The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-01
TWO JUST TRIBUTES.
Words from the Lips and Hearts of Judge
A. Il. Tappan and Charles a Dana, of
New York, on the Goodness and Great
ness of the Late John Kelly.

Words from the Lips and Hearts of Judge
A. Il. Tappan and Charles a Dana, of
New York, on the Goodness and Great
ness of the Late John Kelly.
To fully do justice to his memory
would be to pronounce a panegyric
upon American institutions Mr..
Kelly was a grand type of that self
creation which is the result of the social
and political system that is at once our
pride and hope. Whatever conflicting
judgments may have been pronounced
upon his political action, there is but
one opinion of his honor, his virtue
and worth. There may be some who
will deny that he was a great man, but
none will deny that he was a good
man. From his sides the shafts of NAL
ice fall harmless to the ground. His
bitterest foes have confessed his ability.
He met the severest criticism as the
leader of Tammany Hall. and it is as
such that he is most thought of in
Tammany Hall.
The thought of our loss recalls the
fact that there is none left who can
take his place. He held his place by
a com bination of rare qualities. His
courage and his honesty were alike ele-
ments of his success. He was not a
''boss," but rather a counsellor. 4
guide, and friend. His friends were
steadfast to him when State conventions
closed their doors to him, because his
following was one of love. of affection,
of confidence. He reigned not by the
hope of reward nor by the fear of pun
ishment, but he reigned in the hearts
of his friends.
His word was never doubted and
never broken. Although ne opposed
the nomination of Mr.. Tilden for the
Presidency, he worked faithfully and
Loyalty for the election of Mr.. Tilden,
and did his utmostto secure for him the
electoral vote of this State. So too he
labored, fought and worked for the
candidate, not of his choice, who was
last elected to the Presidency. He died
in faith that robbed death of its sting
and the grave of its victory; in a faith
that his Redeemer lived. He suffered
the tortures of his painful sickness with
fortitude, for the portals of death were
to him the gateway of Immortality.
The concurrent judgment of humanity
will be that his goodness made him
great. His most endearing monument
Will be in the memory of his fellow
citizens.-JUdge IdppGs, at TGnlna1y
Hall Memorial Services.
While he lived the public always re-
garded him with interest, and now that
he is dead they all speak of him not
only with respect, but with affection.
1t is surprising what unanimity there
is among men of every party in the
opinion they now hold-that Mr. Kelly
was both good and great man. For
myself, | do not dwell so
very emphatically on that quail
ity of honesty which is COM
monty put foremost among his gifts.
Honesty, thank God, is not such a rare
thing among the conspicuous public
men of this town. The exception is
rather of those who are not honest
But, while Mr.. Kelly possessed this
elementary and ample virtue, and
never departed from it, he possessed
also the grander and higher character
istics Of diSinterestedness, of intelli
gence, of wisdom and of Democracy.
With him the last of these was the
great thing. lie was a Democrat not
only in his thoughts, but in his blood
and bones. He was Democrat, noon,
and night, and all the time. He be-
lieved in the rule of the people, for the
pie, and by the people, and he had no
sympathy with any device of theorists
to check and stife the popular power.
He approved OF one road to office, and
one only. and that was the road of pop
ular elections
1t is said that Mr.. Kelly never re-
ceived that evidence of the peoples
approval which consists in being elect
ed Governor or President, or in getting
a place in the Cabinet. This is true;
but he needed no such stamp of popU-
lar APPRECIATION. He was content TO
do his duty in that place to which cir
cumStances and the mandate Of patri-
otism assigned him. He was long the
Chief of this ancient organization, and
here he welded an authority and eXer-
cised a control over public affairs which
Cabinet Ministers or diplomatiStS might
well regard with envy. He never sought
to elevate himself. Enough for him
IHdG lle WAS DclONeu anu uuueiSIOOu ny
the people of this city and by the men,
bers of the Tammany Society. No man
was ever esteemed more Justly or trust
ed more entirely than John Kelly by
the men of Tammany Hall. Thus his
public career was a career of constant
success, and our grief at his premature
departure from among us is well con-
soled by our admiration of his charac-
ter and our envy of the heartfelt love
with which in life he was surrounded
by so many thousands of his fellow
citizens, as in death he is now hon
ored.-1Nr. Dana, at the same meeting.