The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-03-11

capitol where only Americas greatest
dead may keep their last vigil, the
low catafalque which had borne the
caskets OF other presidents waited to
receive him. Last before him to rest
upon it was his fellow Ohioan, War;
rem Harding, from whom came the
appointment that William Taft most
treasured of all his heaped up hon.
ors, the chief j~usticeship.
It was there Harding held his
tragic homecoming to Washington.
AS then. and for this other SON of
Ohio the great bronze doors that
face the rising sun were set ajar,
that all who would might enter.
Long before the set hour a host of
plain Americans of every creed and
color was waiting there. Most of the
former presidents life was lived in
Washington.
Come For Last Look
Many had seen the swift years
ctch their memorable story OH his
face as they watched him walking
among them day by day. And now
they came to look their last upon
him, reverent. silent, slow-movine
lines Of plain citizens.
For the mighty Of the government,
places were made with the family at
the church services following those
brief hours of lying in state at the
capitol. There turned the nearest
and dearest Of his personal friends,
the colleagues of the supreme court,
the diplomats come to speak for kings
and presidents the world over, and
committees OF the house and senate
made up of men who held themselves
his friends rather than bent upon
official mission.
It was there. too, that President
Hoover turned to deliver his own
and the nations silent message of
sorrow to the grieving family.
No Attempt At Enlogy
The church services themselves
were as simple as the faith in which
the dead man lived and died. There
vas no attempt at culogy by DR..
Ulysses q. B. Pierce who was more
than pastor to Mr.. Taft at the Uni
tartan church. Organ and Ginning
bells alone carried the musical set
ting Of the service. Among the bells
was one that has tolled the passing of
presidents for more than q hundred
years.
For the last scenes army orders
had summoned the full pomp of mill
tary funeral pagentry, horse. foot and
artillery, ranked In battalions as be-
fitted the high place the dead man
NICE held as commander lin chief,
and thanking columns of marines and
bluejackets to bespeak his similar
place over all the nations SET forces.
All these were mustered to lead the
way to a peaceful, tree-girt Virginia
hillside, the scene of the last fare
well.
Crosses The Last Bar
The burial plot had been chosen by
the family of tine dead president. 1t
was to DR.. Pierce that the last spok-
en- word of the simple commital serv-
ice was given. That, and his reading
Of Tennyson's crossing the bar" at
the grave side. came last before the
ranked guns, shrouded in the trees of
the hillside above, were awakened to
shout their clamourous word Of fare
well.
Amid those rocking. reSounding
blasts, an army bugler was stationed
to catch up the quaking echoes of the
old grave yard and lull them again in
the plaintive notes Of TAPS" the SOL
dier's farewell.
And to those dying notes, soft in
the evening air. q nation left the mes
sage that "F1nis" had been written to
the book Of life for Taft of Ohio.
president. chief justice and plain
American citizen. who had well earn
ed the peace that >passeth UNDER
standing"