The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-24

Ddrld rs. Locke. tremendous pDDu 1T
ity. They were copied into newspapers
everywhere, quoted in speeches, read
around camp-!ires Of Union armies, and
exercised enormous influence in moldins
public opinion North in favor Of vigorous
prosecution of the war.
Secretary Boutwell, declared in speech
at Cooper Union, New York, at the close
of the war, that the sUcc ess OF tie Union
army was due to three causes-'th" army,
the navy and the Nasty letters" Charles
Sumner declared: "Unquestionably they
were among the influences and agencies
by which disloyalty in ell its forms was
exposed and public opinion assured upon
the right side. II is impossible to measure
their value. Against the devices OF
slavery and its supporters each letter
was like q speech. or one OF those songs
which stir the people,"
These letters were a source OF great de.
light to President Lincoln, who always
kept them in his table drawer for perusal
Mt odd times. Mr.. Locke once raised
comrany of volunteers and applied to
Governor Brough Of Ohio for commission
as captain, which was refused on the
ground that he could do more good for
the Union cause with his pen than in the
field The immense popularity of tho
Nasty letters led to the demand for Mr..
Locke to enter he lec' ure field, and he APP
peared in all the principal cities of the
North. Though, as he himself acknowl-
edged, not master Of oratory, he ALWAYS
had crowded and delighted audiences. He
was offered official positions by President
Lincoln, and also by President Grant. bu.
steadily declined, as his only ambition
was in the editorial field.
In 1865 he as sumed charge Of the Toledo
Blade, FIRST on a salary, aftsrward pur-
chasing an interest, and fi,a'lv entire
,ontrol. 1t had always been his dream to
found great national weekly, which hs
now carried ont He was one OF the
founders of the Republican party in Ohio.
and the Nasbv letters were but part OF the
powerful work he did in the political field.
He also did vast deal of purely literary
work. having written two or three sue.
cessful lays, books of travels and many
novels, and sketches for his own paper.
He was also poet Of no mean order, and
several Of his devotional poems can bs
found in various church hymnals.
Some four or five years ago his health
began to fail after twenty-five bnsy
years Of arduous labor, and he gradually
withdrew himself from active work.
Since then he has written very little, save
the occasional Nasty letters that have an
penred. and few special articles, chiefly
on prohibition. He became convinced
that prohibit ION must be the final solution
Of the liquor question, and for six years
has strongly advocated it in his
paper, but always through nom
partisan methods. He remained
faithful to his Republican ideas,
and deprecated any attempt to bui'd up
a separate Prohibition party. Consum7-
ticn was inherited. it being in his moth
er's family and several brothers and sis
tiers diving of it. It's approach was very
SOW, an d it was no. till last November
that he was confined to the house. His
literary labors and newspaper were very
profitable, and in his latter wears no was
largely interested in bn;'dinS and manu-.
featuring in Toledo. His fortune is es:i.
mated at Sl.00l.00l. exclusive of the
B'dde. He was married while at Plymouth
to Miss Mary Bodine. who. with their
three sons, all grown TO manhood. survive
him. The eldest. CAPTAIN Robinson Locte.
has been associated with his father on the
Blade for the last dozsn years, excep'
while Cpnsu! a. Newcastle on-Tyne. En-.
gland, to which Office be was appointed
By President Arthur.