Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-12
AlMERlC AN TENN E.
OF FAME.

9NANeAAAy y nDAI04 - - -
OF FAME.
Mrs William p. Frye in the New
York World has made out q. list of
names, good, bad and Indifferent, which
she proposes as the fifty lmmortals to,
go into the American Temple of Fame
something we suppose to correspond
to the French acadamyS OF Forty Inn
mortals." tho In France 1t seems the
famous are mainly on the outside Of
the temple, while those inside are
mostly famous failures. And Judging
from MADAME Frye's initial effort, it
looks MS tho our American temple
would fashion itself after the same pat
tern
In locking over the list we find more
than half of them We're soldiers and
statesmen, lawyers and politicians.
That is large proportion compared
with litterateurs. scientists and philan-s
thropists, but as they We're all eminent
men and prominent builders OF the re-
public. we shall pass them by without
)criticism.
There are other names not only OBJ
scure, but whose claims to Immortality
rest on much slighter service to hui.
mainly than some whose names are ex-s
cluded. Dear old Betsy Ross has the
fortunate distinction OF making the
first flag, but for this she deserves no
more honor than the man who wrote
the Star Spangled Banner or the
woman who wrote the Battle Hymn
OF the Republic.''
Mrs. William p. Schuyler was doubt
less patriotic in burning her home rath-
l5erthan let ii shelter the British, but
we can not see how that made her a
greater benefactor to the race than
Dorothy Dix. the prison refor1ner. and
Lucretia Mott, the friend Of the slave.
Why should Governor William King.
who secured the first constitutional ems
llactment in favor of free schools, be
lhonored above Horace Mann, the indie
l'fatigable educator and founder of the
lcommon school system OF America?
Marcus Whitman. the Presbyterian
|sdivine who secured for US thru heroic
personal sacrifice the Northwest Terri
lstory, deserves our lasting gratitude,
hut why more SO than Thomas Starr
King, who saved California to the
[
Daniel Boone and Sam Houston We're
heroic old types, but not more 50 than
I the pioneers Of the early colonies, and
1.-The later ones of the Fremont and Car
\ son type, who blazed a path across the
4 western plains.
The grave objection to the list is that
lit is unjust in its omissions. 1t cites
the names of some inamortals and ig-
lin the same class. Jonn =. Cough was
La heroic figure in the temperance world.
but was his work any greater in that
line than was Frances Wizards?
4 Margaret Fuller Ossoli shines re-
LIN what respect is she more immortal
than Louisa Aico,t. who lives in the
hearts ofsour children-the surest test
of Immortality?
\ Why include among the immortals
three OF the major poets, Lengfellow,
4 Whittier and Bryant, and exclude the
remaining two Holnles and Lowell2
Benjamin West and Washington Ais
ton were noble Representative of Amer
ican art, but why ignore w. w. story.
Rogers and Hunt?
Norge, Whitney and Ericsson We're,
|ings to the race, but equally so waf
Robert Fulton, who gave US the steam
4 boat.
The memories of Washington Irving
4 and William Writ are still cherished In
! the family circle. but not more so than
i those of DIR. Holmes and Nathaniel
Hawthorne S
4 III is evident the madam IS not partial
Ito clergymen,s as She has but one in her
Hist. But just why she should include
i Phillips Brooks and exclude Charming
4 Theodore Parker and Edward Everett,
4, Iialesis beyond our comprehension. True
Il the name of Phillips Brooks stands fol-
4 a high Christian ideal, but not more sc
4 than many others whose names coulC
4 be cited. Channing's spirituality anG
A lsaintliness were unqucstioned. Parker
i was the bravest and most unflinching
Il pulpit hero of the anti-slavery period
q one whose blows not only helped u
q strike the chains from the blacks. bu'
4 more than all others broke the ecclaslas
Il teal sliackles of New England theolo.
4 by. The author OF Ten Times One /:
4 Ten" has given US in his books working
II models that have been the inspiration
n of the social and philanthropic move
lsments among the young peoples relig
ious organizations all over the world.
d Our immortal list maker starts gu
with the assumption that the heroes en-
q shrined in the empie Of fame should b,
"cxnmples OF virtue, patriotism ant
salf-sacriticing purpose. whose effort,
have resulted in the upbuiIding of tn,
race and whose lives We're lessons o
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