The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-05-29

THE DEATH OF GRESHAM.


The unfortunate death of Walter Q.
Gresham, secretary of state of theUnited
States, yesterday, while it will not alter
very greatly the national policy with
regard to foreign nations, will never
theless be productive of changes and
delays of various kinds, some of which
are vastly important. We can see no
event to follow which is likely to en-
broll or complicate this government
with any foreign nation. We there
fore may bow our heads in humble
submission to the will of God without
being distracted by fears Of any un-
pleasant results to follow. Mr.. Gresham
was of type of men rare in the United
States within the. last quarter of
century. In time of the intensest
partisanship in politics he was almost
totally devoid of partisan instincts or
feelings, No man today can say truly
if he were democrat, a republican
or q populist. He has acted at
times with each of these parties, and
when Mr.. Cleveland selected Judge
Gresham for his secretary of state
corresponding to the minister for
foreign affairs in European govern
ments great surprise was felt by all,
and great Indignation was expressed
by ultra partisan democrats. But with
all of mugwumpery, he has made
an it officer. His policy has ever
been ropg decisive, honest and fair.
Perhaps if che public were better ac-
quaint3d all the circumstances
surrouF ding the cases in which he was
called e at, there would be little or
no adverse -r;t Cisrns of the man or his
official policy sLj acts.
His high Office came to him in troub-
lous times. Tie world has been un-
easy and many nations have been on
the point OF r1ehing to arms to settle
disputes, and many actual wars have
been wsged in the two and half years
he has held Office. But no serious com
plication of this government has oc-
Cured. It is difficult to determine if in
all this Hawaiian trouble Mr.. Gresham
has been wrong. Indeed we doubt
not but his every act was, in his
judgment, solely and only for the best
goca OF the government. There was
no shadow of jingoism about him. He
was strong man acting for a strong
government under the direction of a
strong ruler and he acted with dignity,
force, and openly and above.board, as
was meet and proper. There was
never any apparent doubt OF uncer-
tainty about the man or his work. He
acted and never with hesitation
or doubt. Nor has his name ever been
connected with any unclean, dishonest
or doubtful matter. BE goes out of
Office challenging the seYerest criti-
eisms and his fame is safe.
The fact that his distressed wife
spent theI=sd hours reading the scrip
tures to the dying statesman speaks
volumes for one phase of his character.
While he has been man OF affairs, vet
he found time to pay his humble duty
to the Heavenly Father, and chose His
words for his guide as his footsteps
tended to the brink of the other world.
This example will prove of unestim-
able value to the world. There is a
lesson in this circumstance of grand
import. Let as all take it home to our
own hearts and treasure it as a rich
legacy bequeathed to US by one of the
great men Of our own times.
Mr.. Gresham stood by the president
in the policy he maintained, save and
except in the matter of silver, There,
we think, he departed widely from Mr..
Cleveland, at least he did few wears
since. His private. professional and
political career has Deen honest and
such as an honest citizen may copy
without shame. We did not agree al
together with his views, yet we are
glad to be able to say that there was
much in the man that we very greatly
admired.