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Show Utah Mourns at Bier of f i One of her Greatest Ciltizcns. ! y (Herald-Republican.; If there is any subje( :t upon which the people of Salt; Lake and Utah are able to agrafe, irrespective ir-respective of creed or political leanings, it is that in the ,dath of John Henry Smith th growing grow-ing commonwealth lose (Ue of her mos t able, upright (tijfcizens and an influence always $jWted toward the upbuilding" jf the state and the comfort andf happiness hap-piness of her people. He numbered num-bered among his' friends Mjbrmon and Gentile, Republican, Democrat Dem-ocrat and "American," tepre-sentatives tepre-sentatives of all lines of tliought and all avocations in the (state. Summoned in the twinkling of an eye to meet his Makefc surrounded sur-rounded by the relatives and friends with whom the (parting handclasp was impossible because be-cause of retreating strength, and whose straining ears heWd no word of farewell, his Mussing away was a tragedy modified only by the splendid heritage of memory he leaves behind!hiii. A review of his career reVls like a history of Utah and o?J the West. He has been identified with the growth of this 'commonwealth 'com-monwealth from its earliest inception in-ception and at no time during the more than half century which has intervened did he'per-mit he'per-mit his, hand to falter or his couraggQilDi-jrieinut' sightinffHhe rift, in the clouds when others saw on.Jy the ap-j proaching storm, ho -rfas a towjJ of strength. His optimism was ingrained in him; pessimism had no place in his nature. f - During all the factional warfare, war-fare, all the bitter disputes that arose between Mormon and Gentile, Gen-tile, the great churchman' was able to hold his friends and to add to them. In him was recognized re-cognized sterling honesty j and integrity, together with that broad spirit of tolerance that aroused and inspired this feeling in others. With a broad grasp of affairs that found noprobleirt too difficult for solution, no knot that could not be untied in the light of reason, he was admirably fitted fit-ted fqr such public duties as he was called upon to perform, and they were many and varied. With a capacity as an executive. which must be born in men and cannot be acquired in its greatest great-est measure, varied and weighty burdens were placed upon his shoulders and he never fa! tered in carrying more than his share of the load. The many-sided nature of John Henry Smith knew no obs ;acles in the path of progress that could not be surmounted a id no difficulties too complex to be overcome and dissipated. The privations and hardships f his youth in this barren land o the early years peculiarly fitted him both physically and menta Uy to withstand such tasks and perform per-form such labor as would have daunted and wearied one less capable mentally or less of a giant physically. It is said of him that h J saw the best in men rather tha n the worst; his confidence that Jeyery man had in him some latent . , no- i i ' ible quality susceptible to de-! de-! velopment that would blossom into in-to full growth if nourished and encouraged was one of his strongest characteristics and the psychologist will find in this the secret, perhaps, of his success as a leader of men. The recalcitrant re-calcitrant meets with chastened mien and in repentant mood the objurgations of one in wheso kindly charity he has full confidence; con-fidence; the rebuke of John Henry Smith, from his towering height and in the convincing eloquence of which he was a master, held no lash to lacerate and bruise, because tolerance and brotherly kindness flashed through it as a motif sweet in its harmony. Equipped by nature and training train-ing to be in the front rank of his fellows, irrespective of the station of life to which he might i have been called, he took high place in activities everywhere despite the prejudice against Utah and its peoplo which obtained ob-tained for so many years. Master minds saw in him the twin of their own dauntless spirit and nmbition for the commonweal: uiey accepted him without de-Aur de-Aur in that brotherhood of energy and capability which Widows neither creed nor politics, an is impatient of metes and Minds. By his life and "works bo was a livinprgument for tho religion mwhieh he believed ! tjinquenched. irFu 1 of years and honors, respected re-spected by all, hated by none, loved by those who came into intimate in-timate personal contact with his great and kindly nature, the curtain of life has rung down and John Henry Smith has passed into the great beyond in full harmony with the poetic adjuration of William Cullen Bryant, that master of English diction, who wrote: Sustained and soothed Byan unfaltering trust, approach ap-proach thy grave Like one that wraps the drapery dra-pery of his couch About him and lies down to pleasant dreams. The state of Utah, has lost a capable and earnest friend, the people a wise counselor and the Republican party a loval fnllnw. er. When the history of Utah's development is written, in those pages, embossed and illuminated, will be found the life and works of John Henry Smith. |