Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-02-23

DuUtu Il. LOChS. tIcIu0huouS PSP0~-
ity. They were copied into newspapers
everywhere, quoted in speeches, read
around camp-fires of Union armies, ana
| exercised enormous influence in molding
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 the Union
army was due to three causes--"the army,
the navy and the Nasty letters" Charles
Sumner declared: "Unquestionably they
were among the influences and agencies
by which disloyalty in all its forms was
exposed and public opinion assured upon
the right side. 1t is impossible to measure
their value. Against the devices OF
slavery and its supporters. each letter
was like a speech, or one of those songs
which stir the people,"
These letters We're q source of great de
light to President Lincoln, who always
kept them in his table drawer for perusal
at odd times. Mr.. Locke once raised
company 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 pan than in the
field The immense popularity of the
Nasty letters led to the demand for Mr..
LOCKE TO enter ne Ielu, anu hO oP'
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, but
steadily declined, as his only ambition
was in the editorial field.
In 1863 he assumed charge of the Toledo
Blade, first on a salary, afterward pur-
chasing an interest, and finally entire
control. 1t had always been his dream to
found great national weekly, which he
now carried out He was one OF the
founders of the Republican party in Ohio,
and the Nasty letters were but part of the
powerful work he did in the political field.
He also did a vast deal of purely literary
work, having written two or three sue
cessful Rays, 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 be
found in various church hymnals.
Some four or five years ago his health
began to fail, after Twenty-Five busy
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 APP
peared, and few special articles chiefly
on prohibition. He became convinced
that prohibition 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 build up
separate Prohibition party. Consump-
tion was inherited it being in his moth
er's family. and several brothers and sis.
tiers dying of it. It's approach was very
slow, and it was not till last November
that he was confined to the house. His
literary labors and newspaper were very
profitable, and in his latter years he was
largely interested in building and manu-.
featuring in Toledo. His fortune is esti-
mated at $1.0Oo,00o. exclusive of the
Blade. 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 Locke,
has been associated with his father on the
Blade for the last dozen years, except
while Consu! at Nawcas tie on Tyne. En-.
gland, to which Office he was appointed
by President Arthur.