The Newtown bee., 1897-05-14

ostentatious and insincere display at funerals, and erecting costly tomb stones from motives of pride and vain-glorY. have
 NO FAULT TO FIND WITH THE LAVISH
 NESS OF SINCERE LOVE AND HONOR. The alabaster box of ointment was not too precious for the purposed annointing Christ for his burial. The expensive tomb of Joseph was none too costly 8 resting place for the Saviour's body. The fact is, the desire for display and notoriety was not the motive which prompted these outlays on the part of Christ's friends, and they were made for one who was worthy of all, and ten thousands times more than could be given. We have all heard captious and cynical remarks concerning the large expense of conferring great public honor upon such men as Lincoln, Garfield and Grant. These critics ask, "why not forego this great display and give the money it costs to feed the poor?' One answer is, Such honored dead, to whom the nation owes it's very life, have a claim upon an unstinted exhibition of our love and respect, which no claim of com' mon charity,can contravene.; and another answer is, there are other ways of help ing and blessing men than by clothing and feeding their bodies. Teaching the grand lesson of respect for authority. and for the great benefactors of the na- tion, living and dead, is really higher and more pressing demand than the cry of the hungry for bread. And still an, other answer is, open the gates of tender gratitude, let the fountains of patriotism break forth and they will sweep away the barriers of selfishness, and the hither to pent-up waters of benevolence will flood the land.
 We are becoming rich in the graves o1 our national benefactors, and all this tends to. promote the patriotism of oui people. Another shrine on the banks oi the Hudson will serve it's sacred uses ai a suitable memorial of the illustrioui dead, and as a waymark, pointing out the course of usefulness and glorious re nown.
 Including his military and presidential honors, ssthe glory attending his toul around the world, the unstinted eulogi ums occasioned by his death, and tht august ceremonies at the consecration o1 his tomb, it may be doubted if any mar I in our time has achieved greater fame than our dead hero, Ulysses s. Grant On the banks of the Euphrates and tht Ganges and the Rhine, in British palacei and cottages, everywhere throughout thu civilized world, the name of Grant ii mentioned as among the most renowned | ''God alone is great!" exclaimed Massi lon at the beginning of his discourse oyer the dead body of Louis xiv "Grand mon arque" of France; and indeed all thu transient glory of human greatness sink far out of sight when compared with thu ''lone grandeur" of that only Potentat' who inhabiteth eternity, and makes tn, universe his realm. Yet, as one ha truly said, ''Though transitorY man con trasteG with the eternal God is too insig nificant for comparison, yet according to the human standards which we no improperly adopt in measuring the rela tive powers and achievements of indivi duals, some as compared with their fel lows, may justly deserve to be accounted great" A great man lived and wrough among us, and having gone to his eter nal home some twelve years since, nov sleeps in his completed tomb, and hal received more illustrious honor in tht past week than ever in the days agone And now 1t is very possible that we may become stronger and better, and more worthy of honor and respect, by study ing his life and character and the causes of his fame.
 Some have questioned