The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-12-06
HON. E. L. MouNGER's TRIBUTE.

HON. E. L. MoUNGER'S S TRIBUTE.
Mr.. Chairman:
In the death of J. B. Humphreys
who so long and so frithfully served
this court as its Clerk and the people O
this county as one of their chief officers
this court has lost faithful, painstak
ing careful and efficient officer; lie
fore county has lost one of its best anC
truest citizens; Mississippi has lost one
of her most loyal and faithful sons; anc
we, the bar of Lefore county, have
lost one of our truest friends. We wish
by these resolutions to place in the rec
ord our testimony to his worth and
merit and our great sense Of loss, and
to bear witness to the purity Of his life
and to his sterling manhood.
We realize how difficult it is to do
this rightly, how impossible to do it
worthily. And yet we feel that some
tribute recorded on the lasting record
is his due.
At time like this when we mourn a
departed friend, we can only kneel,
"Upon the great worlds alter stairs
That slope thro' darkness up to God,
And stretch lame hands of faith and
grope,"
But at such time we realize that
the glories of birth and state are but
shadows, not substantial things; that
there is no fate, no destiny, except the
destiny of character.
Hence 1t is that we do not speak of
his illustrious forefathers, of the long
line of patriots from whom he sprang,
and whose birthright it was his to
claim. But it it is of him, himself, our
friend we speak. He was worthy son
of worthy sires. But he stood upon his
own merit and made no claim to prefer
ence on account of his ancestry. A
gentleman, and to the manner born, he
was as simple and unassuming as lit
tie child. He recognized the obligation
resting upon him to keep untarnished
the name he bore, and worthily he bore
that name, worthily he met the obhga-
ton. But he claimed no merit for
himself on account of that name. He
was always the same plain unassuming
gentleman.
Barnes Humphreys was a human
hearted man. He lived in direct and
vigorous contact with man and things,
not with words or theories. In all
things he had charity Tolerance was
of his nature, and he respected in 9th
ers the qualities he had himself. Hence
he was always able to find and see the
good in every man. No one ever heard
him speak evil or even harshly of any
man. no matter how exalted, or how
low, he might be. Even in the most
abandoned wretch, brought before his
court to receive just punishment for his
crimes, he could see good, something to
commend, something to speak kindly
of. The lines of friendship and his con-
fidence encircled men in every walk IN
life, and his ever lengthening list of
friends bears testimony Of his kindly
nature and generous heart.
His sense of humor was great. He
saw the humor Of situation at once.
And yet his kindly nature was such that
his humor left no sting. 1t bubbled
from him like a well spring of refresh
ing water.
To him this was no vale Of tears, but
a bright and beautiful world. He en-
j0yed living in it and strove to do a
mans part in it and to make others
happy and better because of his living
in It. Its birds and flowers, its fields
and forests, its lakes and streams, and
all their inhabitants, were source Of
unending delight to him. He loved
them all, but above all he loved his fel-
low man. As a result, his fellow citi-
zens loved him and trusted him with
important posts of duty. For many
wears he served them. How faithful he
was to the trust is attested by the re-
cords in this building. Never was an
important document out Of place, never
was record missing, never was he abb
sent from his duty during his long term Of
service. The most careful checking and
investigation of his books and accounts
always found them correct. He feared
no inspection of office, no checking Of
his accounts by Judge or revenue agent,
or district attorney. Faithful and eff
cient, he was always ready. And when
the final summons came from the Great
Judge, it too found him ready.
Barnes Humphreys served his day
and generation faithfully and well, and
the world is better and our county is
better from his having lived in it, and
we are better from having known him.
His sun has gone down while yet it
was day, but it can be said of him, as
Of few men, He never harmed any
man, but always sought to do them
good. I" Surely, surely upon the book
Of life, opposite the name Of Barnes
Humphreys is written: ''He was low
er Of mankind"
What nobler epitaph can any man
have than this, that, having served his
generation, by the will Of God, he fell