Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-04-05

the fruits Of his untiring efforts hei
shown themselves in the rapid prog
ress OF his people throughout the
length and breadth Of the country.
There were many underlying prin.
ciples in Mr.. Douglass makeup that
impelled him to choose the life that
was 80 well spent There were very
few people OF any nationality at the
time of his boyhood possessed Of that
degree of aoumen with which fortune
favored him. AZ a boy he was dill
gent and persevering, for he knew
that industry would enable the poor
est to achieve honor, II not distinc.
ton.
1t was the aim Of young Douglass
to make q reputation not only for
himself, but for the race as we'll. and
he reasoned that the two most
precious things this side of the
grave were a mans reputation and
life. But he lamented the fact that
the most contemplate whisper could
deprive a man OF his reputation. and
the weakest weapon Of his life. In
view Of this fact, he was always
more anxious to deserve good name
than to possess it, as 1t taught him
to SO live as not to be afraid to die.
As Mr.. Douglass grew into man.
hood he realized that character was
one of the greatest motive powers In
the world; in it's noblest embodiments
it exemplifles human nature In Its
highest form, because 1t exhibits man
at his best.
Commonplace though 1t may ap
pear, this doing of ones duty embod-
les the highest ideal of life and char.
acter, and Mr.. Douglass felt at all
times that the highest and most SOL
emn duty of the citizen was the sup
port of those principles that tend to
make the world better.
1t is hardly probable that Freder.
lex Douglass will ever be given the
credit due him by the members of his
race, for the invaluable service he
rendered It; in the minds Of all Amer
lean citizens he built a monument
of perpetual interest that will be
handed down from generation to gen.
| Grafton.
Generations Nay come and go, but
the name of Douglass will live for all
time; along with the leading states
men, buildings and leaders Of Amer
lea not only, but of the world. his
name will take front rank in history.
because his life was an incentive and
encouragement to all downtrodden
| and unfortunate human beings.
1t is possible to trace the evolution
| Of social organization and the prog
ress Of mankind along many differ
ing paths. The battles of progress
have been fought on many different
lines. and under many names. One
historian traces the rise Of civiliza-
ton in tho progress Of religious
| IDEAS"
Another follows the gains made in
the direction of personal liberty, the
charging opportunity and security Of
the individual under the law. There
is an economic Interpretation Of his
tory and growth illustrated in let:
tiers and the arts. There are great
names identified with any one Of
these phases Of progress-names be-
fore which the world makes obeisance
for their service in advancing hui
man interests, each along his own
powers. Douglass place, however,
was in none of these categories
His was not the work Of Moses,
or of Paul, Montfort or a Hamp-
| den. Golden. a Shakespeare, or a
Michaelangelo. To find his historical
| place we must turn to still another
phase of human society and its ex-
banding life.
To Douglass belong much of the
honor Of the solving of the many in
tricate problems that obtained at the
time of his rise in life, and when
Providence saw fit to call him from
his earthly labors 1t were as If every
wheel of industry had ceased to roll.
The great Douglass had gone. The
negro race knew not which way to
turn for leader such as he had
been, and while the race had within
it's ranks abundance Of men and wom-
en- of talent that were, and are yet,
accomplishing along many lines. none
have ever been brought forward to
fill the space left vacant by Douglass.
He had filled a space peculiar only
to himself. He was one born to lead;
broad in his views and Of liberal
thought, he was able to understand
the world and it's people: he knew
what it required to get on in the
world: Rightly did he consider when
he said: Men do not live by bread
alone; SO with nations, they are not
saved by art, but by honesty; not by
the gilded splendors of wealth, but by
the hidden treasures of manly vir-
tues; not by the multitudinous graft
fcations of the flesh, but by the celes-
tial guidance Of the spirit"
Frederick Douglass was one Of a
trio of the greatest negroes the
world has ever produced. The others
are Toussaint L'Overture and Richard
Allen. The monument to LOverture
is the black republic which he found
ed and consecrated with his blood.
Richard Aliens monument 'is the
great African Methodist church, with
its thousands of communicates and