Politics, patronage, and pants: The Willard Vandiver story

By James Baughn

Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver of Cape Girardeau is best remembered for his role in popularizing the "Show Me State" motto. However, a closer look at his life reveals a politician who started out with high hopes but became entangled in minor scandals and the target of ridicule.

In 1893, Vandiver was chosen as the new president of the Third District Normal School with a mandate to increase enrollment by traveling the region to promote the school. He was unsuccessful in boosting enrollment, but he was successful at promoting himself for Congress.

He received the Democratic Party nomination as the "school teacher Congressman." He won the election in November 1896, although he caused controversy by not resigning as school president until the following year.

While in Washington, Vandiver was caught using his franking privilege (free postal service for official business) to send his pants back home to Missouri for mending. The press had a field day with this, and his detractors called him "Pants" Vandiver, a nickname that stuck long after he left Congress.

He was criticized for spending most of his time campaigning in Missouri. The Monroe City Democrat newspaper accused him of only appearing in Washington on pay days. "If collecting an unearned salary is not grafting, then what is it? And if it is, then is Congressman Vandiver different from other grafters and boodlers?"

After completing four terms in Congress, he remained active in the Democratic Party, stumping for gubernatorial candidate Joseph W. Folk in 1904. But after a poor showing at one caucus, the Sedalia Democrat newspaper opined, "The less of Vandiver there is in the state convention the better for the party."

Vandiver was accused of buying votes in West Plains. The Monroe City newspaper, which relished in attacking him, alleged that "Money flowed like water and Folk heelers paid large prices for votes. New hats, sacks of meal and sides of bacon where exchanged by Folk men for votes. Headquarters were at Judge Evan's office, where heelers took voters after voting. Pants Vandiver presided at headquarters. He conducted the gift enterprise."

After Folk won the election, Vandiver was rewarded with an appointment as state insurance commissioner. He later became U.S. Assistant Treasurer.

In 1922, the St. Joseph Observer wrote harshly, "Old 'Pants' Vandiver, chronic scold and bolter, came up from St. Louis Saturday and nosed around St. Joseph to see if he could find some votes against Senator Reed, whom he is peeved against because Reed did not see fit to help to keep Old 'Pants' at the public crib where he has been a parasite for the past twenty years. Senator Reed evidently does not approve of helping put Vandiver in another position where he can beat the government out of revenue by franking his pants home to be laundered..."

Although a petition has been initiated to change the name of Southeast Missouri State University, I don't think "Pants" Vandiver is the best possible choice for the new name.