The news & observer., 1905-12-31

: the crowd, the centre OF an admlrlng
throng OF "heelers;" no hail-fellow-
, well-met with the multitude.
Nor yet was he a gatherer of hand
} picked fruit from the trees OF popular
; favor; neVsr the man to button-hole
the individual as a curb-stone broker
of politics. State or munlclpal; ne had
neither desire nor gifts for such eftl-
cheney. Cannot you recall his figure
, familiar to u.s. as he went in and out
, among us during those years or force-
full service? You have often seen him
walking down the street, usually alone;
quiet, reserved, dignified, self contain
ed seeking no companionShip, inviting
no condolences and imparting none;
thinking his own thoughts, forming his
own purposes, keeping his own coun-
sci; near-Sighted, with the usual aloof-
ness or occasional intentneSS of look
that uniformly accompanies this par
ticular defect of vision but however
myopic in bodily sight, acute and far
ranging in mental vision, overlooking
nothing and alert to every public in
terest. For while a private citizen he
was a very eminent citizen, pure pa
triot, loving his State with intense de-
VOtion proud of her traditions and
Jealous for her honor with the sensi-
tive jealousy of a lover; a man of
broadest public spirit, always awake
and alive to everything that made for
the material or moral advancement
of the commonwealth or of the city.
Being such as we have described, quiet,
reserved self-contained how did his
patriotism and public spirit find ex-
preston?
Though silent beyond many with the
tongue, he was unreserVed with the
ipen; his alert observation, his thought
ful pondering, his profound feeling
found regular vent in the editorial col
umns, ready, full, free, fearless. Here
whatever reserve that marked his man.
ner and speech found ample compen-
sation in a frankness that took the
world into his confidence.
All his influence found its unifying
centre in the editor. He was this first
and foremost and almost exclusively.
cannot recall even an instance in
which he addressed his fellow citizens
from the platform Such unity anC
concentration is very rare in American
life; the fact in his case emphasizes
overwhelmingly his force in his call
ing: the volume, the depth, the power
Of influence that flowed in that one
simple channel.
You note that the north face of the
monument designates him as
"a Great Editor,
An Eminent Citizen.
An Honest Man"
His cminence as citizen was gained
Through his work as an editor, his hon
esty as a man appeared in the obvious
sincerity ard marked candor that con-
Stantly characterized that editorial
work He w2s an editor pure and
simple and had little 20 do with any
other part Of the paper, probably knew
little about it. There was no perCep-
1NN . .al
department ard -he business depart
ment; they seemed TO be not only en-
tirely separate, but absolutely inde-
pendent The editorial utterances
sometimes had swift and sure effect on
the business department AS has been
already stated, there were editorials
penned and published with the certain
knowledge that support would be
alienated and the business department
suffer loss but the business interests
seemed to. have no. effect on the e3i-
torial utteranceS; there. was no reflex
influence ever discernible; there was
: no partnership between principle and
policy, no alliance,fOf conscience with
cash. If n vigorous editorial had cost
the support of a whole community, this
fact had nc effect other than to bring
f out an editorial postscript in the next
! issue making the position of the paper
a little clearer if possible. and rub
, bing it in somewhat more relentlesSly.
Abuse, warning and threats were futile
: except to stiffen determination and TO
add vigor. The only way to change
, the editorial position of the paper was
to change the conviction of its editor:
) with that conviction unchanged the
f money was never coined nor the inter
ests ever combined that could sway or
, swerve the editorial column. Here
, was most evidently a man who did his
own thinking and who wrote unre-
servedly as he thought, utterly regard
, less of the consequences whether as
, affecting himself or others.
This, to begin with. was unusual.
To this is to be added another thing;
he always stood for what he believed
to be true and right. No man who
knew N. G. Gonzales ever doubted
this. One might differ from him in
opinion stated. many did: one might
agree with him in his views but differ
from him as to the eXpediency
of publishing such views and there
were many who did: but that ne was
sincere in his conviction and candid
in his expression, very few doubted.
The editorial columns were always the
utterances of a brave honest man who
spoke the truth as he believed it ami
maintained the right as he saw it:
who, uninfluenced by fear or favor.
reward or nope Of reward, gave him.
self to the yindication of what he
conceived to be the truth. righteous
ness and honor and to the condemna-
ton of what he believed to be in
, iquitous wrong and evil. ~ss
Such a man as this is very inconven-
lent to some persons very trouble
some. A man of this type will al
ways be voted by some people stir
rer up of strife" Something like sc
centuries ago the degenerate King
Ahab's salutation to Elijah was, "Art
thou he that troubleth Israeli" AM
man that rebukes iniquity will soon
er or later be branded as troubler
it is as inevitable as fate. When the
"galled jade winces there is always
| a considerable crowd to sympathize
There is ever a large body of emil
nently respectable, people who abound
in charity that is first peaceable and
then pure, who believe il the lais-
sez-faire policy and who deprccatc
above all things the outspokenness
that sets people by the ears.
The advisability OF having such -
man as NJ G. Gonzales in an editorial