278                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

ing himself in opposition to attempted innovations on the long-established
laws, familiar to the people. To his persistent and able opposition was
attributed the defeat of the proposition to reduce the trial jury from
twelve to six members. When the bill was introduced proposing the
repeal of the railroad tax law, Representative Teter lead the opposition.
The argument he advanced in favor of retaining the law was character-
istically brief and correspondingly unassailable, perhaps the shortest
speech of the session either for or against any measure. He said: “Under
our form of government the people are sovereign. If the property owners
and taxpayers of a county or township want to vote upon themselves a
tax in aid of a railroad or any other improvement, who dare deny and
deprive them of the privilege ?“ He maintained that the best results from
legislation can not be attained under our present system—that the legis-
lative term is too short for members to become acquainted with the condi-
tions and wants of the various state institutions. To remedy this, he sug-
gested an amendment to the constitution providing that one-third of the
senators and one-half of the representatives should be elected every two
years, the senators to hold six and the representatives four years, so that
the majority might all the while be advised of the needs of the state and
its public, benevolent and plenary institutions. Men have occupied high
judicial positions, been members of congress, and governors of states, who,
in capacity and qualifications, native and acquired, were not peer to
Colonel George Davis Teter.
    He died November 25, 1884, aged 72 years and 23 days. The cir-
cumstances attending his death were most phenomenal. For years he
had been a sufferer from chronic asthma. It will be seen from the dates
given that he departed on the day of his golden wedding anniversary,
which was being celebrated at the family residence, at Bowling Green, by
his children and a number of invited guests. In the fore part of the day
he had expressed himself feeling well enough to enjoy the congratula-
tions of the occasion, but at a later hour said that he was feeling bad and
desired to have a physician called. One of the guests present went out
into the town to call in the family physician, but on his return he was
dead, survived by his wife, the younger of their two sons and a daughter.
The funeral took place on the succeeding day; services by the pastor of
the M. E. church, burial at the Bowling Green cemetery. The pall-bear-
ers were Henry Moss, John M. Melton, Alvin Buell, E. P. Talbott and
Clinton M. Thompson, only the last named now surviving.
    On Tuesday following, the Clay county bar held a meeting at Comp-
ton & McGregor's office, Brazil, from whose resolutions of condolence
are copied the following paragraphs:
    “Resolved, That in our professional and personal associations through
many long years at the bar and in social life with the deceased, it affords
us the greatest satisfaction in this, our last tribute of respect to his mem-
ory, to bear willing testimony to his ability, integrity, honesty, frankness,
candor and warm-hearted generosity and love toward his family, his pro-
fessional associates and mankind in general. Hon. George D. Teter was
a lawyer of skill and ability, an able and eloquent advocate, a painstaking
and careful pleader, a safe and trustworthy counsellor, a man of the high-
est professional honor and integrity, always kind, courteous and agreeable
in his intercourse with his professional brethren, as well as all others with
whom he came in contact.
    “Resolved, That we offer his afflicted family and friends our earnest,