The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-25
The Gospel of Doing.
Kew. Edward Everett Hale's Eloquent Tribute
to the Late Senator Allison.


IN the presence of the chatter Of to-
Jay 1t becomes the duty of the right
men to unfold the characteristics of
man who for half a century has been
leader in the nations affairs. And 1t
proves, not that this man was a great
orator, not that he cared for popular
acclaim, but that he was workman
untlrlng and untired, a man who
found out what ought to be done and
did 1T. There is more or less talk
about his tact and courtesy and skill.
put 1t all comes out in his determin.
alton that the right thing she'll be
done.
And the right thing. as 1t proves, is
not that William Allison should be
seen of men, known Of men, or
praised of men, but that the right
thing shall be done at the right time.
The record If simply marvellous. of
the steps forward in administration,
most of which bear the names of
other men, where the real work done
by the wheel horse, was done by Mr..
Allison. More than one of these
speakers says that mis- friends used to
laugh at him because he would not
commit himself in advance to details
of policy. He would leave detail to
be settled by mutual adjustment by
men who had different points of view,
and different prejudices; but, as Mr..
Lodge says, in his admirable speech,
when 1t came to voting, there was
never any doubt about it, he was al
ways on hand.
This series of careful addresses be-
gins by an instructive narrative of
great interest of Mr. Allison's share
in the history of the country for
half century. This admirable paper
was prepared by Mr.. Dolliver of Iowa
one of the leaders of the senate, who
always does well what he has to do
If you choose, you can call 1t eulogy
OF Mr. Allison. But 1t Is a history Of
the important legislation of the years
of reconstruction and of what has
followed. Every student Of history
knows that such years are the diff
cult years in any historical study, so
that particular interest attaches to
such a narrative as Mr.. Delivers.
l should like, If this were the right
place, to try to weave into one state
ment the threads of all these speech
es. I wish I thought that one in a
hundred OF the young men who are
studying government in different acad-
emies and colleges and universities
would read and take to heart the les
sons which they might find in this
record of four well-filled hours.
But I must satisfy myself now with
calling hopeful attention to the we'll
earned precedents to be observed in
every word Of these eulogies to the
gospel of Doing The lesson comes in
side by side with that Of the parable
of Pope Pacificus to which referred
here fortnight ago. 1t is not those
who say, Lord, Lord. 1t is those
who Do. 1t is the same lesson which
is trying to enforce at Chicago while
write Men shall be known by their
works And God is to be glorified,
not by the nicely of finesse, OF what
they call tleir symbols" OF creeds or
professions, but as they Do the Will
of God.
What satire there Is in that local
prisoners shall be compelled to labor
beginning to receive the ridicule
which it deserves. in which New Eng
land people said of some one whom they
wanted to praise that he was "a pro-
Tossing Christian"