The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-27

The undertakers applauded Governor
Hoch's sentiments to the echo Ere
quently they punctured his speech with
salvos Of hand carnage, and toward the
end some one mingled the applause
with a fervant Amen"
Il come here with no prepared mes
sage" said the governor. 81. come from
the arduous duties Of my office, taking
moment from my Iabors to speak to
you i have not prepared because i had
really forgotten that was scheduled to
heart
II suppose that in an instance of this
kind I am expected to make humorous
yitticisms concerning the profession Of
undertaking. 1 am supposed to say
some funny things at the expense of
your business But I don't believe in
doing that-and 1 shall not do it, not
any more than do / believe in cracking
jokes concerning d mOther-in-la-W. I
do not think they are in good taste. I
consider them Of doubtful propriety.
You sustain a very delicate relation
TO the community which you represent
You touch humanity at q. very tender
point You represent the sacred things,
the sweet things of life-the kindness,
the tenderness, the things that are
closest to humanity.
Il welcome you as the representatives
-as the care-takers of our most ten
derest things. When the sleeplesS Wig
lis are over, when we and those who
are our friends have gone from the
sacred chamber into which death has
entered, then you come to perform your
ofice-a tender and a sacred duty.
Therefore with a great respect for your
relation to the community 1 welcome
you.
Il wish that you would use your in
huence to change some of the customs
in vogue. / never could understand
why the dead should be exposed to pub
TTfs eaT rrrf hu
dead were sacred. All public exhibi-
tions are Of a doubtful prOpriety. The
average person wants to be seen at his
or her best-and it is one of the afflic-
tions of disease that this is not so with
the sufferer. ] think that if the dead
could speak they would say; Now when
the lustre has left the eye, when the
beam has departed from the face, when
81 appear at my worst. I do not wish
to be exposed to public view. I wish to
encourage you to use your influence to
abolish this custom which belongs to a
less intelligent race.
Then I wish to speak of mourning
emblems-that we might soon learn and
know that crepe at the door, is not
most expressive Of mourning, and that
garbing ourselves with black wells does
not indicate the deepest sorrow. Death
should not be pictured in the SOmbre
shades of night-there is an Immortality
there is something beyond the grave
The emblems should be of white, of pur-
ity, of light, and not darkness and de-
spair-
"A week ago great hail storm pass
ed over my home at Marion. Much dam
age was done to growing crops, tc
flowers and to trees. A day or so age
I saw the place again. Everything was
springing up fresh and green and new.
Everywhere nature was healing up its
wounds From that we should learn 0
lesson, not to hide our sorrows with
the emblems of despair. Black is SYM
bolic of night.
ssThen is when we lock the doors
bolt the windows. fasten the shutters
Let it rather be an emblem Of the day,
when there is hope, JOY, sunshine
light heaven" Lifting himself to. his
full height with an index finger raised
upward the governor softly said:
s'There is no night there. / wish that
civilized people might typify their be-
lief by the emblems of day. by the
embIems of light, by the emblems OF
heaven"
Attendance Is Large.
One hundred and seventy-five dele
gates were at the meeting this morn
ing. More viii be in attendance for
the second days session.
The time until late this afternoon
was in the main devoted to the pre-
at conventions, President Gill of Wich-
tia, made the opening address He
was followed by Mayor w. H. Davis
Of Topeka, who spoke cordial words Of
welcome J. NJ. Doyle, of Belleville
made the response. Governor Hoch s
address came just before the noon ad-
iournment. He was late but the un-