Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-04-03

Der of that body. As a c0-wOrker,,
his foremost thought was ever con-:
corning the young, the coming gen.
GRAFTON. Many church assembly
has heard him plead for childhood's
rights. "Start the children right;
surround their younger days with
helpful and healthful ENVIRONMENTS,
engender in their mature fidelity to-
principle and courage to battle for 1t;
teach them patriotism and temper
ance in all things" These were the
principles he advocated; and that
which he advised others he also
carried out by .'precept and example:
TO most Of the senators he was a
comparative stranger. Their &C
Quaintance with him was confined to:
the single special session which c:cE-
ed August 5th;. and yet, though q
new man in their midst, though self
repressed by natural sense of mod
esty and that unwritten rule which
expects but little participation in de-
bates by senator during the 1rst
session in which he serves, Senator
Johnson was rapidly winning the es-
TEEN and confidence of his fellow
members ana was already impresstlg
the senate with, the sturdiness Of his
character. Those who had previous
service with him in the House knew
that he would in the senate matu
tain his excellent political record.
Mr.. President, in these days when
the spirit of commercialism domi-
mates a larger portion of our press
than ever before, when sensational
ism is rampant over all the land,
when false issues, shamelessly array
ed in words never intended for ig.
noble use, are manufactured for sell
fish ends, when temptation to ride
into places of trust on some tidal
wave of popular error created for
that purpose and which may he as
transient and ephemeral as the mist
is so prevalent, we need not so much
past ideals to guide and siren gtheci
us as men of today with courage in
vincible for truth. living examples
that it is better to be right at all
times than to be popular some OF the
time. Senator Johnson had thai
courage, that fidelity that would
deem defeat victory if in the r:s!it
cause. That is the record, not only
of his public career, but as we'll of
his private life.
His desire was to benefit human
ity. 1t was his ambition for twenty
years to become a member of the
United States senate to carry that
desire into effective legislation: AND
,,,h0 hot
lied, no man was happier than he
or more ready to take upon mis-
shoulders all the burdens and duties
of that high office.
Upon the trestle board of hope. h.
had long before traced the design of
his own life's edif1ce-a structure
which should be useful, and fair, ami
true and lofty. Patiently and :a'h.
fully had he builded along those
lines until it's fair proportions fore
Swallowed its future grandeur. A1d
when it had reached that stage of
completion from whence he could
clearly discern the elimination Of
fhis endeavors, the fruitiOn of his am
bition and his hearts fairest hopes,
the stroke Of death fell upon him
and nible resolutions and lofty pur-
poses were as dream that is pas.
We are unable, Mr.. President, to
comprehend that edict of Providence
which cut short promising career at
a time that seemed to him and to
those who knew him, to be so pro-
pitious for good: "Yet through all
we know that this tangled skein is
in the hands of One who sees the
end from the beginning. He shall
yet unravel ALL
in a little mound overlooking his
own home, the scenes of his labors
and joys for more than twenty years,
he sleeps today dead but living
still in the influence of his past life:
living in the lives of friends and
neighbors; living in the lives of his
own children and to live again in
lives that are yet to be.
For as fountain disappears
To gush again in future years,
So hidden blood may find day
When centuries have rolled away
And fresher lives betray at last
The lineage of far off past