of the Celtic year. The festival marked the end of summer and the beginning of the dark wintertime. It was believed the spirits of the dead returned on this eve to damage crops and play tricks on the living. It was also believed that the Celtic priests, or Druids, were able to make predictions about the future, which they did during large bonfire celebrations where they wore animal skins and sacrificed crops and animals to the spirits.

In early A.D., Romans came to the Celtic territories of modern day England, Scotland and Northern France, and were the first people to influence the celebration of Samhain. They brought their own holidays: Feralia, the Roman day to honor the dead in late October, as well as another holiday to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. It is possible that this Roman influence is the reason apples are given out and bobbed for on Halloween.

By 800 A.D., Christianity spread to the Celtic Territories and brought with it another holiday, "All Saints Day." Pope Boniface IV, the designator of All Saints Day, was likely trying to replace Samhain with a similar but holier holiday meant to honor saints and martyrs. Later on, All Saints Day was renamed "All Hallows" and thus the day of Samhain (Oct. 31st) began to be called "All Hallows Eve," and eventually shortened to "Hallowe'en."

All of the holidays that were melded together to create our modern version of Halloween involved dressing up in one way or another. The celebrators of Samhain wore animal skins at their bonfire celebrations and those that observed "All Saints Day" often dressed as saints or angels. Later on men in Scotland would impersonate the dead on the day, explaining the ghoulish tradition we still observe.

During the mid 1800's, Irish and English immigrants flooded the United States and brought Halloween with them. From these immigrants we received the Halloween traditions we recognize today, however skewed they are now. For instance, the first trick-or-treaters were far from today's smiling children with commercialized costumes. They lived in Medieval England, and practiced "souling," in which poor people would beg for sweet breads, in return for praying for the families' souls. Later, the immigrants who brought Halloween to America would develop their own version of trick-or-treating, but it didn't become popular here until the 1930’s. e ord Halloween is a shortening

As the report identifies we have seen a major revolution in what we now refer to as Halloween. It should be a time of fun, something we struggle to enjoy in today’s world. It’s proven that it takes more energy to frown than it does to smile. Allow yourself to exercise other ways. Loosen up and walk in the word “trick or treat”. See ya in church Sunday!

As always, it is an honor to serve you in the Missouri House. If you would like to discuss any issue, please call 573-751-3629. You can also email me at kent.hampton@house.mo.gov . I look forward to hearing from you.