The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-12-17
PRESS HONORS' rIR. MAYES

1t is a wonderful thing to live so
that when one has laid aside the yes
ture of life and has put on the gar
ment Of immortality there remains
still to those who go about the daily
grind an inspiration for better work,
an incentive to higher effort The
man who so lives, leaves behind him a
legacy to enrich all the world with it's
blessing.
And it is an equally wonderful
thing. in the rush of this busy age, to
find that men of affairs have time to
recognize these facts, to meet men
who, while engaged in the arduous
round of daily duties, yet have time
and inclination to remember and hon.
or the man who has finished his task.
But there are such men. OF such as
these is William A. Russell, editor OF
the Palatka News, and the other men
of the Florida press who have paused
In the rush of this busy season to pay
their tributes to one Of their former
members.
Mr.. Russell is one of the most bril-
liant newspaper men in Florida and
the editorials which illuminate the
columns of the Palatka News but re-
fleet the splendid character of the
man.
The following beautiful editorial.
| written by Mr.. Russell, instituted the
priceless memorial tributes with which
the press of Florida honored the men,
ory Of the late editor of The Journal
on the anniversary of his birth:
| In looking over some newspaper
| clippings today the editor came upon
a gem credited to Frank l.. Mayes,
late editor OF The Pensacola Journal,
who has passed on. It is entitled 'The
Boy and the Man. and depicts at
home little baby boy in bed. asleep.
This little fellow is then traced in a
vision through his growing years to
young manhood, when he leaves the
protection of his fathers roof and goes
out to fight the battle of life alone,
| when ne does that" says the beau
tiful word picture,
He will meet with foes he new
er dreamed of before. He will
find conditions he never knew ex-
listed. He viii see inequality and
injustice and human suffering
wraught of avarice and vice. He
will see man-traps and hell-holes
and gilded vestibules Of crime ex-
listing under the cloak of respec-
liability and the protection of the
law. He will see the strong OPP
pressing the weak and he will
hear the cry Of the defenseless be-
fore the grinding wheels of priv
ilege and power He will face
conditions which breed poverty
and misery and awful want and
he will find enemies both in am
bush and in the open, ready TO
drag him down, in the remorselcss
vortex Of eternal co nflict.
When he sees these conditions
81 as he will see them because there
viii be evils to combat then as
well as now-I want him to know
two things I want him to know
first, that his father was not re-
sponsible for those conditions;
that his father did what he could
to prevent them and to correct
them; that his father was inter
ested in making life happier, iiv-
ing easier. and the world better.
And / want him to know, second.
that his father did what he could
to fit his boy for the battle of
life.
Nothing in the voluminous writing
, Of this prince Of newspaper men NOR
clearly portrays his character an
ambition Without being classed a
a reformer, he took advanced groun
on all moral questions and question
affecting the rights of the people un
der democratic form OF government
Newspaper men Of Florida do not nee
20 be reminded OF the deep sorrow tina
oppressed them when the telegrap
flashed the sad news that his spiri
had taken flight
Mr.. Mayes was in the fun vigor {
a splendid manhood when the sum
mons came He was born Decembe
e 18th, 1873, and had he. lived until no.
e would have just been rounding out HI
] | 4sd year With his splendid thoug
brief record C achlevemenk- Mho a.