wfwoo ^ B()ok^ - '- 7? ^ Z'' 63d Congress! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ( °S^'' ?'.??'' 3d Session i (No. 14^9 i4- i-l i . ROBERT GUNN BREMNER ( Late a Representative from New Jersey ) / >-d MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES ■J' (yi') • ia SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS Proceedings in the House January 24, 1915 Proceedings in the Senate Februarys, 1914 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING WASHINGTON 1915 I -l^ c^. 0. of D. NOV 1915 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page. Proceedings in the House 5-37 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 6, 8 Memorial addresses by — Mr. James A. Hamill, of New Jersey 11 Mr. Warren W. Bailey, of Pennsylvania 15 Mr. Archibald C. Hart, of New Jersey .19 Mr. John J. Eagan, of New Jersey 22 Mr. Dow H. Drukker, of New Jersey 26 Mr. Andrew J. Montague, of Virginia 28 Mr. J. Thompson Baker, of New Jersey 30 Mr. Henry George, jr., of New York 31 Mr. William J. Browning, of New Jersey 36 Proceedings in the Senate 39-40 Funeral services 41 Tributes by — President Woodrow Wilson 4, 45 Mr. Joseph P. Tumulty, Secretary to the President 45 Senator James E. Marline, of New Jersey 45 Senator William Hughes, of New Jersey 46 Representative Eugene F. Kinkead, of New Jersey 48 Representative Allan B. Walsh, of New Jersey 48 Representative Edward W. Townsend, of New Jersey.- 48 Representative William E. Tuttle, jr., of New Jersey 49 Representative Walter I. McCoy, of New Jersey 49 Attorney General John W. Wescott, of New Jersey 49 Mayor George N. Seger, of Passaic, N. J 50 State Senator Charles O'Connor Hennessy, of New Jersey 50 Gen. Bird W. Spencer, of Passaic, N. J 51 Capt. James Parker, of New Jersey 51 New Jersey newspapers 53 Memorial services in Washington, D. C 66 Address by Mr. Herbert Janvrin Browne 66 [3] WOODHOW WILSON'S TRIBUTE In a speech at Palerson, N. J., on the evening of November 4, 1912, the day before the presi- dential election, W'oodrow Wilson, advocating the election of Mr. Bremner to Congress, uttered these words, which have been Inscribed on a bronze tablet that the friends of Mr. Bremser have erected in Passaic, N. J.: If Ever i.v .All Voir Life You Knew of a Better, Trier, and More Indomitahle Fighter Than "Bob" Bremner, I'd Like to Have You Show Him to Me. He Is Ever Ready to Battle On and On for Principle. Odds Do Not Dalnt IIlM. I.N Coming in Contact With Him on Frequent Occasions, I Have .\lways Ri;i:n Made to Feel Ills Great Ciiar.m and His Influence. After Meeting Him, Wherever it Might Be, I .\lways J'ekl Like an Old SiNja\GE Electric Battery That Has Been Renewed by Such Contact. Now, Let I's Have Some of That Electrical Power at Washington. We Need It There. .Not That Tiierh Is None There Now, iin I'd I.IKE to Si i: This (iri.vt Force — This Rku)- liutouiot. Fighting Bremner I'orce Diffisiu) in THE House of Hkhresentativks and Used for the Benefit of the Nation. I'd Like to See This I'ighier Down in Wash- inuton. Tiikkk ark Fiqiitehs TiiiutK, hit Thkv Will ui Be I''M'.oi'iiAGi.ii AND Hi'.\iiteni:d IE Thev ('.III i.ii Si E Biii.MNUi Onck a Day — This Indomi- MILE, Plucky Souu w DEATH OF HON. ROBERT GUNN BREMNER Proceedings in the House of Representatives Thursday, February 5, 191i:. Mr. Hamill. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged reso- lution. The Speaker. The gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Hamill] offers a privileged resolution, which the Clerk will report. The Clerk read as follows: Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Robert Gunn Bremner, a Representative from the State of New Jersey. Resolved, That a committee of the House, with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral. Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. The Speaker. Is there objection to the present consid- eration of the resolutions? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none. The question is on agreeing to the reso- lutions. The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. The Speaker. The Chair appoints as the committee on the part of the House the following gentlemen : Mr. Hamill, Mr. Kinkead of New Jersey, Mr. Scullj^ Mr, Tuttle, Mr. McCoy, Mr. Townsend, Mr. Hart, Mr. Baker, Mr. "Walsh, Mr. Eagan, Mr. Johnson of Kentucky, Mr. [5] MkMOKI.VI. ADDRtSStS : Rlil'IlKSliNTATlYE BUEMNEH George, Mr. Ashbrook, Mr. Browning, Mr. Gary, Mr. Prouty, Mr. Wallin, Mr. Winslow, Mr. Keister, and Mr. Broussard. The Si'EAKER. The Gkrk will report the next resolution. The Clerk read as follows : Resolved, Ttiat as a further mark of respect ttiis House do now adjourn. The Speaker. The question is on agreeing to the reso- lution. The resolution was unanimously agreed to; accordingly (at G o'clock and IG minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to-morrow, Friday, February 6, 1914, at 12 o'clock noon. Friday, February 6, 191i. The House met at 12 o'clock noon. The Ghaplain, Rev. Henry N. Gouden, D. D., offered the following prayer: O Thou who liast ever been our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble, our hearts turn instinc- tively to Thee in this time of sorrow. The silver cord has been loosed, the golden bowl broken, the sold of another Member of this House has crossed the great divide. None knew liini l)ut to love him; None naiiUMi lihii hut to priiise. His sunny siiiih- and clieery \\\)rds from a warm, sym- pathetic heart will be missed by us and by a host of friends in all tin- walks and conditions of life. Strong, brave, noble, generous. Thou hast called him to the realm from whence no traviKr returns. Hut blessed be Thy holy name for tlie profound faith and eternal h(ij)e which lill i>iir° hr°easts. lie iiiay not rclurii to us, but we shall g<» to him. In be grecteil once mi>re by the warm clasp of bis hand, tin- l)ri/^lit smilf. and cheery voice. Be this [6] Proceedings in the House our comfort and solace to those who are bound to him by the ties of kinship. To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. The faith, the hope, the love born of Heaven will live on forever. Thus may we cherish his memory. Thus may we press forward with brave and manlj' hearts, trusting in the undying love of a Heavenly Father who doeth all things well. In the name of Him who taught us that life is stronger than death. Amen. Mr. Johnson of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, the late Repre- sentative Bremner, who died yesterday, and who is to be buried on Monday next, was a member of the Committee on the District of Columbia. Under the rules of the House, Monday next, February 9, 1914, is District day. As many members of the committee desire to attend his funeral, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order on Monday next be transferred from Monday until Thursday, February 12, 1914. The Speaker. Is there objection? There was no objection, and it was so ordered. Friday, December 18, Wli. Mr. Drukker. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the present consideration of the order which I send to the Clerk's desk. The Speaker. The Clerk will report the order. The Clerk read as follows : Ordered, That Sunday, January 24, 1915, be set apart for ad- dresses on the life, character, and public services of Hon. Robert G. Bremner, late a Representative from the State of New Jersey. The Speaker. Without objection, it is so ordered. There was no objection. [7] Mt.MoHiAi. Ai)i)i(r.ssEs: Ri:i'kksi;ntativi: Riu:mm:h Thursday, January 21, 1915. The Speaker. The Chair assigns the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Baker] to preside next Sunday at the memorial exercises on account of the death of the Lite Ml'. Bhe.mneh, of New Jersey. Sunday, January 2'f, 1915. The House met at 12 o'clock noon, and was called to order hy Mr. Baker as Speaker pro tempore. The Chaplain, Rev. Henry X. Coudcn, D. D., offered the following prayer: Thou God and Father of us all, the inspiration of all that is purest, nohlest, hest in us; the author and finisher of our faith. We are here to-day in memory of a departed soul who left hehind him an enviahle record, a mechanic, a soldier, a journalist, a Memher of tins House, and, though his career was cut short hy the hand of death, whatever he did he put his soul info it and won tlie phuuiils of his fellows for elliciency and faithfulness, than which no greater tribute can be paid to any man. It is not the man wlio li\es longest hut the man who puts into a short life the best that is in him who accom- plishes most. \\'e mourn his going, hut the memory of his genial and optimistic view of life, which under the most adverse and discouraging circumstances left its inijjre.ss and slill lives in the hearts of all with whom he came in contact, to him tiic well done, good aiul faithful servant, came in all its fiiihiiss. and thougli his hody has passed into dust his soul lives to the glory and honor of his Maker. Be this our comfort and solace to those to whom he was neansl aue bonds of [8] Proceedings in the House death, the earnest of all who put their trust in Him, and Thine be the glory forever. Amen. The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will read the spe- cial order for to-day. The Clerk read as follows : On motion of Mr. Drukker, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That Sunday, January 24, 1915, be set apart for serv- ices upon the life, character, and public services of Hon. Robert G. Bremxer, late a Representative from the State of New Jersey. Mr. Drukker. Mr. Speaker, several Members of the House who had signified their intention of being here to-day have been unexpectedly called from the city. I ask unanimous consent that they may print in the Record remarks on the life, character, and services of the late Mr. Bremner. The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from New Jersey asks unanimous consent that Members who desire to do so may print in the Record remarks on the life, character, and services of the late Mr. Bremner. Is there objection? There was no objection. Mr. Drukker. Mr. Speaker, I send to the Clerk's desk the following resolution. The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution offered by the gentleman from New Jersey. The Clerk read as follows: House resolution 711 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Robert G. Bremner, late a Member of this House from the State of New Jersey. Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and in recognition of his distinguished public [9] Mi:.MoiUAL AoDKEssEs: Heprksextative Bremxek career the House, at the conclusion of these exercises, shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. Hesolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family of the deceased. The resolution was agreed to. [10] MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Address of Mr. Hamill, of New Jersey Mr. Speaker : We have come here to-day in compliance with a commendable and well-observed rule of this House to remember our departed colleague, Robert Gunn -^ ^Bremner. Amidst the many cares and duties of our busy daily life we have paused for a while to hold these few simple ceremonies in order that the motto, "Gone, but not forgotten," may not be a mere empty form of words but that it may possess a living, definite, and emphatic meaning. Our absent colleague has gone away, never again to return. He has left us in the heyday of his young man- hood and before his ambitions were realized or his hopes were fulfilled. He has gone into the silent land. He has succumbed to the onslaught of death, the conqueror. How resistless is the mighty and destroying angel, death. What mortal power for a moment can impede his approach? Who can defy his dread summons to join the countless host whose home lies beyond the portals of the grave? Can power, however extensive; can wealth, however boundless; or learning, however marvelous, ward off or withstand him? No! The king, whose mere nod commands obeisance from millions of subjects, will in turn one day yield obeisance to a monarch more abso- lute; the conqueror, whose might is invincible, will eventually perish at the approach of a conqueror unseen; the opulent one, whose uncounted wealth can purchase every pleasure in life, can not with all his treasures buy [11] Mi:.MoniAi. Adhkesses: Rephksentative Bhkmnek immunity from deatli. And science, with all its wonder- ful discoveries and developments, can compound no elixir that will prolong human existence a moment be- j'ond its allotted span. Every hour of l)C)unding life urges us on to death, and the whole world without excep- tion sweeps on to its gigantic burial — Ttie boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r, And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, Await alike the inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave. Death is indeed inevitably certain in it.s occurrence, but the time when it will arrive is uncertain and unheralded. We can tell in advance the regular revolution of the sea- sons or the alternate coming of night and day; we can determine the time when trees and grasses will grow and wither, when roses will bloom and fade, but lunnaii eye can not pierce nor can human reason remove the veil that shrouds and conceals the coming of death. Leaves have their time to fall, Anil llowers to wither at tlie north-wind's breath. And stars to set; but all, Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death! These thoughts teem in our minds during tills quiet and suggestive hour as we conmuinorate liim who in life was numbered among us. We lender our deepest condolences to his stricken fam- ily and linger a few moments to rclleet upon his busy and useful life. HoHEHT GiNN Buemnkh was born on Decembrr 17. 1S73, in Ihf little village of Kciss, in C.ailhness, lh<' ninsl northern comity of Seollaiid. His lather was n seaman and ship carpenter by trade. The small, peaceful village, Iiowever. alforded few op|)ortunities for prosperity, and to advance the fmlunes of Hie f.imily llie father s:ii!(en; not to my lord or his grace; not to the first comers and their heirs and assigns forever, but to all the children of nitii tluoiiglioiit :il! the genera- tions; theirs to live and labor on; theirs to enjoy; tlieirs to make blossom as the rose. [161 Address of Mr. Bailey, of Pennsylvania I do not know what faith as to the future our friend had. I do not know that conventional faith had any hold on him at all. But I do know that he had a religion of humanity which irradiated his life and gave it a sweet and beautiful meaning. With Henrj' George he felt that it was not selfishness tliat enriches the annals of every people with heroes and saints. It is not selfishness that on every page of the world's history bursts out in sudden splendor of noble deeds or sheds the soft radiance of benignant lives. It was not selfishness that turned Gautama's back to his royal home or bade the Maid of Orleans lift the sword from the altar; that held the Three Hundred in the Pass of Thermopylae, or gathered into Winkelried's bosom the sheaf of spears; that chained Vincent de Paul to the bench of the galley, or brought little starving children during the Indian famine tottering to the relief stations with yet weaker starvelings in their arms. Call it religion, patriotism, sympathy, the enthu- siasm for humanity, or the love of God — give it what name you will, there is yet a force which overcomes and drives out selfish- ness; a force which is the electricity of the moral universe; a force beside which all others are weak. And it was this force which possessed Bob Bremner and bore him up even when the shadows were gathering around about him. With him it was possible to say in the words of the great leader he was so proud to follow : Look around to-day. Lo, here, now, in our civilized society, the old allegories yet have a meaning, the old myths are still true. Into the Valley of the Shadow of Death yet often leads the path of duty, through the streets of Vanity Fair walk Christian and Faithful; and on Greatheart's armor ring the clanging blows. Ormuzd still fights with Ahriman — the Prince of Light with the Powers of Darkness. He who will hear, to him the clarions of the battle call. How they call, and call, and call, till the heart swells that hears them! Strong soul and high endeavor, the world needs them now. Beauty still lies imprisoned; and iron wheels go over 90537°— 15 2 [17] Mkmohi.u. Addhi;.ssi;.s : Uki'RESENtative Bremner the good and true and beautiful that might spring from human lives. And they who flght with Ormuzd — As our brother so bravely did — though they may not know each other — somewhere, sometime, will the muster roll be called. [18] Address of Mr. Hart, of New Jersey Mr. Speaker : When night was coming upon the Hon. Robert Gunn Bremner; when, tortured by a gnawing pain and martyred by experiment, he soothed his sufferings with the thought — My life is not worth one-tenth of the effort that has been put forth to save it. I am ready for the scrap-heap, but I feel the cutting and the doctoring has added to the knowledge . Some poor soul who comes after may benefit. The question is not whether I am going to get well or not, but rather if I am going to live up to ideals under tests; for dying gamely is just as helpful to the race as living bravely. Some day science will conquer, and I think I would rather be in the category of those who were in the fight and helped win the victory than be one of those who placidly reap the benefit — He voiced his dominant cliaracteristic — a sinking of self in the welfare of others. He had an eye single upon the advancement of all but himself. In a long and close companionship, I never heard him seek personal preferment or consideration; and he was influenced to accept the nomination which resulted in his election to the House of Representatives largely because by so doing it was believed he would assist his associates. His father was a victim of the decaying industries of Wick, Caithness, Scotland, of which Stevenson wrote: " The meanest of man's towns in the baldest of God's bays." While "Bob" was yet a child in arms his father emi- grated to Canada. The spirit of this father, which en- abled him to cast aside the memory of a lost fortune and begin life anew, in not only a new enterprise but in an [19] Memohiai. Adoiikssks: Hki-keskntative Hiiemnlh unknown country, was inherited by '* Bob " Bremnek in marked degree. Believing the sphere of his youth too narrow, without plan, and armed alone by a supreme confidence in his own resourcefulness, early in life he passed from bis rural home to one of our largest cities. Without assistance, he procured employment in this unfamiliar environment. Progressing, step by step, he soon became the proprietor and editor of one of the most influential newspapers in northern New Jersey, and a benefactor of tlie poor and distressed. His faults were other people's virtues. I occupy the desk that was once my late colleague's, and am inspired by Carlyle's lines, conspicuously placed thereon by him : Out of eternity this new day is born; Info eternity at night will return. Behold it aforetime no eye ever did, So soon it forever from all eyes is hid. So here has been dawning another blue day. Think; wilt thou kf it slip useless away? He entertained no fear, except of idleness and uscless- ness. There seemed no limit to his ambition or his activi- ties. While lying in apparent agony, a smile struggling with a facial twildi of pain, Iiis greeting was ever " Never felt l)elter in all my life," a pardonable misstatement. He shamed us all who were prone to complain. That smile has jjassed from us. but the nuiuory of it is here, and we may retain it as our most valual)le asset. He taught us to woik. to pnxhice, to sutler— and yet to smile. And iDilunale is tin man who |)rofits h\ " nun's " K'ssoii. He was never spectacular, but cv.r p«>rsnasive. There was none of Ijie spurious about Bon Buemnkh. II, de- tested liyijocrisy and falsehood tlir falsehood of deeds [20] Address of ]Mr. Hart, of New Jersey as of words. Born in poverty, suffering as a pioneer, he understood the poor and their struggles, and with indomi- table courage he fought their fight. His virtues were natural — he had no veneer. We served in one regiment through the Spanish-American campaign of 1898 and in close companionship I observed him — at all hours, under every mental and physical influence. Truly, he was an asset to the world; he improved his talents and will hear "Well done." A companion of the press has handed me his tribute to our bereaved colleague. I have read it, and feel that it must strike a harrtionious chord in every breast. (In memoriam R. G. Bremner, by L. H. Robbins, Newark Evening News) Upward his watchword was, and year by year, Joy in his eyes, he climbed the rugged way. Even when death's hard hand struck icy fear Into his soul, he halted not a day. Upward he toiled through grief no friend might know^. True to his dream at any painful price. Serving his fellow men we saw him go Up to the very door of Paradise. [21] Address ok Mr. Eagan, of New Jersey Mr. Speaker: Almost a year ago there passed from among us one of tlie most remarkable men who ever sat in this legislative body, Robert Gixn Bhemxer, a Repre- sentative from the seventh congressional district of New Jersey. Following the old and beautiful custom of this House, we pause to-day in our legislative labors to pay our tributes of respect to his memorj' and to tell as best we may the story of his short Ijut vei^j* usefid life and to point out the lesson of that life. It was not my good fortune to know Bon Bremner until election to this House brought us into association with one another. In the all too siiort time between our first meeting and his death I saw but little of him, and yet that little was sufficient to convince me that Bob Bremner was one of the noblest of men. I must leave to those of my colleagues who knew him longer and moie intimately the j)ltasant task of recounting his many and more inti- mate virtues. Membership in this great body has its responsibilities and its cares, but it also lias lis compensations. One of the greatest of lliese is tlie intimate and c luluring friend- sliips which we form with one another. My friendship — aye, my lovi for Boa Bremner began, as it did witli everyone else wlio luul tlie good fortune to know l\im, from the moment almost of our introduction. That friendship will l>e one of llie dearest memories I shall lake with me wliiii I Ic.'iM- lliis lliiusr. The iijd sMviiig. "To know him was to love him," applied with special force to Boll Hri;mneh. [22] Address of Mr. Eagan, of New Jersey The world surely is better because Bob Bremner lived. Every Member of this House who knew him at all — in- deed, every man and woman in America who followed his manly fight for life against the ravages of the dread disease which was slowly but surely overwhelming him — is the better because the Almighty saw fit to place the great soul of Bob Bremner in its tenement of clay for a few short years. Bob Bremner was indeed " a brave man struggling in tlie storms of fate." Coupled with indomitable courage and great optimism was a never-failing cheerfulness, which enabled him to smile while undergoing the most intense pain. He possessed in a rare degree the ability to look on the brighter side of life and to impart to all who came within his reach much of the cheerfulness which radiated from him. His all-pervading good humor made him a welcome addition to any group of his fellows. His entrance into this Chamber was always the signal for many eyes to be turned on him in admiration of his manly struggle against fate, and for a number of his colleagues to gather around him to inquire how he was getting on and to be enter- tained by his quaint and witty comments on men and events. I shall never forget the last visit made to him by Con- gressman Hart and myself at Dr. Kelly's sanitarium in Baltimore a few days before his death. We found him propped up in bed with Bible on one side and a volume of Shakespeare on the other. When we entered the room it was plain to us that the shadow of death was even then upon him. I believe that he knew that he had but a very few days to live and yet he was as cheerful as when I first met him. He assured us that he would be back at his work in a short time and told us of the plans he was making for his return to the House and to his con- [23] MiCMoHiAi. Ai)i)KESsi;s: Reprksentative Rhemner gressional labors. He appeared to lake as keen an interest in events as if lie really expected to be back at his work the following week. We recited at some length the story of our patronage and other troubles of the pre- ceding week, to liis great amusement. He recounted to us his own troubles along the same line with his usual zest and good humor. It was almost impossible to realize that a spirit such as his was about to leave us. Bob Bhemner was as unselfish as he was heroic. His heroism and unselfishness can be expressed in no better way than in the simple statement from what was to be his deathbed that even if the treatment to which he was being subjected were to prove unsuccessful in his own case, he was glad to sutler if the experiment should result in relieving others afflicted with the dread disease wliicli was soon to claim him for its own. He suffered intense agony in these experiments, not so nuicli. 1 beliive. in the hope lliat it might benefit himself us that it would bene- it others. I can not conclude this feeble tribute to the memon,- of my friend and colleague witliouf a reference to the sis- terly devotion and all'ection of Miss Helen Bremner. Miss Helen was with her brother constantly. Slu- aided him in his congressional work, ;iiul wht u tlu' licavv hand of illness was laid upon him and he was unable to go lo bis otlice she was his very able and courteous substituti'. At the end of each day she lirojiped Hie role of secretary lo lake li|) tiial of uuise. While Ron BitEM.M;i«'s dealii was a viry great lo.ss lo all the nieinbers of his family, it was, if |)ossilile. an evi-n greater loss to Miss llrleii, wlio never lilt the bedside of her brother during llie last eight days of his illness. Bon Buemnkr's friends were legion. ]\\ lume was he more esteemed and lovt-d IIkim hv President Wilson and [24] Address of Mr. Eagan, of New Jersey his lamented wife. It is fitting that I should close with this tribute to his memory by President Wilson : I am deeply grieved by the loss of Bob Bremner. He was a personal friend, whom I greatly admired, and was such a man as attracts deep affection. Throughout his suffering, which was long-continued, he seemed never to think of himself, as he cer- tainly never spoke of himself, and he was throughout as keenly interested in the diligent performance of his public duties and in kindly offices to others as if he had been free from pain. I feel that a beautiful spirit has gone out of the world. ' , [25] Address of Mr. Drikker, of New Jersey Mr. Speaker: Robert Ginn Bremner was born in Kciss, Scotlaiicl, December 17, 1873, and it was from his Scotch ancestry that he inherited much of the indomitable will and courage which marked his career. At an early age he went to Toronto and ultimately settled on a farm in the neighboring village of Camella. He studied dili- gently, taught school, and subsequently came to Paterson, N. J., where he engaged in newspaper work. At the out- break of the Spanish-American War he enlisted in Company C, Second New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. In 1902 he became editor and publisher of the Passaic Herald, and served in that capacity up to the time of his death. Bou Bremner, as he was familiarly called, luul the fac- ulty of making and retaining friends. His mind was a storehouse of knowledge; his disposition sunny and cheerful. He was eminently fitted for the career he had mapped out and for the duties which were imposed upon him (hiring tlu' last year f)f his life. His marked ability and leadership early attracted atten- tion; and though suffering from an incurable illness he was nominated by his party without opposition to repre- sent the sevenlli congressional district of New Jersey in the Sixty-tliird Congress. Only those who were favored with intimate accpiaintance know liow with pain-rackcjl body lie sought faillifully to carry out llie wislies of his constituents. Those wiio were most closely associated Willi liini during his protracted illness recall that even the greatest sulTering could not break tills masterly sjiirit of clieerfulness. No matter how severe his agony, this man. [26] Address of Mr. Drukker, of New Jersey * whose body was so cruelly spent by disease, had always the same tender smile and cheery welcome for his visiting townspeople. History has made heroes of men whose deeds required no such fortitude as was displayed by this young Passaic editor, in whom bodily affliction could not put a check upon ambition, and who was able to look at life hopefully and philosophically even though, in his own heart, he knew that nothing could save him. We can well believe the storj' which reached us from his bedside during his last hours. When asked why he submitted to further treatment after the attending phy- sicians were forced to admit that it was impossible to extend relief, he replied: They may not be able to help me, but they can learn something from their experience which may be of help to others. As an editor he did much for his city, where his pen was always ready to advocate reform. His life will be meas- ured not by his achievements in this Chamber, where his illness prevented him from regular attendance, but in Passaic, N. J., where he labored long and was untiring in his efforts to advance the public good. [27] Address of Mr. Montague, of Virginia Mr. Speaker: The laic Member of this House in whose memory we are now gathered has living within my dis- trict two brothers, one a verj' earnest and devout minister of the Gospel and the other a lawyer of capability and success, of cnergv' and good example. Knowing well these gentlemen, for I count them my friends, I was nat- urally much interested in meeting their brother when I became a Member of this House. I had learned somewhat of his illness, hut I was hardly prepared to see the inroad of this fatal malady so marked and so advanced. I first saw him sitting on the front row beyond the last aisle to the right of the Speaker with his arm ai)parcntly beneath the .sleeve of his coat and sup- ported by a dark bandage of cloth. It was apparent that the winding siuet of death was more than half about him, but despite this gloomy picture I found the greeting cordial and elu ( rful, a face of smiles, almost cfTeminate ill lendcriiess, and lu ri' and there a soain or line that indi- cated intensity of sulTering, but a fortitude to combat it. Such a personality attracted me, as I am sure it attracted every Member wlio im I liini. It is a fine thing to si-e a man battling against tremen- dous »% Upon the mound floral tributes send out their fragrance and seemingly waft per- fume on the winds to every portion of Passaic County. It is a most fitting incense. The scent of the tender blossoms will soon fade, but not so the memory of the man laid away with such impressive ceremony and service to-day. The funeral was to all intents a civic one, and never since the obsequies of Garret A. Hobart has such an assemblage paid its tribute to the dead in this country. Millionaire, workman, statesman, merchant, soldier, and citizen alike touched elbows in their tribute to the man every- one had to but simply know to love and respect. The home city of the man was not by any means the dominant one in sorrow, for great as was the loss of the man to Passaic, he was equally endeared to Patersonians — in fact, to all in the State. As the funeral cortege wended its way to the city of the dead there was a solid phalanx of humanity lining the sidewalks from the Lexington Avenue home to Laurel Grove Cemetery, a distance of 7 miles. It is estimated that more than 8,000 persons called at the Bremner home since Saturday to look on the face of one they had learned to love as a personal friend. The body reposed in a solid mahogany casket. In the right hand of the late Congressman was clasped a small bouquet of orchids and lilies of the valley. Rest- ing on the casket was an immense wreath composed of lavender orchids, white carnations, violets, and ferns. It bore the cards of the President and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. To one side was a cluster of orchids and white roses, the tribute of Joseph P. Tumulty. A magnificent wreath of white roses and mauve sweet peas was the beautiful tribute to the Congressman from the inti- mate friends of Miss Helen Bremner in Washington. On all sides were banked flowers from national. State, county, and city ofTi- cials, as well as from personal friends and relatives of the late [41] Mk.mohiai, Auuhlsses : Hli'IUlse.ntative Bremner Congressman. Among the larger floral pieces that surrounded the casket were ones from the New Jersey delegation to Congress, the Committee on the District of Columbia, the House of Repre- sentatives, Passaic Board of Trade, Paterson Board of Trade, Passaic post-ofTice employees, Paterson post-office employees, the Pica Club, the Robert G. Bremnkr Democratic Club, the Daughters of Scotia, the Caledonia Society, the Irish-American Literary Club, Herald employees, Walter W. Vick, Senator Hinchliffe, Mrs. Alfred Terhunc, Mr. and Mrs. William Dill. Mrs. Kyles, Orangevilie, On- tario; Anton Peterson, Henry C. Allen, Clan McLean Lodge, and hundreds of intimate friends. The congressional delegation arrived from Washington at 1 o'clock. It included the following: United States Senators Hughes, Martine, Hollis, Vardaman, Clapp, and Sterling, and Congressmen William J. Browning, J. Thompson Baker, Thomas J. Scully, Allen B. Walsh, William E. Tuttle, jr., Eugene I'. Kin- kead, Walter J. McCoy, Edward W. Townsend, John J. Eagan, James A. Hamill, Ben Johnson, William A. Ashbrook, Henry George, jr., Solomon F. Prouty, Simon D. Fess, .\brahani T. Keister, Robert F. Broussard, Samuel Wallin, Samuel E. Winslow, and Robert Grosser. President Wilson, who had intended being present, was unable to come, as important affairs made it impossible for him to leave Washington. .\ message to this effect from Private Secretary Joseph P. Tumulty was received by the family this morning. Gov. Fielder and party arrived from Trenton at the same time as the congressional delegation from Washington. From 11 o'clock to-day by rail and automobile came persons of promi- nence. Mr. Biii;.MNKn's mother and his sister, Miss Nina, arrived this morning from Orangevilie, Canada, accompanied by several family friends. Mrs. Bremner had been with her son in Wash- ington until he left for the Baltimore sanitarium, and while he very often said he would like to have her and his sister Nina with him, yet he would not have them see him suffer, and in his characteristic unselfishness would not have them sent for. The other members of his family present were his sister Helen; Rev. Witller Bremner, of Richmond, Vo.; Dr. Murray Bremner, Toronto; l.iltli Breniner. Richmond; and Will. I'l-tcr, Rali>h, and Cnil Iti'i'iiiiicr, of Orangevilie, Ontario. 1*2] Funeral Services The funeral service was conducted by Rev. T. B. Plummer, Presbyterian minister of Springfield, Mass., an intimate friend of the deceased. Mr. Bremner had arranged several weeks previous to his death his own funeral service, beautiful in its simplicity. The service he arranged was as follows : Singing of the familiar Gospel hymn, learned in his youth and repeated many times during his illness: O, 'twas love, 'twas wondrous love, The love of God to me; It brought my Saviour from above To die on Calvary. Reading of Twenty-third Psalm and remarks by the minister on this passage of Scripture; prayer, and singing of another favorite hymn — O, God of Bethel, by whose hand Thy people still are fed, Who through this weary pilgrimage Hast all our fathers led. * * * • • O spread Thy sheltering wings around Till all our wanderings cease. And at our Father's loved abode Our souls arrive in peace. He also arranged that " Safe in the Arms of Jesus " be sung at the grave. Mr. Plummer delivered the following eulogj". "On several occasions Mr. Bremner spoke to me about taking charge of his funeral services, for, of course, he realized that the time would not be far distant when he must pass within the veil. Always, when making reference to this matter, he has urged me to make my remarks not only as simple as possible, but par- ticularly did he desire that I should speak briefly, so you see that Brother Bremner had his friends in mind up to the last moment, and you are to thank him for this forethought on his part, for he did not propose that there should be any drawn-out discourse to weary and distress his friends. I am free to confess that if I were not thus limited by his instructions I would take the oppor- tunity to say things concerning what President Wilson has so well expressed when he remarked of him in connection with his de- mise that a beautiful spirit had departed from the world. This funeral sermon, however, will be the briefest funeral discourse concerning a beloved friend that was ever delivered. I recall [43] Mk.mokial Addresses: Representative Bremxer some little time ago spending an evening at Mr. Brkmner's liome ■with one or two other friends when the subject under considera- tion was the Twenty-third Psalm. Let me read this psalm: "'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters; He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake; yea, though 1 walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me; Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.' ".Mr. Hhi;.mm:h and his wife had on several occasions spent a Sunday with us at the manse. He eagerly discussed the sermon, and I always felt that if no one else occupied the pews, he was in himself a most stimulating congregation. "Let me bring to you but a word of comfort and counsel from this expression of the psalm : ' Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy stair they comfort me.' "The reference to the valley is both a poetical and literal state- ment of the human life. We find ourselves in a narrow fissure, and on either siile are the precipitous mountains. ^Ye can not go back to explore the mysteries of the eternity that is beyond. We are living in the valley, and we can not know about the beauty of the glorious table-lands of the eternity of the past and the eternity of the future. .Amidst all the perplexities anil troubles of the valley life, the Good .Shepherd is the guiile not only to care for the good sheep, but with even greater solicitude to seek after the lost sheep and shelter him safely within the fold. .\nd the Good .Shepherd tells us that He is more interested in the one lost sheep than in the ninety and nine who do not need salvation. "My word of counsel to all the friends here assembled is based upon the wise statement of Solomon —that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting, for the living will lay it to heart. .Sull'er, then, this word of exhorlalinn that you give heed to the invitation aixl the care of the Good Shepherd that he may safely bring you to the heavenly fold. .\nd so for all now here present and for myself as well, I bid farewell to njy dour old friend, and where I ran not see I neither guess nor fear, for I believe that through the great Saviour who brings us l>ack to Himself llirough His sufferings we shall meet, us the lilllc hymns expressed it, 'on that beautiful shore.'" [U] TRIBUTES By Personal Friends By President Wilson : " I am deeply grieved by the death of ' Bor ' Bremner. He was a personal friend, whom I greatly admired, and was such a man as attracts deep affection. Throughout his suffering, which was long continued, he seemed never to think of himself, as he cer- tainly never spoke of himself, and he was throughout as keenly interested in the diligent performance of his public duties and in kindly offices to others as if he had been free from pain. I feel that a beautiful spirit has gone out of the world." The President sent the following telegram to Mrs. Bremner at the residence of Dr. Kelly, in Baltimore : "Allow me to express my deep sympathy with you. I feel for myself I have lost a dear and admirable friend." Mr. Joseph P. Tumulty, Secretary to the President, made this statement after showing President Wilson the telegram announc- ing Mr. Bremner's demise : " Like all who knew ' Bob ' Bremner, I had a deep admiration and affection for him. He was a man, and he has never come to this office on a selfish mission. He always came in the interest of some one wanting help." By Senator Marline, of New Jersey: " Racked by pain, tortured with an ailment that was eating his very life away, ' Smiling Boh ' smiled to the last. His warm, sunny disposition was a contagion by which all who came in contact with him were inoculated. The merry twinkle of his eye, the warm grasp of his hand, made one feel assured of his big heart, and were successful in dispelling the blues if one had them. " I first met poor Bremner in Paterson, where I had gone to speak during the first Bryan campaign. He was fairly wrapped up in the issues of that contest. His zeal with tongue and trenchant pen was used to press his conscientious thoughts and convictions. [45] Memokial Addresses: Representative Bremner " He often said to me, ' I feel that my mission in life is to help humanity.' This thought is most marked throughout his political life. His last efTort in Congress was, in conjunction with Repre- sentative Mann, to draft and present to the House a bill to safe- guard the toiler against accident. This measure passed the House unanimously but unfortunately failed in the Senate. "While a patient at the hospital in Baltimore I visited him a number of times. .\s I now think of him, his patient suffering was wonderful. The much-discussed radium cure was being tried on him. He did not hesitate to talk of his malady and freiiuently said, ' Well, even if it does not cure me some other unfortunate fellow will benefit from my trial of it.' "President Wilson was much attracted by his splendid quali- ties and sent flowers to him each day from the \Miite House conservatory. ".\t parting on my last visit to the hospital he insisted I should take some roses and 'tell the boys, though in distress, Boii can smile yet.* \Miat an example to those of us who are left after him. "A truthful soul, a loving mind, Full of afTcction for its kind; A helper of the human race, \ soul of beauty and of grace." By Senator Hughes, of New Jersey: " Robert Gunn Bhumner was perhaps the best friend I ever had. The first time we met there were planted the seeds of a friendship which flourished at once and grew stronger as the years went by. He was one of those who gave all and asked for little. In all the years of our companionship I never knew him to discuss a care or trouble of his t)wn, yet no concern of any friend of his was loo trivial to call forth his sympathy and a tender of his aid. Like the Spartan boy whose entrails were being dcvourer the committee a [48] Tributes rich floral piece. The New Jersey delegation will do the same, as will the entire membership of the House. " He was a fine man. He had a great career before him. God rest his soul." By Representative Tuttle, of New Jersey: " I consider ' Bob ' Bremner one of the most lovable and re- markable characters I ever met. His death is a distinct loss to the State and to the House of Representatives." By Representative McCoy, of New Jersey: " In the death of our friend and colleague the House loses an able Member and the State one of her best beloved Representa- tives. Personally, I feel sincere sorrow and the deepest sympathy for ' Bob's ' family in their great loss." By Attorney General John W. Wescott, of New Jersey: " I am unable to let the hour pass in silence. It was said of the death of Confucius, ' It affects us as if some lone planet had rolled off" the flaming walls of the universe and dropped into the night.' Of the demise of ' Boa ' Bremner it must be said that it affects us as if some new star of hope and beauty had arisen eternally in the firmament. ' Bob ' Bremner lives more mightily in his death than he did in his life. As a living man, like the mysterious agent applied to save him, he gave to all the curative power of love and charity and kindness and beauty. As a like mysterious agency, even in death, he makes all men better, stronger, braver, purer. I never knew a more real man. Struggle how we may to reach the right, to do the right, our common infirmities disclose our inability to even approximate perfection. But the very physical frailty of this singular man seems to have endowed him with moral perfection. WTiile the problem presented by his career furnishes a wide field for speculation, the certainty, about which all men must agree, is that Bremner was an angel on earth. No one ever knew him in the latter years of his life without the sense of the perfect and the divine. Account for it how we may, we are forced to admit that his life was the doorway to eternal righteousness, his soul the indestructible truth which, sooner or later, will make all men, like him, morally perfect. " I send to his bier my tears, while he sends to the world his cheer, his courage, his moral character." 90537°— 15 S [49] Mi;m(ihiai. Addkesses: Rephesentatim: Rkemneh By Mayor George N. Soger, of Passaic, N. J.: " In the death of Congressman Robert G. Bremner the com- munity loses not only a good citizen but an unselfish, untiring worker for all that pertained to its upbuilding and uplifting. "None except those who came in personal touch with him realize how deeply he was interested in the welfare of his fellow men, and that he has not gone to the great beyond, afflicted as he was, long before now was due entirely to his great will power and an unfaltering faith in Him who shapes all our destinies, the Supreme Architect of the Universe. "As a mark of respect which this community owes ' Bob ' Bremner, I have ordered the flags lowered on all public buildings throughout the city." By State Senator Charles O'Connor Hennessy, of New Jersey: " I ask the privilege of joining with those who would pay the sad tribute of respect and love to the memory of Robert G. Bremner, the splendid citizen who passed out of this to another life yesterday. I was honored with his friendship, and less than two weeks ago it was my privilege to sit for an hour at his bed- side in Baltimore and to be inspired by his marvelous patience and cheerfulness under great pain and in the face of what I believe he must have known was the approach of the mortal end. " He was truly brave and good, anil he won to himself a multi- tude of men of high and low degree by the simple magic of loving all humanity and inspiring love in return. He felt the miseries and misfortunes of his fellow men, and was deeply learned in the true statesmanship that woulii seek for tlie removal of the institutional causes rather than the effects of jiovcrty ami crime ill our centers of po|>ulation. "Had he lived for 10 years JoriKcr 1 believe his voice and pen would have profoundly ulTectcd the current of political thought in his home city and in the State and Nation. " He has gone away not to return in this life, but his big heart, his gentle voice, his sweet smile, and his sunny spirit will be long remembered by thousands of men, wiimeii, and rhildreii whose lives have been hi'JKhtened and bettered because ' Boil ' Blu'.MNKR liveing his kit of panaceas. He believed that there was bred into this Nation a self-governing and stales- manlike instinct which rejects the spurious and holds fast to the genuine. He recognized the desire to remedy wrongs, but be- lieved the remedy could not be applied by running past the danger signals. He was a firm believer in the old nationalism, the nationalism of the fathers and founders who brought forth on this continent a Nation dedicated to the proposition that all men were horn free and equal. This was the faith he carried with him to WaNliington. .Mthougll suffering night and day from llie alUiction that llnally forced him to give up life's struggle. " Bon " Bi«i:MM:n worked with tireless cnerg>' to serve tlie public from llie day [5<] Tributes he took office, and there are few of his constituents who did not hear from him personally. The tariff bill out of the way, "Bob" Bremneb began work on a bill in the interest of every man and woman who toils in the mills and factories and mines. It is known as "A bill to estab- lish a bureau of industrial safety." Its purpose was to erect a national museum of safety for the establishment of devices and methods for the protection of the worker, and to maintain in connection therewith a laboratory for the investigation of indus- trial disease and means for its prevention. Less than two weeks ago, when life was ebbing fast, despite the optimistic reports of his condition sent from Baltimore, " Bob " Bremner dictated a long report describing the advantages of such a law. With a restless brain and a burning desire to accomplish what he had in view he could not be denied, and his interest in that bill never stopped until his heart ceased to beat. It was a fitting close to a life dedicated to the interest of humanity. " Bob " Bremner's career, his achievements, are valuable ex- amples to hold up to the young men of to-day who are struggling against adverse environment. He was born poor — poor in the worldly sense; poor as Milton says in the "tool of fools," but rich in soul and brains and hope and courage and that never- say-die spirit. Nineteen years ago he was penniless and un- known. He had only his own pluck, his own energy, and his own unfailing optimism to carry him along, and step by step he climbed the ladder of success — success as measured by the good he accomplished and the place he held in the hearts of the people — until he reached a point to which it has been the good fortune of few men to ascend. What finer example could there be to the struggling youth of this Nation, or to the honest and ambitious youth who comes from other shores to this land of golden opportunity? Of him it can truly be said, " His life was gentle, and the elements so mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, ' This was a man! ' " He rests from his labors well, efficiently, and faithfully performed for good, and the benedic- tions of his works will remain and follow him. With peace to his ashes and rest to his soul, we say farewell. " Bob " Bremner is no more in the flesh, but his name will long live on the tablets of loving memory. J. J. O'R. [55] Memuhiai. Auhkesses : Rei>resentativk Bhemnkk [The Paterson Press] Robert G. Brkmneb, affectionately and truthfully known as " Smiling Bob," passed away this morning in a private sanitarium in Baltimore, Md., where he was taken several weeks ago for treatment for a distressing illness with which he had suffered for nearly four years. Perhaps no man was better known throughout Passaic County than Mr. Bremner. Certainly no man ever trod the streets of this community who had more or warmer friends. And it is not hard to find the reason for the universal affection in which he was held. " Bob " Bremner was first of all a true friend, and by that it must be understood that he could stand the test of real friendship — he did not magnify the weaknesses in his fellows, but threw the mantle of charity over the frailties possessed by those with whom he came in contact. With " Bob " Bremner every man was a good fellow. He simply loved all humanity; his heart beat true to himself and to the rest of mankind, and because the milk of human kindness flowed so freely in his own veins he was glad to be alive, glad to mix with his fellows, and ever ready to cheer with the encouraging word or to help thcvse in actual need with the more substantial things of life. .\nd with his perennial good will and stanch friendship "Bon" Bremner mixed a never-failing cheery disposition. It was always high noon with " Bob." The sun in his life knew no setting, and no cloud seemed ever to darken the star of hope that gleamed always in the canopy of his mind. Many men have suffered as much physical pain as Mr. Bremner, but no man ever bore the tortures of the flesh with more grit and greater fortitude and with a more hopeful spirit than the man who is now no more. No one ever heard " Bon " Bremner say that he was not well; no man ever heard him admit that the battle, which so many of us knew from the beginning was to be hopeless, must be a losing one for him. But those of his friends who knew him the best anti saw him the most will remember the picture of this man gritting his teeth with pain, while lie set his body and his mind to the tasks that were before liiin, and went smiling on with his burden made light with his own good cheer. Tnilhfully has it been said that all of life's heroes are not to be found ui)on the field of battle. [56] Tributes " Bob " Bremner has left many legacies of precept and ex- ample to live after him, but perhaps the lesson that will remain fixed indelibly in the minds of those who knew him best will be the one that teaches us all to accept life's burdens as they are apportioned out, and to go through the journey here uncomplain- ingly, hearing them with all the fortitude and good nature that we can command. If " Bob " Bremner had left no other monu- ment, this would be one that would perpetuate his name in glory and in loving memory. It was a tired man who laid down the battle of life in Baltimore to-day. To such a pilgrim along life's pathway the words of the Master surely have a fitting application : " Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." [The Paterson Guardian] The end of earthly things has come for Robert Bremner. It is hard to put into words the hold which Robert Bremner has taken upon the hearts of the people of this community, where a considerable portion of his adult life was passed. It was here that he started as a newspaper reporter after leaving his home in Canada; it was here that he formed friendships that were lasting and enduring; there are hundreds of men and women in this community to-day who feel that their lives have been made brighter and better by knowing " Bob " Bremner and being able to read aright the splendid lesson of his life. Everyone who came to know Robert Bremner became his friend. It was impossible to resist the charm of his personality; his nature was a flowing fountain of cheerfulness and optimism; he always looked at the brighter side and his greatest pleasure seemed to lie in endeavor to impart some of his own cheerfulness to others. It was not because of his great physical affliction that Robert Bremner won the regard of all who knew him. Before his own time of trouble came the young man had carved out a place for himself in the business community by establishing himself as the proprietor of an extensive newspaper property in Passaic. He had to overcome obstacles that would have daunted most young men. [57] Mkmokiai. Ai)I)1ii;ssi;s : Ui:imiem;ntative Bremnfr His pathway to success was rendered doubly dillicult because the physical blow came at a time in his business career that called for vigorous activity and unceasing application. Years ago he knew and with the help of medical science was able to measure the span of his life. But he never spoke of it; he was always quick to assure his friends that the future held hope of cure. But deep in his own heart Robert Bremneb knew that he was stricken with mortal malady, and his bravery and cheerfulness in facing the grim call of destiny constitute the splendid lesson of his life. Knowing just what the future held in store, he re- solved that the closing years of his brief span should be crowded with endeavor for the benefit of others. So he cast aside the despair that would have seized most men under similar circumstances and devoted his last years to his secret purpose. In spite of great physical suffering he worked hard at his chosen profession, and as a newspaper editor with high ideals did much for the community where he lived. He accepted the nomination for Congi'essman because he felt that it would give him a wider field to carry out his chosen purpose. If Roni-.BT Brkmneb's allliction had been allowed to run its natural course he might have lived a year or two longer; in any event, it is sure that he could have avoided the great suffering involved in attempts that were made to check the progress of a remarkable form of cancer that attracted international attention. It was not until two weeks ago that Robert Bremner revealed the real purpose wliicli dominated the last years of his life, when he said that he was glad to sillier if the experiments made ui)on his pain-racked body would prove of future Ijeneflt to his fellow men. Stricken to death by a disease that has thus far baflled science and the known agencies of medicine, Hohkht Bui.mmir put aside the personal ((uestion of his own suffering, and for several years endured pinsical torture in the hope that a cure might be found through hitherto untried treatment. Roiiebt Bremneh sulTered in the hope that his fellow men might be enabled to avoid similar sulTeiinu from llie dread aniiclion of cancer. His life and its lesson will Ix- n la>tiiig monument to his memory. [58] Tributes [The Paterson Morning Call] " Bob " Bremner's dead. That's the only way to express it. Usually when a man dies he is referred to in solemn-sounding words with great dignity. Thus we shall probably be criticized by those who did not know the subject of this sketch for not referring to him as the Hon. Robert G. Bremner — the name by which he was known in official records. But — did you know " Bob " Bremner? Then you understand the sorrow that will follow the announcement that " Bob Brem- ner's dead." If you knew him, you will not want to read of any other man; you will not want to see it printed, "Hon. Robert G. Bremner." Because there was such simplicity about the man, such fearless frankness, you want always to remember him as first you knew him — as " Bob " Bremner. " Bob " Bremner was an unusual character — a most unusual one. But he was unusual in no respect more than that he was always " natural " — always plain " Bob " Bremner. A man of giant constitution, of tremendous mold of mind, in whose heart an unkind thought would have become so lonesome that it would have perished for lack of comradeship; a man whose magna- nimity knew no bounds, who could not have been selfish had he tried, who was born to serve those he called friends — " Bob " Bremner goes to his reward after a life in his way, whose chief object was ever to make the lives of others pleasant. " Bob " Bremner was a great man who tried not to be a great man. He literally fought against advancement to what the world calls fame. He did not despise it; he preferred comparative obscurity; to go about his way as he saw fit in the society of his fellows here in Paterson and Passaic, happy in the knowledge that every friend he had — and that meant every acquaintance — was fastened to him by the ties that knew no breaking. Had he desired publicity he could have obtained it. Had he desired political preference, it was ever knocking at his door. Had he desired wealth he had but to hold out his hands; it would have been poured into them. But " Bob " Bremner had no use for great wealth. It would have been an incumbrance to him. It would have marred his philosophy. It would have had to be given away, just as the small wealth which came to him was given away. Money, in his philosophy, was intended for those who would be poor without [59] Memohiai. Audhessus: Kei-hesentative Bkemneh it. " Bon" Bremner was rich with never a penny in his pockets — richer than those who reckon wealth in this world's goods. His great mind grasped the issues of the day and held them till the last. But issues of the past were dearer to him; he loved to delve in history concerning other times and other people. He read the literature of the ancients and was familiar with their petty strifes and struggles. He knew the making of civilization in all its ramifications; had followed man from the dismal swamp of primitive times to his now exalted station. He knew thousands of men, their great emotions, past and present. And he could brush it all aside and meet the humblest upon a common ground, and add a cheerful thought to the impoverished store of him whose learning was indillerent. The vain ambitions of his fellow man he looked upon as trifles, and estimated them as toys for little children. For he himself had risen to heights from which he could look down upon them and place a value upon ambition. The heights above him did not tempt; he did not seek to gain the mountain crest. He knew that it was covered with the crests of snows that neither served nor satisfied, and so he sat himself down between those who toiled in the soil below and those who strove to reach the useless heights above, and lent a glory to the place. "Bob" Bremner's dead. The world is poorer than it's been since he came on earth. [The Paterson News] "The question is not wlicllier I am going to gel well, but rather if I am going to live uj) to Ideals for d\ing gamely, which are just as helpful to the race as living bravely." A martyr and a hero is a (it characterization for Robkrt Gunn Bre.mneh, Congressman from New Jersey, newspaper editor, and stoical sufferer, whose life ended in a Baltimore hospital this morning after a five-year fight against the ravages of a cancerous growth. Ills words printed above are a lit characterization of the man. No hero of the battle field is more entitled to the praise, the respect, and the admiration of his fellow men than " Bon " BiiEMNrM, who until the last moment kept up the courage of those iiliiMit liirii, iiiul uiiseinshly thought of others in spile of the a^imiz- [00] Tributes ing pain that was fighting to rob him of consciousness and liis very life's breath. For five long years " Bob " Bremner stood on the brink of tlie grave, looked in the future, into that deep, weird mystery behind the curtain of death and down the valley eternal, and he was unafraid. For five years he lived a living death, and during that time no man ever heard a word of complaint escape his lips; no man ever asked him how he felt without receiving a cheery response, and he won for himself a place in the hearts and the affections of hundreds who were privileged to know him and also admired the Spartan courage. " Smiling Bob " he was called, and " Smiling Bob " he was. Smiling in the face of a living death, smiling at an inexorable fate that was eating its way through its cancerous agent into his very vitals, he laughed at pain and at distress, and he made those about him happy. If there is an inspiration to be found in those heroic traits of heart and mind that can rid death of its terror and the grave of its horror, " Bob " Bremner supplied that inspiration in full measure. When he was told that his last hope was in the radium cure, but that the pain would be terrific, he simply smiled and replied that pain held no terror for him, and that he was willing to suffer untold agonies and go to the grave uncomplainingly if those who came after him might benefit and the cause of hu- manity be helped by the conquering of the dread specter — cancer. And there was more than a promise in his words; there was the reality of performance, for he suffered the tortures of hell and never a word of complaint escaped him. Nineteen years ago this man of iron found his way to Paterson in answer to an advertisement inserted in a New York paper by the late Edward B. Haines, founder of the News, and his first employment was in the News ofHce. The News to-day is proud of this — proud to know that a man such as was this one was one of our boys, and that he was of the fighting metal that the News admires and loves. Poor " Bob " Bremner. Our " Bob." He has gone on and be- yond, but his memory will be fresh and green as long as human hearts beat and as long as men honor courage, patriotism, self- sacrifice, and personal heroism. To you, " Bob," a loyal hand of friendship, even to the grave itself. May your soul rest in peace and quiet unto eternity. [61] Mi:m(i1(iai. AuDKKSsts : Hci'HICsentativi; Bi(i:mni:h [The Newark Evening News] The noblest (jualities of human character are often rendered conspicuous by great suffering. This was true in the case of Congressman Robert G. Bremner. Many a victim of the merciless disease which brought his useful life to an untimely end endured all the agonies which he suffered, but not many faced certain death with such cheerful courage or such devotion to duty. Mr. Bremner was told last April that his case was hopeless, and that he could live but a few months at most. " Then," he said, " I must get to work, for I have but little time and there is much to be done," and he worked until his strength fiiiled and he could do no more. The characteristics of the man were his optimism, his indomi- table courage, his unfailing cheerfulness, even in the face of discouragements, and his conscientious determination to do what was right. A strong party man, he refused to be bound by party caucus or party usage if he believed either to be unfair or unjust. Prestige and precedent weighed nothing with him if in liis judg- nu'Ul they were wrong. To be true to his convictions, wherever they led him, was the actuating purpose of his life. Though not an American, he easily adapted himself to .\mcri- can ideas and activities, and rose from one plane of usefulness to another through ability, energy, pluck, and perennial good nature. He did not become very active in politics because of ill health, but he earned the high esteem of all who knew him, and the people of his district sent him to Congress more as a mani- festation of tlieir regard and confidence than for any other reason. Had Congressman Bhemner's life been spared, he might have made a great name for himself, for he was always doing good and always advocating the cause of the people; but it is inii>rob:ible that anything could have given him the publicity ami sympathy earned by the radium experiment, and his uncontiuerable cheer- fulness and courage under it. He seemed to look upon himself as merely an agency in the |)rocess of discovering a cure for cancer, and |)referred, as he exi)ressed it, to lie one who helped to win such a victory rather than one who placidly reaped the benellt. .\s the heat i.f the funiKie brings the pure gold to view, so the intensity of suffering brought out the noble (jualities of ItoiuiiT (1. HiuiMNicn. r62] Tributes [The Newark Evening Star] The deeds of few men have called for greater admiration or attracted wider attention than the act of Congressman Robert GuNN Bremner, who died in a Baltimore sanitarium and who had to all intents and purposes ofTered his life as a sacrifice " that some poor soul who comes after me may be helped by it." For " Bob " Bremner, as he was familiarly and afTectionately called, can truthfully be termed a martyr to science, having vol- untarily submitted to the radium treatment as a cure for cancer, taking all chances upon the altar of experiment. Sympathy for the heroic young Congressman was countrywide, and prayers for his recovery went up from a Nation's people as they watched for news from that bedside in the southern sanitarium where he lay stoically contemplating the progress, or otherwise, of his own condition. At no time did there come from the invalid a murmur of complaint or an utterance indicating that he entertained any- thing but hope of ultimate recovery. His air and manner and general conversation represented a confidence almost sublime, yet he must surely have realized that he was doomed. His intelli- gence was of such a high order that no other conclusion can be drawn. The cheery word, the pleasant smile, the jocular remark, when suffering untold agony, were always in evidence. Mr. Bremner never flinched from pain. This extraordinary characteristic marked his demeanor from the day, about four years ago, when it was demonstrated that he was a victim of cancer in its virulent form, to the end. Comparatively young as years go, prosperous in business as newspaper publisher and writer, with a public career that had already attained honorable prominence and a political future that promised greater eminence, he never outwardly grieved over his aflliction nor shrank from the inevitable. Others condoled with him and even railed at the fate that seemed destined to cut short a useful life, but the philosophical Bremner never raised a protesting voice. His sunny disposition remained the same, although it might appear that his self-satisfaction and seeming good spirits and delightful nonchalance were at times assumed for no purpose other than to reassure his relatives and friends that they might imbibe the cheerfulness that possessed him. [63] MlCMUltlAI. AlJUKESSES: REl'RESIiNTATlVE BrEMNEU In his daily work he was as assiduous during his period of illness as be had been in the years of robust health, and he was eviT persevering, energetic, and indefatigable. As a newspaper editor he had early made a mark for himself by reason of the droUness and logic of his writings. His style was quaint and stamped by a strain of human feeling and sentiment that appealed to readers. As a Member of the House of Kepresentatives he dis- played his natural aptitude for hard and intelligent work, and bis dying moments were frequently occupied in the preparation and revision of legislative measures in which he was interested. " Bob " Bremner had passed through many ordeals prior to undergoing the radium treatment. Specialists of many types had subjected him to their respective methods of so-called cures, and he bore the tortures of the varied surgical and other operations with characteristic patience and fortitude. The young Congressman had the happy faculty of making friends easily and retaining friendships, and was noted for his love of fair play and fair dealing. He would dare the displeasure of the most inlluential rather than permit tiie person of no politi- cal significance whatsoever to be unfairly treated. This trait, it may be said, represented one of the strong elements of his popularity. Hero, martyr, honest man, loval citizen, true and devoted friend, it will he conceded hy all that " Hon " Bremner has not lived and died in vain. [The Trenton Times] To ItoiiKRT GiNN Bni:MNKn, the Hepresenlalive of the seventh district in (^mgress, the end came Thursday morning. I'or nearly four years he had fought against the cancer that ate his life away, and for several years before the disease was recognized he had sulfered from its ravages. Yel in all those years he went about his work — cheerful, genial, and brave — an example of the true man to all who knew him. Loved and admired hy his many friends, he was respeileil by all. Nu stronger tribute to his worth can be paid than is contained in these worre indomitable lighter. I'd like to have you show [64] Tributes him to me. He is ever ready to battle on and on for principle. Odds do not daunt him. After meeting him I feel like an old storage battery that has been renewed by such contact. Now, let us have some of that electric power at Washington. There are fighters there, but they would be encouraged and heartened if they could see Bremner once a day — this indomitable, plucky soul." The courage and absolute unselfishness of the man was shown in these words to some of his friends, while Mr. Bremner lay upon his deathbed : " If experimenting with me has added a new- fact to science, then my life has not been in vain, but has helped the race. My life is not worth one-tenth the effort that has been put forth to save it. Some poor soul who comes after me may benefit. Some day science will conquer cancer, and I think I would rather be in the category of those who were in the fight and helped to win the victory than to be one of those who placidly reaped the benefit." Cut off in the prime of his years — he was only 40 — the world is the better because he has lived in it. Born in humble circum- stances, he had by hard study qualified himself for the work of an editor and statesman. He served his city well, and would have rendered good service to his country if his life had been spared. Passaic city and county, the State of New Jersey, and the country have lost a citizen whose place can not be filled. 90537°— 15 5 [65] MoroRiAL Services in Washington, D. C. Address by Herbert Jaxvrix Browne An address in honor of the late Robert Gi'nx Bremneb was delivered by Mr. Herbert Janvrin Browne, of Washington, D. C, at a memorial meeting held in the Public Library of the District of Columbia on Monday evening, Ajiril 27, 1914, under the auspices of the Tax Reform Association of the District of Columbia and the Woman's Single Tax League. Mr. H. Martin Williams, Reading Clerk of the House of Representatives, presided ov9r the meeting. Mr. Browne said of tiu' lato Representative Bbemner: " Robert Gvnn Bremner was born in Caithness, Scotland, within sight of John O'Groat's, 40 years ago. He spoke Gaelic until he came to America a lad of 5, but became a finished scholar through Ills own etlorts, writing and speaking an English of unusual force and ijurity. " I shall speak but brielly of bis biograiihy. He won his way by arduous labor to the ownership of a successful daily newsiiaper in Passaic, N. J.; was elected to Congress as a Democrat in a Repub- lican district by a large jdurality, and passed on February a, 1914, mourned and beloved by all who knew him. "' Ron' RitKMNKR was a fundamental Democrat, a Single Taxer, a disciple of Henry George. He was a philosopher, a scholar, and a |)oel. His democracy dwell not in statutes, but in the hearts and minds of men. He was a lover of all humanity, wilii sym- pathies so broad and deep, with an undorslandlng of human needs so comprehensive and so loving, that he had not an enemy on earth, not even in the ranks of those whom he opposed with tongue and pen. The stones in the streets kissed his feet, ami stray dogs followed him in his nightly wanderings. "It was my good fortune to meet with him at the beginning of his congressional career, and our ac(|ualntance ripened into an enduring and constant friendship. I was with him freipiently. I visited at his charming and modest home in Passaic, where, surrounded by frieniis and books, he sought surcease from the coiist:int pain of his bitter physical alllietion. " He bad the patience of a philosopher and the soul of a saint. His physical life for years was a daily torture, but from his lips fell no word of complaint. He had ready symi)atliy for the suf- fering of others; his own martyrdom be conquered witli a smile. [66] Memorial Services in Washington, D. C. " Between us came that understanding born of mutual political aims, of common experiences of life, on farms, in printing offices, and of contact with the sea. His father had been a fisherman where the North Sea sent its stinging spray against the Scottish shores. And the sea had yielded tribute and had taken its toll of wreck and loss. " ' Rob ' Bremner knew the economic tale of the emigrant. He had seen the highlands stripped of men to make way for deer parks. He had smelled the smoke of burning crofts. While the gallant sons of Scotland fought the battles of Britain in distant lields, landlordism, more cruel than a foreign conqueror, was baring the glens of their peasantry for the whims of the lairds of the north. Together we read from the pages of Plutarch the terri- ble indictment of Tiberius Gracchus against the landlordism of ancient Rome: " ' The wild beasts have their dens, their lairs, their hiding places, but the men who have fought and bled in defense of Italy have only light and air but no place to lay their heads. House- less and homeless they wander with their wives and children, while their leaders, with lies in their mouths, exhort them to fight for their altars, their fires, and the tombs of their ancestors; they have no homes, no altars, no ancestral tombs. We call them " lords of the earth," yet when they die they have not a clod to call their own.' " So in ' Rob ' Bremner's breast was lit that lamp of funda- mental democracy which no wind of political expediency can ever extinguish. He saw, as we all see, how the single tax means the destruction of privilege and the unlocking of the imprisoned energies of man. He saw, as we all see, that the philosophy of Henry George leads to the spiritual regeneration of the human 'race, to the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. " Long ago Bremner had departed from a narrow acceptance of religious creed and dogma. But he was a constant reader of the Bible, and understood and preached with a passionate devotion the social philosophy of the Nazarene. To love God with all one's mind and heart and strength and soul is to obey His law; to love one's neighbor as one's self means the destruction of all that human greed and selfishness which have written into the statute books those legalized crimes against human rights and eternal justice which have reduced modern civilization to moral anarchy. " We coined a word to express our philosophy. We called it 'Archy,' the antithesis of 'Anarchy.' We gave it a phrase: 'We believe in one law — the law of love.' We agreed that if the world could be filled with love, all man-made laws upon the statute books would become dead letters, as unnecessary, as futile, as mummied as the clay codices of Babylon. " Withal, Bremner was no closet dreamer, no lotus-eating phi- losopher, content with his own knowledge of the evil to be re- moved. He was filled with the intense practical sense of his [67] Memoiuai, Audresses: Rei-resentative Bremner Gaelic ancestry. He would work with the tools at hand. His bill now pending in Congress for the establishment of a bureau of in- dustrial safely is proof not alone of the direction of his sym- pathies, but of his desire to attack the present evils in labor conditions with the best equipment that the law can provide. It was constantly in his mind. " When Dr. Howard Kelly came into his room in the Baltimore sanitarium one day last January, and with tears in his eyes, his voice shaking with emotion, pronounced the fatal verdict: " ' Ron, medical science has done all which lies in its power. Radium can not cure you ' — " Bremner turned with his kindly smile and said: " ' Doctor, let us talk about something more important. Let me tell you about my bill for a bureau of industrial safety.' " Self-sacrifice had been the keynote of Bhkmnkr's character. In no incident was this more dearly set forth than in his consent- ing at liie solicitaticm of President Wilson to lake the radium treatment at Baltimore. " ' My life,' he said, ' is not worth one-tentli of the efTort that has been put forth to save it. I am ready for the scrap heap, but I feel the cutting and the doctoring has added to the knowledge of how best to fight cancer. Some poor soul who comes after may benefit. " ' The question is not whether I am going to get well or not, but rather if I am going to live up to ideals under tests; for dying gamely is just as helpful to the race as living bravely. " * Some day science will conciuer cancer, and 1 would rather be in the category of those who were in the liglit and helped win the victory than to be one of those to placidly reap the benefit.' " I heard former Speaker Thomas B. Reed's eulogy on Gen. John A. Logan some score of years ago. " ' Logan,' said he, ' was of the old Homeric type. He made the welkin ring when the world went wrong witii him.' "Not such was Brkmnkr. He bore his own suH'ering in silence. His voice was raised only in behalf of great jirinciples and the cause of humanity; and yet with so much charily, such gentle consideration of his opponents, that he made friends of the very ones he attacked. " Our dear friend's reading was wide, varied, and tlmrougii. To have once read was lo luive memorized and absorbed. His library was generous and valuable. It was the workroom of a student and a journalist. There his brain fed with unllagging appetite. The ]>hysical body has its limitations, but the mind of man is infinite in ils capacity. These feel of clay cling to the earlh from which tliey come, but our Ihonghls dwell with the stars. .Says llanilel: 'I coidd be boun(le