Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-01-11
REPRESENTATIVE
PAYS TRIBUTE TO
OAWS'S MEMORY
Congressman James A. HamiIl
EulOgizes Dead Leader at
Meeting of Association.

JERSEY CITY, Jan. LA meeting
Of the Robert Davis Association was
held last night for the purpose of taking
appropriate action on the death of the
beloved standard-bearer. Congressman
James A. Hamil1 delivered a splendid
eulogy to Mr.. Davis. His address was
as follows;
ION last Monday, a few minutes after
the noon hour, the flag which floats
above this clubhouse futtered down to
half-mast and the people OF Hudson
County Witnessed the mute emblem Of
public grief for the lamented. loss Of
Robert Davis,
Tonight as we pay the last feeble
tribute of love and veneration to his
memory the hearts of each OF US are
saying with sadness and regret, 'He
was my friend; I loved him; 1 would
that he might come back from the land
Of silence
Bors In Ireland.
1T was in 1S48, in Ireland, that Rob-
ert Davis first beheld the light of day.
When he was 3 months old his parents
emigrated to America and settled here
In Jersey City. His origin was humble
and his opportunities for education
were meagre. After a few years at
tendance at st. Peters Parochial
School the poor circumstances of his
parents compelled him to find employ
ment and to begin in early boyhood the
stern struggle of life.
But he had in him the true Amer
lear spirit which impelled him to CON
quer all obstacles and rise above the
condition in which nature had placed
him. Besides he came OF good, honest,
sturdy stock, and the difficulties that
beset him developed those strong and
self-reliant traits of character which In
later years gave him such influence and
control Of his fellowmen. There ls one
characteristic which may mention
here that prevailed in him strongly
throughout his life, and that was the
warm sympathy he always cherished
for the race to which he belonged and
for the land Of his birthplace. No
movement was ever begun to anchor
ate the conditions of his native land or
to advance the welfare Of its people
which did not obtain his hearty en-
couragement and enlist his liberal sup
port.
Leader for Twenty Years.
1T Is about twenty years since he
attained the leadership Of the Demo
craoy of Hudson County. Since then
to the very moment Of his untimely
demise his supremacy remained un-
shaken, although there were times
when it was bitterly disputed. Revolts
within the ranks always placed the
mar at the helm on his mettle and at
l. iaa. 80 nxraru conflict hA ar1arrAd
stronge than when It begun. But
however hard the struggle had been
he never nurtured vengeance toward
his fallen enemy. He loved a hard and
fair fighter even though he belonged
to the ranks of his enemies. In the
words of the great Scottish novelist:
He ne'er bore grudge for stalwart
blow
Taken In fair fight from a gallant foe.
And it was significant that nearly
always when the passion and fury OF
political conflict had subsidized those
who had most stoutly fought him be-
came numbered among his staunchest
friends. His retention in power for a
period so long and continuous is an in
contestible proof of the warm regard
and favor In which the voters of Hud-
son County held him. He had wonder
full power, and yet there is no secret
or mystery about the way in which he
maintained 1t. The prominent char
acteristic Of our leader was his abso-
lutte honesty in his dealings with men,
and by honesty l mean more thar the
mere sense of obligation of which we
sometimes speak as commercial honor.
1 mean more than a mere sense of duty
to obey the law and discharge legal
obligations. | mean that he was frank.