Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1882-08-26
dc MOrluis Mi Nisi BOnlinl.

from Texas Sitings and endorse every word
If 1t:
Why should We Say nothing bu, good Of
the dead," or all the ignorant, silly and
absurd nlaxlns ever manufactured that one Is
the worst Especially is IT to be deprecated
ior,iving ard generous sPirii, aud is therefore |
-ca'c"'''ed to appeal To the innocent the un-
W'nSi"S aid the gcncrou. minded. We will /
bet duca' that the man who bnilt that max> |
'm was some mean, small souled scoundrel |
WI" was guilty Of rascah,es that he wanted |
covered mp when he died
We believe in ;b,,u;
charify over the dead, and when n man ,,..
we do not believe in publishing to the wor,J
all TIE Hailiies and the ecccntricies of his
character that resulted in placing him, during
life, in Jail or the Legislature. We do no,
believe tia, all leading citizens after they die
play On even c,ro.pla,ed harps, and we
cannot understand that there is any sense in
expecting public journalists to pretend they
believe the deceased was a man Of all>wool
beyond the sunset glow, where his creditors
will cease from troubling and the weary tax
collector will not break through and steal.
When some insignificant alderman dies,
why should established custom demand that
the editor of the local paper should array
himself in sackcloth and gum coat and
write gorgeous obituary, in which he tries to
show that the absence OF the deceased will
leave the world lopsided, while he knows tina,
he does not believe what he says and tina, the
readers do no, believe it, and even the de,
ceased would not believe it, and would blush
to see it in type?
We can understand that i, is a secmly thing
for the living to refrain from raking up Old
grievances regarding the dead, and letting by
cones be bygones; but i, is entirely beyond |
our comprehension why the living should |
] retcnd to sec virtues in the dead that they |
know the dead never possessed or had soul
large enough TO appreciate. 1t is true, how
ever, that
Custom does often reason ovorrulc
And only serves for reason to the fool"
we recall a circumstance that gees to prove !
what hallow sham obituaries usually are.
n'he Office Of the Daily Argus one night,
there was brought in new, Of the death of a |
local justice of the peace nam, d Schumerhof. |
The managing editor told the local editor to
give the remains gili-edged sendoh The
local editor was comparative stranger i'm the |
town and had never heard of the deceased
before. He sharpened his pencil and began:
1t is our painful duty to record the death of
our esteemed ,ownsman, Judge Carl Schumer,
hoff lie died this evening at O'Clock after
a brief painful illness, which he bore with
Christian fortiiude.
Then he turned TO the nightdispatch editor
and said "What kind of an old landmark |
was Schumerhof?'
"Schumerhoff! why, he was common,
hard listed Dutchman; made money by par>
smonious economy and usury-a regular
money-lcnding, two percent>a'mont Shy lock;
came here from Germany years ago. There
are lots Of people won, be bowed down with |
grief when they hear he is gone"
Then the local editor continued tho obit>
uary-
Judge SchumerhoG came from The Fathers
land when he was quite young. Although Of
MI old and prominent family in Germany he |
was poor, bu, by energy and enterprise, com>
bined with n liberal. progressive policy in
business, he amnssed a handsome com petence.
J, can truly he said of him that he was tie
architect Of his own fortune. Such men are
scarce in these days, and the judges place in
society and business circles will not be easily
filled. His death has Gus, gloom over the
entire community.
Had he familyi"
ayes, and he used TO bang his wife around
and pound her black and blue until she go,
divorce, but you need not dwell on that point,
you know, for he was prominent citizen and
well connected"
The deceased was an excellen, husband, a
fond father and
allow did you say his morals weres"
"Morals. He didn't have any. Ee was
q regular old nip"
and a useful and exemplary member of so.
ciciy.
"How was be polhcallyif
well, he used to he a red-hot Knowno,h>
ing, but lately he was a cranky and in,oleran,
Greenbacker."
Although we have been obliged TO differ with |
him politically, yet we cannot let this opportu.
nifty pass without paying just tribute to his
sincerity. He was a man OF simplicity of
character and liberal views in political matters.
aid he ever hold any office?"
mo; never was anything but justice Of