Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-02-22
EulOgies on the Death Of Hon. j. T.
Updegraff.
[ooNTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.
Mr. SKINNER. Mr.. Speaker, the sum-
mons which must sooner or later come
to Us all has again been heard, and this
occasion reminds US anew how frail is
our hold upon that strange thing called
life. Once more this great department
OF the Government stops its accustomed
work, the pODderous wheels of legisla-
tion cease their revolutions, and we
gather here to pay fitting tribute to the
memory and to speak kind words of a
brOsher who has finished his work and
gone home.
Those who knew DR.. Updegraff best
In life, who followed his public career
with the interest which close friendship
imparts, who were associated with him
in fraternai intercourse, who knew him
as psblic servant in his own great
State, have fittingly told of his busy life
and how well he lived it. Those to
whom bis friendship was Just unfolding
as new possession, who were learning
to value his acquaintance as something
to be treasured among pleasant memo
ries, who could see and admire the abil-
4 Jt
which he threw into his work among
us-those who were the recipients of his
cordial greetings and kindly advice, can
only hope to lay small tribute of re
gard upon this altar of good will. 1t is
not the length of mans friendship
which gives it value; il is, rather, the
lifelong impressions which it plants
and the good that grows out of it. A
few months were sufficient to impress
one with the height and breadth Of DR..
Updegraff 5 culture and worth. They
will live far beyond the life of the man,
to inspire those who felt the influence
or his example and who learned the true
worth of the precepts which always
governed his actions. It was grand
thing to know such man and to count
him friend.
DR.. Updegraff left his impress upon
this House; he left it upon the world.
1t was always for good and is there not
a creed which holds that nothing good
is ever lOstS Is not his Influence still
over and about US? Is not the example
Of upright life and earnest action eter-
nal-always pressing forward to the ac-
complishment of noble purposes?
Mr.. BUTTERwOrTH. Mr.. Speaker, we
are charged to speak nothing but good
of the dead. l doubt the merit of that
maxim. 1t draws no line between those
lives that were worthy and those that
were barren wastes.
But if the maSim is wise and humane
the life and character of DR.. Updegraff
we're such that we would not invoke the
oh ioh
i'm might afford.
He was one of those who well might
challenge even his enemies to scan his
record closely, released from the re
straints of the charitable maxim men
toned, and speak nothing but the truth.
For single moment l will speak
of DR.. Updegraff as l knew him, as
think was.
[ knew him well; his strong points
and his weaknesses; his manner of stu
dy and his mode of thought He first
squared his purpose to the requirements
OF a clean, clear conscience. The work
his judgment and his conscience approx
ed he addressed himself to with a will
inaexible and unyielding. He resolved
all doubts in favor of the end he sought.
He did nothing rashly, but all things
with care. He never recognized thei
possibility of discontinue or defeat. He
considered carefully before he acted 4
but once embarked in an enterprise he
seldom failed to accomplish what he
undertood. Strong in will power, great
in moral courage. he had no patience
with cOwardice. and held the vaciIating
in contempt.
He was the embodiment ofI
thoughtfulness, of earnestness, and en-
ergy. His natural endowments were
excellent; his mental furnishings sug
gestive of strength and usefulness, ra-
ther than grace and ornament.
He was, while serious and reflective,
a wit. and when in the society of con-
genial friends most delightful CONVEX
: ationalist. He was a careful student
He never wasted minute reading or
coming sentence that was barren of
mental nourishment.
In the storehouse of his mind he was
methodical. Every fact he learned, ev-
cry uttarance he treasured up in his
memory, every thought he cherished was
ever at his command and available to
grace his conversation or strengthen
him in debate. The labor of his life
was to attain for himself and mankind
to the better things, to improve the con-
ditioDs With which he was surrounded,
to lift men up to higher and more ra-
tiOnal plane of enjoyment.
His manner was frank and candid,
sometimes painfully so, and his honest
and <ercible manner of stating plain
truths tended to write him down as an
unamiable man. True it is that he had
little patience with that disposition of
society which is so much con
cerned about the g-aces of social inter
course that it prefers polite insincerity
to blunt candor, and rather toleratesI
polished hypocricy than plain, plodding
truth.
UpdegraH was honest, stubbornly
honest. 1t was rugged honesty that
did not wear away by use, as much of
modern honesty does. His integrity
was Cor all times. all places and occa
sions, such as could ride out the storm
of temptation even with rasping power
ty for its companion. How much ourI
country needs that type of honesty! u
No man could mistake DR.. Updegraff's
honesty for shat too prevalent and ALL
pervading spirit of accommodation
hiSh iOoNSS Az Luoi OOLhoOu Judt
which is right and that which is purely
expedisnt. Neither in his public nor
his private life did he do or sanction
that srlich tended to blur, much less OBJ
literaEe, the line that marks the bounda-
ry between right and wrong. He was al
fearless champion of the former. Hei
never compromised with the latter.
The consequences to him of profit OF
ioss, Of preferment or defeat, formed no
important factor in shaping his conduct
in the matter of recognizing and dis
charging his just moral obligations. He
Gods"
When the path of daty led away from
that of profit or pleascre he never hesi-
stated. With him duty was supreme.
His philosophy taught him that this
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