The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-01-12
SENlA TOR ELKIyS AN EULOGY
By Ex.CoU. Geo. w Atkinson

friend and brother whose remains
We have covered with 1.-The clods of
the valley" was a man Of faith in
his Creator which was sufiiciently
abiding to "illumine his soul when hs
reached the river. which all of. us
must some day cross. MOT given to
loud professions or vain rboastings
| Of religious experience yet deep
down in his heart was a we'll Of love
and trust which was constant In its
flow toward the Savior OF mankind.
During all his life he exem plified the
human side of religion by doing
what he believed to be right. IN
this respect his faith was fixed. His
purposes were strong. His devotion
to duty and to the unseen was as
unfaltering as the stars There is
nothing more to, be admired In this
life than manly man. His con-
slant purpose was to life all per-
sons With whom he. associated to
higher conceptions Of life, and duty
lie was a brave man also. He had
the courage of his convictions. He
was a dangerous antagonist, not only
because Of his vast intellectual at
tainments. but because he could not
be induced to compromise his Drin-
ciples or his convictions OF duty. He
always went straight forward. There
We're no ztgzags, no ms and outs in
his public or his private acts. His
personal character was as spotless
as a maiden's- and as Hnsullied as a.
ray Of light. He was never on both
sides of proposition at the same
time: -His-makenr was too pro-
pounced for anything like that. Liv-
Ing, he asked no compromise with
those who opposed him; dead, there
VIII be no utterances Of him except
those that are good. Such men al
ways leave their impress upon the,
times In which they live. Such men
will be missed because their places
will be difficult to fill.
Senator Elkins Is entitled to more
credit than most men who achieve
distinction in life, because he was
44ffe~se4e- afe4fi-
tect OF his great career. He had the
sticktoitiveness to work his way
through the University of Missouri,
because he, although then a mere
youth, saw the necessity Of a.. COL
lege education if he hoped to reach
distinction among his fellows Next
he served his country as a colder in
the war Of the rebellion; then he
became lawyer. and located in the
then Territory Of New Mexico for the
practice Of his profession. Shortly
thereafter he became its attorney
general; then its United States at
torney, and next for the term OF four
T 1n a 5 IS
to still greater achievements. In his
early manhood he came to West
Virginia and engaged in vast bust
ness enterprises which in two or
three decades made him, perhaps.
the Wealthiest man in the State. He,
in connection with his honored faith
er-in-laW, the Hon. Henry G. Davis,
constructed railroads, opened coal
mines, built saw mills, established
banking institutions, founded towns
sand cities, and have made the then
new commonwealth now literally
blossom as the rose Largely be-
cause Of their enterprise and fore
sight West Virginia is now the sec
ond State in the Union in the produc-
ton of both coal and coke. Senator
Elkins and ex-Senators H. G.. Davis
and J. N. Camden must always be
recognized as West Virginia's great
est developers.
Although Senator Elkins served
honorably as secretary Of war in the
Cabinet Of President Harrison, and
although he succeeded phenomenal
ly in business and indeed in every
thing he touched, his enduring fame
will rest mainly upon his record as
a Senator in the Congress of the
United States. Throughout the
whole Of his sixteen years service in
that distinguished body, his foot
prints can be traced in most of the
important laws that were passed.
Others outranked him in f10Wery Ut
terances on the floor of that deliber-
at1veness assembly, but few, if any,
were superior to him in debate, and
none were more effective in securing
important legislation. He was big
in body and brain, and was the
friend Of all his associates and the
enemy Of none. He was respected
by all who knew him and was loved
by all. Charming in his ways and
manners, every acquaintance became
a friend, and every friend deplores
his death. He was also a devoted
husband and loving father, and his
seeming untimely departure has left
IAN aching void" which can only be
filed by the Scriptural promise, "My
presence shall go with thee and I
will give thee rest"