The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-10-12

/ We have here an admirable illustra
Elton of the true idea of greatness -,
h What saws the Christ! "Whosoever Will
be ore0test among you let him be your
sssrrantn To no man in American history,
Snot even to WASHINGTON or LINCOLN could
Etbe term public servant so often abused
and a nisnomer-be so fully applied as to
JAMES A. GARFIELD. Wrote George Alfred
sTowusend last year: GARFIELD has been
the drudge of his State, OF his constitu-
Eents. of the public, OF educational lnstltu-
8tions and moral societies and OF his party
land of the country since 1861. de never
*sought place; the places always sought
Sthe man. He put the business OF others
3before his own. He gave his best thought,
land his best wears in incessant toll Tor the
8public good. In our money loving, self
Seeking age, how refreshing it is to ind
Ssuch devoted unselish life. But thank
kGod he did not labor without reward. No
$man working with such spirit ever does.
eGladly walking in the pathway OF service,
#seeking not his own but others gooal;,
\ THAT pathway led him steadily upward tlli
Y he became the greatest" among Nation
I of fifty millions of people. -,
2. His was pure, noble, Christian NE.
4 He was so great because he was SO Christ
Hike. In the language of his griet-strlckten
Pastor, as he stood few days ago IN the
sgreat throng in Washington looking into
1.-THE loved dead face: ,
"The glory of this man, as we think Of
Sbim now, was his discipline in the school
I of Christ. His attainments as scholar.
fand a statesman will be the theme OF ora
stors and historians, and they must be
worthy men to speak praiseworthy. But
/ n is as Christians that we love to think OF
sbim now. It was that which made his life
sto man an invaluable boon, and his death
sto ms an unspeakGble loss. He was no sect
sar;an. His religion was as broad as the
religion of Christ. He was simple Chris
titan, bound by no sectarian ties, and
WHOLLY in fellowship with all pure spirits
He was q Christologist rather than theo-
slogist." /,
His was that answering, heroic type OF
:Christianity, so rarely seen in earth's high
! places. Principle, not policy, ruled his
.iife. He valued his manhood more than
fnartv-right more than success. He never
sold his birth-right as 4 Christian for the
q pottage" of place or power. Just after
his unsought election to the United States
sSenate. in his speech of thanks to the Ohio
Legislature, he said:
II have represented for many years
district in Congress, whose appreciation L
greatly desired; but, though 1t may, seem
legotistical to say it, Iyet desired still more
the appreciation of one person, and his
name is-GARFIELD And if Ishould be so
unfortunate as to lose the confidence of
this larger constituency, | must do what
every other fair minded man has to do
carry his political life in his hand and take
the consequences. But l must follow
what seems to me the only safe rule OF my
,life-my conscience"
There we feel the handspring of this
Grand life-a conscience enlightened by the
Holy Spirit, trained in the school OF
Christ, and followed unfinchingly at all
times, and at all hazards.
8. There comes to every thinking man
to-day new and deeper meaning to the
.words SON." husband" " father"
4" mother" home"
How wondrously sweet, and beautiful,
land touching, and tender, and heroic was
sthe GARFIELD family and home life Glance
at only few points in the picture.
1t is 1888. A "little mother stande
L alone in her grief and poverty. With
senergy. faith and courage she resolves
THAT the four fatherless little ones shall
| not be separated that they shall still have
Ia home. The battle was a hard one, but she
won it. With her needle she earned money
ito provide for the scanty home, and to pay
her children's tuition. A few years later,
when James, the youngest, resolves to OBJ
7tain an education, this " little mother"
sputs in his hands a small sum Of money
sever-y cent of it coined by hard work and
4 self-denial-an with her blessing he goes
tout from that humble home. Thirty three
wears later. when that boy, now a strong
Sman, stands in front of the Capitol at
Washington with barred head and uplifted
shand to take the oath of his high office as
sChief Magistrate, is it any wonder that he
4turns away from all the great men, and
1.-THE great throng, to the /" little grey-haired
/ mother" and with a kiss seeks her con-
sgratulations first OF all? That day the Son
Twas greater than the Chief Magistrate !
land that other brave woman-the farmers
daughter, the pupil, the teacher in the
spublic school, the loving wife of poor
Imam, growing with her husbands growth,
Strengthening with his strength, always a
shelp. never hindrance-this faithful wife
! and mother, LUcRETIA A. GARF1ELD-how
sthe strong man loved her, and how much
4he owed of his greatness and success to
4her only God and himself know. If we
ahad more such "little mothers" more such
sdevoted, noble wives, we should have more
1such men as JAMES a. GARFIELD.
As husband and father he was an ex-
III Al
all the temptations of Washington life no
8breath of scandal ever touched his name.
\ He was mot only pure but above suspi-
Hcion." He had great reverence for the
sfamily relation. His love for his children
WAS bountiful and generous. Just after
3his nomination at Chicago, hundreds of
Kilograms came pouring in upon him
such as only Americans, in their rapid,
sgood impulses pour upon lucky friend.
with two volunteer clerks the great man
sat In his room opening and reading them.
His two boys, little fellows at school, sent
Thin one. He read it, tried to talk, but his
y voice choked, his eyes filed with tears.
8The father triumphed over the statesman
Z He broke down and wept, as one of those
Iboys would have done. And the clerks
awept too, and the people also when they
heard it.
From scenes like these" sang Burns,
n old Scotia's grandeur springs" Whether
Tin palace or cottage, true love and
7unity are the sources of national pros
Eperity. 1t is on the virtues of private life
Athat all institutions rest. The sacred ties
Eof family and home give strength to laws
hand nations" He who exalts and ennobles
the family and family life makes all the
Sworld bis debtor.
l. As our great Nation and the world
fhas watched by that bed of pain, We have
! Harmed ne nava1. bafora how close NJ Kin