The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-04-29
Our Memorial Day.

On May Isl four eventful years will
have glided by since the passing away
of the venerable former editor of this
paper, j. Fred Meyers. 1t is pleas
ure to us to know that though departed
he is still living, acting, vitalizing
force in the community in which he
lived, and among the people whom he
loved so we'll. HIS name is very often
on the lips of those who knew him, his
words of homely philosophy and plain
and manly thinking still form guiding
precepts for hundreds of those bv whom
his editorial words were highly priced.
We can but feel that portion of the
success of Denison's men in public life
has been due to his influence, for he
taught above all things the value of
thinking for oneself. He taught that
it was the duty of every man to study
not only the problems of his own daily
life, but the larger and greater Pre-
blems of the universe. He taught the
dignity of labor and that splendid les
/, son that a task we'll done is in itself its
! own reward. He taught cathelicity OF
4 spirit. broadmihdedness and range of
! vision. He brought the problems of
the nations nome to the people of this
county and made them topics of every
day. For quarter of century he
toiled in this community; he asked but
little and he gave much. He had no
greed save for the esteem of his fellows:
he had no ambition save to give his
best thought to the work of the world.
He found the true gold in every man
and his friendships knew no caste Or
/ degree of high and low, He loved
simple honesty and rugged independ.
|, ence and no glitter of wealth or power
OF success ever blinded him to cant or
hypocrisy He liked to mingle with
4 the great men of the nation. He was
the friend of senators and cabinet
ministers and leaders of public thought,
but the intimacy was based on the solid
foundation of mutual regard and not
on fawning sycophantism. 1t was not
given to his earthly sight to see the
vast changes of the last few years.'The
news Of Dewey's victory had not flashed
across the wires, the great problems of
the present were still wrapped in the
inscrutable veil of the future when his
eyes were closed in death. But some
how and somewhere his mind has been
opened to the universal plan. His
hopes and fears for his people have
been dissolved with the certainty of
Gods wisdom, and we believe he sees
the ultimate fulfllment of IL S
great and deeply cherished dreams for
the happiness and the perfection of his
people. We believe that his brow is
calm with the peace that passeth al
understanding. We believe that
knowledge of Gods plans for the ulti.
mate good of all the world has quieted
the Impotence of heart that always
4 beat against human injustice and OPP
preston and that hand in hand with
that gentle guiding spirit whom on
earth he called his wife he looks down
upon US now and smiles forgiveness at
our weakness and ineffectiveness and
that his heart responds with overflow
ing love to our every resolve TO do our
best. We who knew the deep and
abiding blessing of the personal love of
these Two kindred souls can but bow
our heads in grief over the utter lonli-
ness which their absence brings and
cling with tenderest love to every
memory of their words and deeds.
| The spring time of another year has
come to deck their graves with flowers
The smiling hills on which they so
often looked with love are once more
mantled with the promise of the har-
vest time. The little town in which
they worked out their life problem is
again aglow with the hopes and am.
billions of those with whom they loved
to counsel, and we know they see it
!. all and rejoice in it all just as they did
in the dear old days when from the old
home they looked down upon the valley
and out upon the teeming hills and
planned and worked and thought and
prayed together for the welfare of
those dependent upon their care and of
the kindly, generous, helpful people
with whom God had cast their lot.
| We hope that many more years may
pass before their memory is fo' gotten,
and that year after year the REVIEW
may live not unmindful to pay this
annual tribute to their good and useful
lives.