The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-10-16
eyLoolsTlo RESOLUTIONS.
E1orid flsu.udes abish Afe beginning -
~ :Nauseate Sensible Peot1ei

= =
In the good old days. when they
hinged witches. the people Of this.
eotitstry were careful OF the reputation
Of their great ihef. When, i great man
died they met and adopted resolutions
and set out his good qualities, etc This
il thoroughly commendable, and should
always he observed; but in latter days
this natter has seaehed such point
that doubtless most thotgHtfei peepls'
would like to -consign the prevailing
custom to .innocuous deste tude. tits
not enough that .rierd wand benevolent
societies, military companies, Baseball
clubs and other private and social or
CARNATIONS must pass resolutions which
would mean great deal If they meant
any thing at all. but man can not be
lawyer, 4 doctor, an actor or a member
OF either house 81 Coilgfess bit that
when he dies the newspapers five hs,
with an account OF his death, set Of
resolutions invariably commencing with
something like this: "Whefcastt pleased
Almighty God, etc., and ending with
resotged that he was one OF the best,
purest and most accomplished of men,
and that these resolutions or a copy
thereof be transmitted so his affl cted
family, and Published in the town or
5ity papers, Etc: All 6f the iiiierme-
diate space is ocGdpied with inform ng
the public what an exceptional cksrne-
ter ''our departed friend was, and what
mourning Is felt for his loss, and that
his place can never be supplied. All
end with something like this. I'VE bow
with resignation TO TIE DEGREES Of an
all-wise Providence" Now, this is SIM
ply ridiculous. Why can not some great
American genius getup for general use
"a formula entirely void of tho hackneyed
wnereases and I'VE bow with resigna-
tioiis, etc, SO that the funeral notice
and resolutions VIII eh wefe offered and
unanimously adopted on the occasion Of
the death of Hon. Josiah Jenkins,
MEMBER Of The Nip and Tuck Society,
should not be SO exact atopy Of the pro-
found expression of feeling manifested
and publicly expressed by the Associa-
-tien4er=the Promotion rHumlugs On
the melancholy occasion of, the death
OF Tittlebat Titmouse? Being law
Yer, doctor, merchant, member OF snv
society or member Of either house OF
Congress- does not necessarily carry
with it any special social allegation or
rank, and is by nd means condition OF
friendship or Of increased social status
Doubtless majority of lawyers doc
tors, members of social societ es and
members Of Congress are honestand good
men; but can it be doubted that in their
ranks there are many Tor some) who arc
not SO? Then why should there be Ton
the death of any resolutions passed
commencing them, unless they were
specially deserving of such tribute?
Should such resolutions be passed alike
for good and bad? II 50, tho merits of
the good and of the deserving are utter
ly lost-when we contemplate that the
Identical sentiments are made to do SER
vice to all. The fact that compliment
airy resolutions are expected the
death of every member of Congress-
every member of any society of which
the deceased may have been member,
without regard to merit makes them
not only useless, but damaging to those
who really deserve them. This custom
is not in accord with the old maxim, Ode
mortuts nil n Isl donum," because it goes
further and to the extent not of refrain
ing from speaking at all of the dead, un-
less we speak good, but it makes us
speak good of everybody who dies
member OF Congress or of particular
society, without regard to his race,
morals or previous conditions OF rascal
ity. 1t is certain that in the course OF
events all members of Congress and all
members of all of tho various societies
will die. We can not conscientiously
say that all of them came up to the con-
ditions demanded by the rhetoric of the
commendatory resolutions which are
usually adopted. nor is it proper to draw
the line strongly between those who do
and those who do not deserve great
tribute. Would not the best course be
to refrain from ford p.atitudes and I'M
due praises, which are alike superfiuous,
meaningless and import nent, and in.
stead of seeking occasions for exhibit
ing our grief in-p public. determine to
wait until a public demand requires it?
Marcus ]. Wright, in Arena.