The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-10-28
GROVER CLEVELAND
SPEAKS OF MORTON.



and taught his fellow-countrymen
to realize their Relationship. to MAJ
ture and the Father of ali created
things, when he established the
planting Of trees as a custom Of gen
eral Observance among our people.
This work was done without rum-
peting the praise of the man who
founded Arbor Day, and without
perverting It's b~eneficent design to
the exploitation Of his fame. 1T
was done modest1y and quietly-in
keeping with the disposition of its
promoter and his estimate of rea-
sonabIe service No beautiful crest
or elaborate coat Of arms would so
well illustrate his grand simplicity,
of typify the spirit in which this
project had It's rise and completion,
as IS capitalization by a growing
tree surrounding the homely legend
PLANT Trees
sNFhough the erection Of this
monumentmay have had its begin
ming in the loving appreciation of
Arbor Day, we cannot escape the
feeling that it would tell but a lit
tie of the story of the life and career
of the founder of that day If there
were not imperishably inscribed up
on it the words Pioneer, Statesmen,
Scholar as well as Tree-P1anter.'
And even with all that has been here
builded and inscribed, those who
knew him best and loved him most
cannot see IN this dull, cold efigy
any presentment of the tenderness
and mceasing affection of the faith
er and brother, and the cheerfulness
and mirth which in his hours of re-
taxation he brought%to his home and
Preside, nor the open-heartedness
and contagious good humor which
he gave to intimate companionship.
The monument that recalls these
features of his heart and soul is
built on the hallowed ground of
memory.
And yet none of us should go from
this place untouched by the lesson
which this statue teaches. Here
I'VE should learn that character, I'M
corrupted by the contagion of ig-
noble things and unweakened by the
~corrosion of sordidness and money
madness, is the cornerstone of every
truly useful life, and of every genIl-
inely noble achievement. We shall
do violence to the moral sense which
God has vouchsafed to humanity if
amid the surroundings we close our
minds to the truth. that character
represents the real value of a man
according to the unalterable stand
ard of fine gold; and that it differs
immeasurably from reputation
which measures n mans worth by the
shifting and untrue standards of
mean ambition OF successful cupid
ity. We have fallen upon days when
our people are more than ever turn
ing away from their old faith in the
saving grace of character, and
focking to the worship of money
making idols. Daily and hourly in
the light of investigation and eN-
posure, characterless lives are seen
in appalling numbers, without chart
or compass crowded upon the rocks
and shoals of faithlessness and
breach of trust. How i'll have these
wrecked lives exchanged the safe
course and the harbor of honor. and
usefulness which character and rec
titude point out, for a wild and
headlong rush over unknown seas in
a consuming search for pelf.
eff our people ever return again
to their trust in character as a
steadying force in II restless en-
terprise and immense material
growth. it will be when they take to
heart the full significance of such a
commemoration as this. We mem
orialize a man who not only earned
the lasting honor of his countrymen.
but whose life, in all things worthy
of high ~endeavor, was abundantly
successful. As a pioneer, who lab
ored to improve the new country of
his home, he lived to see it blossom
IS the rose; as n scholar he cult
waited his own mental powers and
acquired knowledge in order that he
might be able to instruct and bene-
fit others as a statesman he left the
impress of high aspiration upon our
citizenship, and of usefulness and
fidelity upon our public life; and
as the father of tree-pIanting he
gained the grateful remembrance of
the old and young of the present
generation and that of generations
vet unborn. All these things he
wrought out through the power of