Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-01-09
lcNATlus DoNNELLY.

Guo 0dRo VI IN 1ulASci, u1ou dV mIuuc-
apolis Jan. /, from a sudden attack of
heart failure.
Ignatius Donnelly was born in Phil
adelphia Nov. 5, 1880. He was edu-
Gated in the public schools and after
wards studied law. In 1857 he was
admitted to the bar, but he soon aban-
doned that profession for the field OF
literature and politics. He removed
to Nininger, Dakota county: MIMI,
in 1857, and established weekly
paper. At the first state election in
Minnesota Donnelly was elected lieut.
enant governor, and was reelected in
1861. In 1868 he was elected to con-
gress. Having incurred the lasting
enmitv of Wheelock and Washburn,
he was RELOCATED to private life at the
end of his third term. Since that time
he has served eight years in the state
senate and four in the house of repre-
sentatives of the legislature. He has
twice been candidate for congressman
but the same potent influences that de-
feated him in 1865 again were toe
much for him.
Donnelly was one of the leaders in
the Granger movement of the early
'70's and of the Alliance movement in
the sos. In 1892 he was the peoples
party candidate for governor, but was
overwhelmingly defeated.
During the intervals in his work as
politician Donnelly found time to dc
some literary work, which shows the
wonderful genius of the man and will
endure when his political work shall
have been forgotten. His most i'm
portant works are "Ragnarok, ," cat.
lantis, "''The Great Cryptogram" and
Cdr. Huguet." Besides these he has
written several political works neces'
sarily of an ephemeral character.
While there are many erratic and ap'
parent]y wild theories propounded in
his books they display a brilliant &C.
MUS, deep researches and won der
full command of language. His
"Great Cryptogram" may not have
proved that there was a Baconian
cypher in the Shakespeare plays, but
it did prove that the mind that could
read that CIPHER into the plays, if it
did not exist, or work it out if it was
there, was wonderful one.
There is an old adage that we should
say nothing but good of the dead.
That is a foolish and even harmful
saying. Whatever we say can neither
harm nor please the dead. But every
life conveys some great lesson if right
fully studied, and the greater the man
the more important the lesson. In or.
der to learn that lesson it is necessary
to- tell the truth. Gifted as be was so
far beyond the ordinary mortal, why
did not Donnelly leave more of an i'm
preston on the political world? He
had a command of language une.
qualled by any other public man OF
his day: logical, quick to see a point
and press it home; witty, and ever
ready; remarkable memory; an un-
firing energy for delving into abstruse
subjects; and a physical constitution
that enabled him to do an immense
amount of mental work. His whole
heart and soul was in his. political
work. Literature was only his relax.
alton. Yet if he lives at all in the
minds of coming generations it will be
for his literary work. Why did. he
not become great national leader?
All, there was one great flaw in that
otherwise great character. It was his
intense egotism. He loved humanity
in general and dreamed great dreams
of reforming the social conditions and
making future generations happier
than those of the present and the
past. Seated in his library. and
dreaming these dreams, there was nc
more altruistic person than Donnelly
But in all these reforms there was tc
be one central figure -Ignatius Don.
nelly. He was to do the work, and
reap the glory. When the Granger
ane Alliance movements were organ.
lied they were to him the means fol-
executing the plans, Of Ignatius Don.
nelly. The peoples party was in his
eyes another more promising tool fo1
the same purpose. And whenever an
Organization refused to lend itself to
such use he was ready to destroy it.
His genius made him q splendid agi.
tator and org nizer Of reform forces;
his egOtism made him q .disorganizer,
dangerous to any cause he espoused
His egotism made him intensel q jeal.
GUS OF other leaders in the party His
.dictatorial style made him enemies il.
side Ct the party as we'll as outside,
In private life he Wa very pleasan,
comp On loved BY az he anne il
contact with Tor his genius smade his
companions aniire h and there there
WASH othing TO rlifff11e M public
life he3 gee IS zee allmo 81 Il of Shis
old politioals friends estr need from
.hin g seeean,t q q, ~ faalt .d