The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-01-14

e0U6 not be- Indifferent. II Wa MT
o0eeas. Blind be was not. His intelIec'
~ upon. itself and he relied upon bis IN
4 oet, because the intellect bad been found
= Itself and by him TO be reliabl.; had
4ee, IN all sFairs failing 10 Its care, CON
ood 10 ~ act ~ TO be worthy Of trust
& 10aye nothing DOT Of the sccOunt tina.
oeld be taken into the account, TO clear
\ y 10y end dust away from the whole hor,
- 70 - TO have q fair view all around.
4 Dpoe0es We have abundant evidence Of ~
|tofoos sort, and more direct, to this CON-
Ruvhepsiveness. lie did not account him
~ and IL not by others accounted ss hsy-
~ been "iibersiIy' educated. He never
NfDt 70 college; never ftted for college,
wen; had 10 professional or technical
f41etnx VI any sort: grew up largely in
~ Woods, wholly Ia the country; was not
book man, had DO time TO be, with BUSH
teos like bis own To care for. And ye, he
sMes kten-eycd, clear-eyed, broad-eyed, far
eyed enough tn see The worth OF all kinds
80 degrees OF genuine education--the
over, the higher, technical, professional,
~. He saw clearly and recognized with
~ emphasis Of ample giits-aiits OF time,
~ thought, Of counsel and OF money-the
ESalueOf al kinds and grades Of education
a iseeatetiops. He was not by profession
politician, or through special training a
statesman. And yet he gave ample evil
dence that the underlying principles OF
government, state and national, had en-.
aged his attention. His convictions were
clear and positive And when placed 10
the balls OF legislation, the seat of cour-
siliors or the governors chair he was not
at sea, but very much at home, perhaps, as
governor, little too much the master of
he situation to suit the notion of such as
mo fat
government In their own interest. He was
not by profession theologian, never even
united with church. But he was the
owner OF a Bible, had laid bis mind, SO
clear and calm to the mind of God as there
revealed, had taken up into himself So
much OF that books truth, had looked into
society near and far away, into individual
lie sDd marked how~the book fitted lif.
and what it had done and will do for life.
And SO few men were better listeners at
church, few had synpathies with religious
work more profound and intelligent. His
OPP hand has q thousand times ue, q
proof of ihis-his testimony to those vita
whom at times he spoke in confidence on
such themes Is to the same effect What
cause has not been brought to his attention
for matirial aid? What good cause ever
failed to gain his aid which with him was
the infalliqle sign that it mad won first his
approval-for he could no more give at
random than talk at random.
CitiZens of SkowhegaD, you know full
well aud love To testify, that along with all
the vast interests, private and public, that
engaged his thought there was not an in
terest, great or small, OF his town and
yours which did not command his inteli
gent consideration and his generous sap
port. All this aud 80 much more of the
same sort, gives evidence, is evidence of
intelligence OF high order, of wide COM
pass.
What kind of a heart wss in him? Was
there any? This man whom we saw and
knew, without wife and children, 50 mech
alone and apart, SO marble and etatue-Iike
when in view, no flush of emotion on hi,
cheek, no flash OF passion In bis eye, 10
gush OF song ever escaping his lips, or
sleeful laugh or shout of joy-this imper-
turbabe immobileman-is there in him
heart, feelings, sensibili.y? Who shall
dare to say yes? Nay, rather, who shall
dare not to say yes. There is no magnet
OF hearts save hearts, and what heart is
here that was not drawn to him? When
We call him friend, the name is not mere
name. He gave how widely never from
cold policy. His heart moved his hand as
his mind guided both. Look again upon
that pa~sionless foce. Look upon 1t as 1t
was in life, rs II is even now and here in
death, and see there benevol.nce, sweet
ness, sympathy. They who knew him best
speak most emphatically and lovingly of
his heart How near dill it come To break.
ing when brother and nephew stay and
hope Of his life, went up together before
him to their God and his Yet who that
looked upon him, as stranger might
could have dreamed of what WAS passing
withinf No sign of that great sorrow.
No sigh save To the prscticed eye No
sensibility in him forsooth. AMI yet am
assured by ons who knows that such was
his attachment to his recent pastor that at
ter his removal to another State the bare
mention of his name would start the un-
hidden tear. His home, being without
wife and children, WAS thus not completely
hntne, and yet his home, how large, how
loved, even here below his family circle
not bounded by lines of blood relationship
or of territorial limitation. His true home
above-wide enough, genial enough that
home. Doubtless he could feel and retain
Indignation. His sense of justice, of III
justice also, was Keen and strong. He wa>
sensitive, could resent-resent, though |
quietly, yet eliectualy. Doubtless too he
mad ambition-stroDg, permanent, coutrol- |
ing. Why not? Would he have been good |
this was not because he had not, but be-
cause he had heart. Heart is not mere /
softuess, sweetness, gentleness, 1t is |
these, but it is also strength, force, fire. 1t |
is something terrible when t masters rea- |
son; something contemplate when there |
Is no reason which may either mas.er it or |
be mastered by it. But the forces of the
heart acting under and in and for reason,
appearing through motive in wide achieve
meut andwide benefaction, in harmoi
among themselves and duly adjusted to All
he other life forces, give to life the beau
" of dignity with sweetness and make Il
strong and lovely character.
That he was eminent, pre-eminept, con-
spicuous in power OF will, III executive
ability, universally knovn-coald not be !
questioned. We measure 1t by It's achieve
,ntnts and yet SO measured it seems almost |
beyond measure, quite beyond the measure
That most Uf us can use. To know what |
is required for sucn achievements, SO vast
su divers fled, so complicated, stretching
over so many decades one
must himself have had large experien ce In
Il .is kindred in nature and anuunt-r,.
perieuce not only large but successful
Had he done nothing but conduct his uwn
private affairs, IN such fashion rs he did |
Conduct them, his efficiency. his work pow.
or, has been something egregious' We
must remember that what he did he himself |
did. lie put himself in no mans hama. |
Ia 40 far as the nature of the case would |
allow, he put his business in no mans
hands, never let IL slip from his grasp
Even the lntinite details OF il, which We |
would think, another, OF others, Tor not |
one other adequate could we'll have been |
fOui mig hi have performed, he chose not |
only to watch but to execute, and this not |
merely In the vigor of early and mature
manhood when there was great reserve or
surplus OF physical strength, but to the
last these details seemed rather to rest
than to WOrrY or weary him. IL VAS nrr-