The Denison review., 1898-08-09
COLUMN

Ihe KIND and loving words pro-
nounced by Senator A. B.. Funk at
Iowa Falls, in memory of Mr.. j.. Fred
Meyers have not failed to make their
deep and lasting impression upon our
heart. We are proud of our father,
proud of his strength and manhood,
proud of his goodness and his truth,
proud of the influence his thought had
upon the making and mouldingof west
ern Iowa. His spirit is ever present
with US, and as we read over and over
again his helpful, strengthening and
thought-producing writings in the files
of the REVIEW we feel more and more
the extent of our great loss. 1t was
eminently fitting that the memorial ad-
dress should have been delivered by
Senator Funk for he had for many
years been one of fathers most highly
esteemed friends. While father had
many warm friends in this profession,
many whom he admired, he had like
other men "holy of holies" in his
friendships. Among those Iowa papers
which he held in highest esteem were
the Sioux City Journal, the Spirit Lake
Beacon, the Postville Review, the Car
roll Herald, both under Mr.. Hastings
and Mr.. Hungerford, the Washington
Press, and the Keokuk Gate City, when.
ever it contained anything by that
prince of editors, S. M. Clark. While
the eloquent and sincere words of Mr.
Funk will always be a comfort and
blessed memory, we are also glad to
remember that the encomiums were not
all reserved until after fathers death,
and we shall never forget the scene at
a prior editorial meeting at Nevada,
when his other dear friends M. Clark.
in the course of the annual address
pronounced him TO be the ideal of
country editor. 1t was with tears of
surprise and qualification that father
listened to these words. lie seldom
spoke OF the matter afterwards, but we
who loved him knew how dear it was
and how fully it compensated for the
many ills, reverses and disappoint-
merits which fill the life of every con-
scientious editor. The sphere of the
country editor is not great one from
the worldly point of view. At best his
thought can reach but a limited circle.
AS a rule his Individual efforts make
but little impress upon the course of
events. The pecuniary rewards are
nearly always small, but is not true
greatness more dependent upon the
manner in which we I'LL our position,
be it high or low, is it not more in the
conscientious striving to DO our best,
than in the publicity or Importance of
the place itself? Judged by this stand
ard, by disinterested devotion, by large
hearted humanity, by devoted consecra-
tion to duty, and we accept the memory
of our fathers life as the proudest, best
and most enduring Inheritance that
any son could receive.
***
Peace seems to be near at hand. Nc
| kinley proposition may have been ac-
cepted before this appears in print. AS
yet the country knows but little as to
the provisions made by the President.
All that we have hitherto learned has
been based upon rumor all of which has
been of less than semi-of1icial character.
1t is safe to presume that the President
has made no mistakes. We believe the
whole people now have supreme con-
fidence in the President, a confidence
reluctantly given by many, but forced
from them by the weight OF events. Do
you remember how Mr.. Mckinley was
berated for not recognizing the insur-
gent government? Who will criticise
him for it now? Do you remember how
he was scored for not sending our little
handful of regulars against Havana?
Who wishes to take up the cudgel
against him on that proposition at pres
ent? DO you remember how every act
of the administration WAS criticised
and do you now realize thatin less than
six months after the Maine disaster
this administration has presented peace
demands upon Spain, Which are greater
and more sweeping than were dreamed
of six months ago. DO you realize that
all this has been done without the
slightest injury to our country's ma
terlaI progress? DO you realize that we
have spend hupdreds of millions of dol
lafs and at the same time are richer by
hundreds of millions than we We're six
months ago? About a week or ten DAYS
ago we saw in the Baltimore Sun, a
radical democratic paper, an editorial
Oh the peace situation, in which it was
stated that While peace coDid easily be
attained. at any time that the war was
now simply a political one out of which
the Republicans hoped to reap advant-
age and that peace was deferred until
after the fall elections. How absurd
these Democratic frothings appear in
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