Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-03-31


and became unconscious. He re-
manned in this condition until he
died.
Mrs. Smith, who was critically i'll
in an adjoining room, was told her
husband had suffered relapse and
later learned of his death. She bore
up we'll under the shock and was re-
ported to be resting well.
Dr. Smith was a native of Birming
ham, England, born there March Z.
1852. His father was Methodist
minister of the rigid English type,
as were many of his ancestors. While
a child, his parents came to America,
his father taking a missionary post
in what was then a frontier county
in Iowa.
Though the elder Smiths income
was small he was able to give his
children a good education. At the
age of IA, the boy Samuel had pas
sed with honors the examination for
teachers license, although the Ii
cense was not granted to him on &C
count of his youth. At II, he was
| in charge of the public schools of
Jessup, Iowa, and at 20, was princi-
pal of the Albion, Iowa, academy.
He attended Upper Iowa univer-
Isity, but finished his course at Cor
nell college, Mount Vernon, Iowa.
being graduated in 1872. Following
his graduation, he preached at Usage
and DEBORAH, Iowa, until he was
called to the pastorate of the First
Methodist Church of st. Paul in
1879. Here he served, excepting two
years when he was presiding elder of
this district Of the Methodist church,
until he founded the Peoples church
in 1888.
In his first sermon as pastor of
the Peoples church he made clear
the idea behind the institution, and
to-which he adhered aggressiyely
Gnu ul# dfeIiuSly.
This is to be not OILY in name
butin spirit church of the people, .
he said. when Jesus Christ came
into the world, He built no splendid
cathedrals, He established no gor-
geoUs rituals, He made no alliance
with art or learning or social dis
tinCtion. There were no prominent
rews for aristocra'ic church mem
bers when from the mountainside.
He spoke words of blessing 20 the
weary hearts of the sons of men.
There will never be distinction of
WI not pretend to follow the gospel
of the NaZarene and be practically
inhdel to the doctrine of human
brotherhood. Nor does this mean
that the POOR and weak are alone
welcome. The church is not to be an
asylum for cripples, but a place
where the strong shall be taught,
rot to please themselves, but rather
to bear the burdens for others. And
yet there is no one so poor, so ignor-
ant, so helpless, or so sinful that
he may not hope to find ministry
among u.s."
DR.. Smith, unlike most pastors,
engaged to some extent in politics
In 1896 he was chairman of the reso-
buttons committee Of the Republican
state convention, and drafted what
has been termed the first sound mo-
ney' plank adopted by any Republi-
can convention in the free silver cam
raign of that year. In 1897 he was
appointed member of the univer-
sity Board of Regents, serving until
1902.
DR.. Smith was married twice His
first wife was Miss Marian Antoin-
cite Barnard of Fayette, Iowa, to
whom he was welded March IS,
1874. She died July 3, 1888. In
1890, Dr. Smith married Miss Sadie
Nichols Of st. Paul.
He was the father of five children
James W. Smith, retired business
man, now living on farm near
Hughesville, Nd; Samuel G. Smith,
Jr., of the Hart Car company, Wich-
ita, Kan; Arthur Smith, hardware
dealer at Velva, n. D.; Mrs. ID. c.
Shepard, H., and Miss Harriet Smith
OF st. Paul, the latter making her
home with her parents at the Aber-
deem hotel.
He was a member of many social
and literary clubs among them the
Town and Country club of St. Paul,
the Alden club Of New York and the
Authors club of London.