Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-04-22
STRONG MEN AT EIGHTY. :
Senator Allison One OF Many Who
Have Grown Great With
the Years.

b1dSdZlue, ltOo, COuldlilS ludSterIul
article on 1.-The Age of Mental Virility.
an Inquiry Into the Record Of Achieve
ments Of the Worlds Chief Workers
and Thinkers" by DR.. w. A. Newman
Dorland.
In view of the effort to induce the
people of Iowa to retire the leader Of
the United States Senate, the work of
DR.. Dorland may well command our
attention at the present time, as the
chief argument is based upon his age,
the contention being that he cannot
perform the duties Of the Office Of
United States senator.
The article, insofar as it is ger.
name to the ACCESSIBILITY OF retiring
Iowa's senior senator because of his
age, is quoted freely:
what shall we say of the octOgcn-
arians and of those who were older?
AS is web known, Cato at this age
began the study of Greek, Plutarch
began his first lessons in Latin, and
Socrates learned to play on instru-
ments of music. Arnauld, the theolo-
gian and sage, translated Josephus in
his eightieth year. Gladstone began
his great Midlothian campaign, which
overthrow the Conservative govern
ment, and put himself and his party
In power, at eighty years of age. He
became premier for the fourth time
at eighty three, and held the Office for
two years. West painted admirably
until eighty years Of age, and Goethe,
at Weimer. completed Faust when as
old. Hahnemann married at eighty,
and was working at ninety-One years
Simonides won the prize for verse
when over eighty years of age. and
Ranke at the age OF eighty began his
History Of the World and lived to
complete twelve volumes, dying at the
age of ninety-one. His later works
show no diminutiop Of power, and he
wrote until within few days Of his
death. Button. the great French nat
uralist. until shortly before his death
at eighty -one, labored uron his Nat
ural History work Of forty-four vol
umes. Henry G. Davis at eighty one
was nominated for the vice presidency
Of the United States: Palmerston was
prime minister OF England when he
died at that age, and John Quincy
Adams was power In the house Of
representatives when stricken at
eighty-one. Bancroft published the
concluding volume Of his History at
eighty-twO and died at ninety-one.
Charles Wilson Peaie, the painter. at
the aid * spectacles, and did some OF
his best work. Voltaire at eighty
three published a tragedy, Irene. and
Tennyson, whose age was eighty
three, gave the world in his Crossing
the Bar one of the most beautiful Of
swan songs. Newton at eighty three
worked as hard as he did in middle
life, and Herbert Spencer died at the
same age, almost with pen in hand.
Thomas Jefferson was fruitful In coun-
ell until the day Of his death at eighty
three. Rennell at eighty-three read a
paper Concerning the Identity Of the
Remains at Jerach, Whether They Are
Those of Gerasa or Pella,' and the next
year another Concerning the Place
Where julius Caesar Landed In Brit
ain Talleyrand. dying at eighty-four,
had, under successive French rulers,
been a power all his life. Lander wrote
his Imaginary Conversations when
eighty-nve years old, and at eighty.
seven published his last volume Of
Heroic Idylls.' Guizot at eighty-seven
showed unimpaired mental vigor and
activity, and Hobbies. the English phil
osopher, at the same age published his
version of the odyssey and his Iliad'
his death, In his ninetieth year, he
wrote to his publisher, Y shall have
something In English for you shortly.
Won Moltke. when lightweight was
! still chief Of staff of the Prussian
army. and John Wesley at that age
! preached almost every day and still
held the helm Of Methodism. Al
eighty-nine Michel Angelo was still
painting his great canvases; Theo-
phrastus's greatest work, The Char
! acter OF Man was begun on his nine.
tieth birthday, and Frank Izaak Wal.
ton welded ready pen at ninety
John Adams retained all his great
mental ability up to the time Of his
death at ninety-one, and Pope Lee
XIII showed no sign Of intellectual
decreptitude when he died Of old age
at ninety-three. Cornara was in far
better health at ninety-fve than al
thirty, and, II Is said, was as happy
~ q boy. Fontanelle was as light
hearted at ninety-eight as at forty
Titan at ninety-eight painted his
Battle Of Lepanto,' and, wonder o,
wonders! Chevreul, the greatest scien
DIST, whose untiring labors In thu
realm Of color have so enriched thu
world, was busy. keen and active wher
death called him at the age Of 1903.
"With such achievements of thu
truly aged confronting US, who so bolt
~ to attempt to set q limit to the
usefulness of any man? It remain.
true, as the venerable DR.. Cuyler ha,
indicated, that for many Of the pur
poses and achievements Of lite youth
and early manhood are the most IA
vorable; but for certain others tn,
compacted mental fiber. long expert