The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-12-20


but the very wise and conservative laugh
ed him to scorn, thought him lacking In
GOOD sense, unabalanced, lunatic, worse
than all "a crank", term supposed to
concentrate ln Itself the very essence OF
dppf0brium. But the contest came and
was prolonged till the nations heart was
sick, death and mourning were In all the
land; the financial resources Of the copn-
ty were exhausted, and we awoke to the
fact that, instead II crank our friend
was prophet. M
He lived to see, and rejoice 10, the tri-
umph of righteousness and when 'he
questions Of the war we're well settled,
true to his instincts, he found where TO
lend his aid in bsttlng tor The overthrow
OF other evils, and seeing with the 'ame
prophetic instinct as before, that more
than the twin evils. polygamy and slavery
in former days, intemperance and the
open saloon, with their attendant vices,
threatened the downfall Of this nation, he
again cast In his lot with the despised mi.
nority and went to battle 10 a cause that
at best could only promise distant victo-
ry-a victory that even his children may
not behold, but certain TO come as God
lives, thus furnishing another example oi
the large army Of patriots so felicitously
described by the poet, Lowell, when he
wrote of Wendell Phillips;
"He stood upon the worlds broad threshold;
| wide
The din Of battle and OF slaughter rose.
lie saw God stand upon the weaker side,
That sank in seeming loss before Its foes;
Many there were who made great haste and
Unto the cunning enemy their SWORDS.
lie scorned their gifts OF fame End power
| and gold, ....
And. underneath their soft and aowery
| words, s
Heard the cold serpent hiss; therefore he
went
And humsly Joined him to the weaker part,
Fanatic named. and fool. yet we'll content
So he could be the nearer to Gods heart.
And feel its solemn pulses sending blood
Through all the widespread veins OF end
less good" f.
Mr.. Foote was not without his faults,
eles he would not have been human. or
highly nervous temperament. he was nat
urally excitable and impetuous, some
times intense In the expression Cf his
opinions, intolerant Of evil; but he had
the courage Of his convictions and seeing
a portent of evil and dlyining Gods pur-
pose with reference thereto, he placed
himself in the front of the battle and
Tough: against all political, social and NOR
al wrongs. He never became stereotyped
or fossilized, as men advanced 10 years are
apt 10 do, ana was never afraid OF new
doctrine or new idea. That he stood
alone, and that it was unpopular, that he
was to fight losing battle, perhaps fer
years, may lie for lie time. made no
difference; and this courage and man'i-
ness and adherence to duty, to the cause
of righteousness, will make his memory
both an inspiration and benediction TO
his friends.
Allowing ample loom for human ten
derness and sympathy, for the companion
ship cemsnted by over slxlythree years Of
married life and the consequent lonliness
that will come to her who has been the OBJ
ject Of his loving care, making allowance,
| say Tor all these, still 1t is not time for
inordinate grief, or for any effort to inten-
sify emotions, but rather time fo' con-
gratulutions and rejoicing.
Humanity learns very slowly the diyine
truth that ITO die is gain. The darkness
of despair that refuses to be comforted
when the grave covers all that remaius OF
our loved ones has come down to us as an
inheritance from the infancy Of the ruce
to whom the infinite possibilities aud glo
rious hopes Of the gospel had net been re-
veaed; but It III becomes US who have In
heriled the life and teaching OF 1000 year
of Christian philosophy to make the
entrance of our friends upon the gloriei
Of immortality an occasion to give way tC
dependency aud gloom. We must be
lieve that all Gods provldences are mean
10 be kind to his children.
lie who has fashioned the worlds ant
clothed them with such beauty and givef
such opportunities for happiness ant
growth, can but have ordered his govern
ment In wisdom and goodness. There Car
be nothing Of diyine arrangement or inter
position about which to question or COM
plain.
When man has lived out the iul
measure OF Gods appointment; when b'
has made good use Of his opportunities
for intellectual and moral development
when he has completed u well rounded
character, gotten out Of life al! Of educa
tion and discipline there Is In II for HIM
his time Of departure should be consider
ed as a graduation from toll and restrain
, into higher and broader and diviner posi-
: bilities; a time for bidding the soul God
speed,
: Excessive griel can be OF no possibl,
advantage 10 the soul that has passed on
: II Is weakening and dlsheartening TO u
!, and units for the duty and work that re