The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1907-07-19
HOnOred Citizen Passed. Away.
Continued from Isl page.l

new department with such insistence,
and backed with such good logic, that
the politicians in congress, wiser than
the people whom they represented, passed
the bill during President Cleveland's
first administration the President signed
il aud il became law. Time has justi-
fed the value of this department and
the wisdom of the man who started the
movement for it
During the six years Mr.. Woodman
was at the head of the national Grange
be visited nearly every part of the United
States. He delivered hundreds of pub
lie addresses, making wide acquaint-
ance among the people and becoming
familiar with the agricultural conditions
and needs of the country.
III 1885, when at 60 years of age he
retired from the head of the national
Grange, he was at the zenith of his
power and growth as a man. There was
the foundation of unimpeachable integ-
rity and spotless character; Of hard COM
mon sense and wide, far-seeing judg-
ment; there was the great intellectual
power Of the man. Upon this founda-
ton quarter of century of public life
had built him up and rounded him out.
He was a powerful public speaker AS
parliamentarian he had hardly an
equal in the state. No man ia the
United States had more Intimate
knowledge of those public questions
which affected the Interests of the far
mer than Jonathan j. Woodman. Unit
ed TO all this was a dignity Of bearing
and IA commanding personal presence
that marked him as a leader Of men. II
has al Sa)s been a source of keen regret
to his friends that he could not have
been further advanced in public honors
aud usefulness.
While he was a politician, strong
advocate of his party and always firm
believer in its principals of governmental
pc icy, he was not the kind of politician
who, simply to further selfish ambitions,
would throw down another man IN order
to stand in his place. 10 1892 a reap
portionment of congressional districts
placed Mr.. Burrows in the new third
and left the fourth without congress
man. The people of Van Buren, county
urged Mr.. Woodman 10 become a candi-
date. Ii can be said truly that be con-
sented reluctantly, but he said, II shall
solicit no mans aid. | will support my
party, its principles, its platform and its
candidates. Further than that | make
no promises. | shall pledge 20 man an
appointment, nor will agree TO aid any
man or set of men to further their poll
tical schemes and hobbies" The Van
Buren, county delegation under the
leadership of Judge Heckert fought the
better part of two days for Mr. Wood
mans nomination. 1t is we'll known to
those familiar with the history of that
convention that few promises, not at
all improper, and such as are common
among politicians, would have secured
his nomination, but he would not make
the promises and another man was
chosen.
Mr.. Woodman had somewhat unusual,
perhaps antiq uated, notions as to what
politician should be- The back slap
ping, fawning, groveling seeker for Office
was offensive to him. For those who
advocated the popular delusions and
political nostrums of the hour and who
sought by their advocacy to gain public
preferment he had only contempt. He
believed and often said that a man
should 60 to the performance of public
duty unpledged; that he should care
fully study public questions and do that
which he knew to be right regardless of
public clamor. After his retirement
from public life, he continued to make
careful study Of public questions as
! they came up particularly those affect
ing the farmers interests, and it may be
said that 10 passing judgment upon
! them he never made a mistake. Some
times he took the unpopular side
Events would prove the soundness OF
his judgment and it never became nec-
essary for him to say, II was mistaken. y
His was green old age. Living an
ideal farm life, finding enjoyment in his
daily duties, surrounded by friends
whom he loved, honored by his fellow
citizens, spared most of the infirmities
of age, retaining his mental powers un-
impaired to the last, he went gently
down into the valley of the shadow.