The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-12-16
HONEST. AND BRAVE EDITOR WAS
RUFF CLARK 49,.

Rufus K. clark, ageu neNoPaP0A ~
vho died in Statesville last week, OeIonge"
10 the day and generation of North caro-
lima NEWSPAPER men which recognized jos
Caldwell and Wade Harris as leaders
Clark was several years younger than Caio-
well and Harris but was associated WlIH
Caldwell in the newspaper business III
Statesville before that able editor went TO
Charlotte to guide the course OF The Oo-
server. As the editor of The StatesVlIse
Landmark, a weekly newspaper, clark
made a reputation little less extensive and
impressive than the careers of Caldwell
and Harris.
The foregoing by way of introduction to
Julian Miller's tribute to Rufe Clark, pub
lished in The Charlotte Observer, in which
Dr. Miller said:
When they came the other day to lay away the
venerable Journalist, Rufus R. Clark, of States
ville his preacher paused not to De Hatterlng OF
fulsome, but merely to be factful.
He was brief. but penetrating. He got his inind
to working on the most pre-eminent trait of that
deceased tribune of truth when he singled out
MS LO1ALl1 ~ fRINSlH LIZ as IAie O'1ASt'0N
owing mark of his
That's the last word that need be said of Rufe
Clark.
The tittle-tattle of the temperatures the pleas
ing or opportune word, the expedient course, the
opinion bribed by circumstances-these had no
place in his work, in his experience, in his ca
reer, in his character.
He always asked Pilates question, What is
-, bo 70
answer.
And once that answer came to his intelligence
and his conscience, all the forces of earth and
the phalanxes of hell found him standing there
firmly and unfinchingly.
The Times-News would add to Miller'E
eulogy, if possible, emphasis on the state
ment that Rufe Clark's pre-eminent trai
was loyalty to principle. He stood ou
among North Carolina newspaper men be
cause he was always determined to e.
down to bedrock principles, and having
established this foundation, would take
position there from which he could not b.
moved
Newspaper work is highly specializet
and individualistic, and there are almos
as many kinds of newspaper men as Their
are newspaper workers, but there are to
day newspaper men controlling the policie
of newspapers, who are Indifferent an
superficial about the matter of principle
They miss the foundations in their infrc
quent excursions in search of Truth an
have but little to stand on when the testin
time comes. The most deplorable result
that instead of measuring as leaders, an
making great contribution to the service q
community and country, as Rufe Clark die
they float along with the crowd, adoptin
policies they think will meet popular al
proval, or that will, at least, take thel
along the road of least resistance.
Rufe Clark mined down to the bed-roc
of fundamental principles and always ha
a solid foundation to stand on; and he ha
the courage to advocate and fight for thoS
things he believed to be right A changing
compromising, cowardly society, tuckir
it's tail and fleeing from anything 'havir
the semblance of a contest over foundatio
principles, did not scare Clark. He died
he had lived, writing his honest conviction
daily for the press of North Carolina.
A Rock Island, ILL.,, man finds a NOUS