The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-08-03


Wedding Anniversary
at his home in Leon on July 26th,
Mr.. and Mrs. Cannon had been
were the parents of six children, five
is record which is seldom equalled.
Isuperstitious belief. He worked out
for himself the problem of life, and
no man was the keeper of his con-
science His religion was of this
world--the service of humanity his
highest aspiration He recognized no
Authority but that of nature, adopted
no methods but those Of science and
philosophy, and respected in practice
no rule but that of conscience, illus
trated by the common sense of man
kind. He valued the lessons of the
past, but disavowed tradition as a
ground of belief, whether mira cles
and supernaturalism be claimed or
not claimed on it's side. No sacred
scripture or ancient church formed
the basis of his faith. By his example
lie indicated the right to think and
! to act upon conscientious conviction.
BY a career SO noble, who shall say
that his domestic affections were i'm
paired, or that his love for those near
and dear to him was weakened? On
the contrary, his independent method
of thought tended to develop those
sentiments which have their source
in human nature, which impel and en-
noble all morality, which are ground
ed upon intelligent personal convic-
ton, and which manifest themselves
lin worthy and heroic actions, espec-
tally in the promotion of truth, JUS
tice and love. For worship of the
unknown he substituted duty; for
prayer, work; and the record of his
life bears testimony to his purity OF
heart, and the bereaved ones know
but too we'll the treasure That is lost
to them forever. If perfect reliance
upon any particular belief in the
hour of death were proof of it's truth,
then in the death of our friend the
principles of Secularism would be
triumphantly established His belief
sustained him in health; during his
illness, with the certainty of death
before him at no distant period, it
afforded him consolation, and en-
couragement, and in the last solemn
moments of his life, when he was
getting as it were into his own grave,
it procured him the most perfect
tranquility of mind. There were no
misgivings, no doubts, no tremblings,
lest he should have missed the right
path; but he went undaunted into the
land of the great departed, into the
silent land. 1t may be truly said of
him that nothing in life became him
more than the manner Of his leaving
it, Death has no terror for the en-
lsr.l, IL. t,.i,, OF
the thought of leaving those we hold
dearest on earth. but the conscious
ness of well-spent life is all-suffici
ent in the last sad hour of humanity.
Death is but a shadow of shade,
and there is nothing in the name that
should blanche the cheek or inspire
the timid with fear. In it's presence
pain and care give place to rest and
peace. The sorrow-ladened and the
forlorn, the unfortunate and the de-
spairing, find repose in the tomb
all the woes and ills Of life are swal-
lowed up in death. The atoms Of
this earth. once were living men, and
in dying we do but return to our kin
dred who have existed through myri-
ads of generations.
Now, that our departed brother has
been removed, death, like a mirror,
shows us his true reflex. We see his
character, undisturbed by the pas
sions, the prejudices, and the mfr
mites Of life. And how poor seem all
the petty ambitions which are wont to
sway mankind, and how small the
advantages of revenge! Death is SO
genuine fact that it excludes false
hood or betrays its emptiness; it is a
tombstone that proves the gold and
dishonors the baser metal Our
friend has entered upon that eter-
nal rest, that happy ease, which is the
heritage OF all. The sorrow and
grief of those who remain alone mar ,
the thought that the tranquil sleep of
death has succeeded that fever of the |
brain called life. Death as the sooth- |
ing anodyne of all our woes and /;
and we inherit the earth as /
a reward for the tolls of life. The
pain of parting is poignant and cam
not for time be subdued, but re-
grets are vain. Every form that |
lives must die, for the penalty of
life is death. No power can break !
the stern decree that all on earth |
must part. Though the chains be !
woven by affection or kindred, the |
beloved ones who weep for us will !
only for a while remain. There is
not flower that scents the noun
tain or the plain, there is not rose
bud that opens it's perfumed lips to
the morning sun, but ere evening |
comes may perish. Man springs up
like the tree; at first the tender
plant, he puts forth buds of promise,
then blossoms for time, and gradu-
ally decays and passes away. His |
hopes, like the countless leaves of
the forest, may wither and be blown
about by the adverse winds of fate,
but his efforts springing from the |