Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-10
CONKLING MEMORIAL.
The Dead satesm IN Eulosizsd By Ingsr-

The Dead 5atesm IN Ealos1zsd BY Inssr-
sol,
ALBANY, N. Y, May s-Robert G
Ingersol delivered the Grafton st she
Conkling memorial services held in the
hall of the House OF Representatives to,
day. His remarks were IS follows:
Roscoe Cor liking Wss 6 great man, sn
orator, statesman, 8 lawyer, a dis
tinguished citiz N Of the re ublic, in tina
zenith OF his fsma and pc er, has reached
mis- journeys end AID we are met here IN
the city OF his birth 70 pay cur tribute to
his worth ana work. He earned snd
held proud position throughout.
He stood for independence, for
courage and above al for s5so-
luse integrity End his name was
known ana horGred by many millions @!
his fellow men. The literature OF many
lands is rich with tributes that gratitude,
admiration snd love have paid to the
great and honoEed desd. These tributes
disclose the character Of nstiOns, the
ideals of' the human race. La. them
We fad estimates OF grsatneBs,
the deeds and lives that tc6a1lenged
praise and touched the hearts Of men. In
judges as he would be judged. He
knows that men are only fragments, thai
the greatest walk in shadows and that
faults and failures mlngle with the lives
of sill. In the grave should be
buried the prejudices and passions
borne OF conflict. Charity should held
the scales In which are weighed the deeds
of men. Psculisritiee, trials born Of To-
cality and surroundings, these are
but the dust Of tne race. These
are accidents, drspery, clothes, fashions,
that have nothing TO do with the man ex-
cept to hide his character. They are
clouds that cling to mountains. Time
gives up clearer vision. That which
WAS merely local fades away. The
words Of envy are forgotten, and
al there is Of STIRRING worth remsins.
He who WAS called plotter YVES patriot,
the revoluti0nist and outlaw are the
founders Of nations, and he who was re-
garded SO scheming, selfish politician
becomes q statesman whose words and
deeds shed light. Fortunate is that na-
ton great enough to know the
great. When great man dies, one who
has nIbly fought the battle OF life, who
has been faithful to every trust and has
ut cred his highest, noblest thought,
one who has stood PR lily by the
tight In !spite OF or ard taunt,
neither stopped by foe, nor sWeived by
friend, in honoriDg him, the speaking of
words of praise and love about his duties
is always & tribute to ourselves. How
poor this world would be without its
graves, without IS memories of the dead.
Only the voiceless speak forever.
Intelligence, integrity and courage
are the great pillars thst
support the state. ABOVE all, the citizens
of free nation should honor the brave
and Independent map, the man OF STAIN
less integrity and OF intellectual force.
Such men are the Atissses on whose
mighty shoulders rests the grest fabric OF
the republic. Flatterers, eringers,
crswlers, time-seIvers are the dsn-
gerous citizens Of Democracy.
They who gain applause and
power, pandering 10 the mistakes, the
prejadices and passions Of the multitude,
are the enemies of liberty. When the in
telligent submit to the clsmor OF the
many anarchy begins, and the republic
reaches the edge of chaos. Mediocrity
touched with ambition alters the base
and Gains the great, while the true
patriot, who will do neither, is
often sacrificed. In g govern
ment of the leaders there should be
teacher. He should carry the torch of
truth. Most people are the slaves Of
habit, followers OF customs, believers in
the wisdom of the past, and we're 1t not
for brave and splendid souls, the dust OF
antique time would lie unswept, snd the
mountain Of error be too high for US to
ever peer over.
Cusion Is prison locked and barred by
those who long ago were dust, the keys
of which are in the keeping OF the dead.
Nothing is grsnaer than when q strong
minded man breaks the chains, levels the
wall and breasts the many headed mob
like some great cliff tnat meets and mocks
the innumersble pillows of the sea. The
politician tastsn to agree with the ma
10 :ity, insists that their prejudice
10 patriotism, that their Interference is
wisdom; not that he loves them, but that
he loves himself. The statesman, the
re!ormer points out the mistakes OF the
multitude, stacks. the prejudices OF his
conntrymen, laughs at their follies,
denounces their.fcsudi.ies, enlightens
and eHlarges their minds, and
educa.es their conscience; not
because he loves.t himself,
bnt because he loves and serves the right
and wishes to make his country great and
free, With him defeat iB but O spur to