Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-02-07

| believe he would have retired from public life
| at the end of his second Congressional term,
| but his party unanimously d etermined other
| wise, and repeated its action again last sum
| mer; hence he remained in Congress. Although
| a man of remarkable will-power and determine.
| ton. once his course of action was determined
| upon he never resisted the call of duty when
made upon him by those in authority. When
| he entered upon a campaign, he never listened
| to the siren voice of rest relaxation. but
| campaigned night and Gay until the polls were
| closed.
| In this age of demagogy and meretricious
politicians it is pleasing to contemplate the
career of so faithful and pubiicspirlted a citi
zen as Colonel Burnes In the language OF
| these resolutions he was "a tribune of the peo-
pie. whose rights he defended with unselfsh
devotion. A man of ripe judgment and great
| experience in affairs. he resolutely devoted
| every energy of his mind to a thorough investi-
| cation of whatever business he was engaged
| upon. and always with a laudable ambition to
promote the best interests of all classes OF
| our people. To the discharge OF his public
| duties he applied the resources of a mind richly
| endowed by nature with rare intellectual
| gifts. Cautious, he seldom comEaitted mis-
| take; honest, he always looked to the advance
ment of the general welfare; diligent, his in
dustry knew no limits but complete mastery
of every subject under consideration; patriotic.
he exhaused the strength and resources OF his
great nature by over-worlz, and with heroic
courage sacrificed his life the altar of public
duty
He was wise in counsel, and possessed a mind
| that could originate. conceive and execute. He
never stopped over, never anticipated. a
mighty river of thought and action
often flowing with resstless energy and
sweeping all opposition before it's mighty
currents, he never over1owed his banks.
He always did the right thing at the right time.
He never sought to be great on small occasions,
| and was never small on great occasions. Nc
unforeseen emergency could suppress him. and
he always acquitted himself with modesty,
ease and firmuess, using whatever argument
and energy the matter under consideration de.
manded: no more and no less
Colonel Burnes was the most gifted and
markable man Missouri has sent to Congress
in many years, and many distinguished states
men have served this commonwealth with
fidelity and success. Had not precedents
made it impossible for him to have been
placed at the head of the committee on
ways and means to succeed Hon. VIM. r. Nor
rison. President Cleveland would have reserved
his tariff-reform message of December, 1887, for
his inaugural of March 4, 1889, and he would
certainly have an opportunity of reading it. He
was prominently a practical man, and had he
had charge of tariff legislation the Nationa
Democracy would never have INDUCED the IA
tai luxury of a campaign of education: but the
principles and policies of that campaign, pre-
maturely fought at the polls. would be quietly
and successfully, carried into legislative eff
feet by the Fifty first Congress. With
him, politics meant war; hence he select
ed his positions with caution and always
had success in sight somewhere along his line
of march. He responded with remarkable
clearncss upon questions of finance, and his
conclusions were usually correct. He was the
Dan Manning of Missouri: our wisest political
counselor ard most sagacious leader The
qualities of his mind We're practical, solid,
utilItarian: those of his heart, sympathetic
generous. indulgent.
Sir, it is sad that so great and good a man
should he cut down IN the highnoon of his
career just as his glory WIS aripening and his
cuuntrymen were beginning to understand and
appreciate him. Emperor Julian rejoced that
he received his death wound at the head of his
victorious troops, as he hurled them upon the
fleeing Parthians. and he cheerfully paid the
debt Of nature. congratulating himself that he
happily rescued from the suffering and
ravages of lingering disease. Surely it is "a
glorious death to die where duty calls us, glori-
to fall martyrs upon its altar, contentious
ly serving our fellow men, in our allotted sphere
of action. Contemplating the example of the
realize that
"Lifes little stage is small eminence
Inch-high the grave above; that home of man,
Where dwells the multitude; we gaze around:
We read their monuments; we sigh; and
while
We sigh, we sink and are what we depIor'd:
Lamentng, CIR lamented. ali our lotr'
Sir our blessed religion teaches us. and in
the presence of unexpected death let rever-
entity believe that this little life is not all there
is of man-that death is but the portal of a re-
newed and immortal life. giving mortality
wings 10 mount Tue SPHERES anu put on lmmOr-
t2lity.
Faith builds bridge across the gulf of death,
To break the shock blind nature can not shun,
And lands thought smoothly on the farther
shore.
Deaths terror is the mountain Faith removes;
That mountain barrier between man and peace
rs Faith dsarms destruction, and absolves
From every clamorous charge the guiltless
tomb
Philosophy teaches how much more beaut-
full the soul is than the body. The soul is i'm
mortal triumphant death and decay
yes, its loving light shall beam eternal, I'M
d mmed by sorrow or by pain. Dust returns to
dust-the living soul to Him who gave it.
know and rejoice that our departed friend,
whose star of luster fell from II mes horizon in
the hour of it's serenest splendor-I know that
he believed and felt that the destiny of man
was not wound up within the cycles of this |
worlds calendar feel that L can hear him
say, as ANXIOUS friends with streaming eyes |
draw near his couch of death:
pray for my soul. Moe things are wrought !
by prayer
Than this world dreams Of; wherefore let thy
voice |
Rise like fountain for me night and day, |
But now farewell. 1 am going long way
To the sland-valley Of Avilion;
Where falls not hail. rain, any snow,
Nor ever wind blows loudly: but it lies
Deep meadowed. happy, fair with orchard
lawns,
And bowery hollows crowned with summer