E 664 .S84 U5 Copy 1 I 53D < J >Ni IF I | r CONTENTS. Page Memorial address by — 5 .• I Mr. ClILi ,OM - 21 14 Ii) Mr McMillan IO Proceedings in the House Memorial address by — Mr. AlTKEN . 3< 79 Mr. A.VERY ... _ . 7; _ 70 Mr DlNGLEY . .. ... Mr. Gorman . . _ .. Mr. Griffin of Michigan . 55 63 .. 43 Mr. Grout.. . Mr. Linton .. ._ 48 60 Mr. Thomas 36 Mr. WeadoCK . 67 3 Death of Senator Stockbridge. Proceedings in the Senate. May i, 1894. Rev. W. H. Milburn, D. I)., the Chaplain of the Senate, made the following prayer: O Eternal God, enveloped in a thick cloud of sorrow we come before Thee to-day and pray that Thou wilt grant Thy blessing to the Senator from Alabama, bereft by the loss of his beloved wife, and to the wife who is widowed by the death of the Senator from Michigan. Shine upon them, O Lord Christ, with Thine infinite tenderness and human sympathy in this the time of their bereavement and grief, and stretch forth Thy hand to succor, and comfort, and bless them. Thou only art our refuge in the time of our loss and pain. But we bless Thee that we may trust in Thine infinite mercy, for Thou art touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Sanctify these bereavements, Lord, to all of us, and help us to walk this way of human life, which leads so surely to the grave, in courage and faith and hope, with 5 6 Proceedings in the Senate. brotherly kindness and charity, remembering that the places which know us now shall shortly know us no more, but we shall carry the record of our deeds and lives into Thy presence. And O, that we may be ready to enter with joy into that home where there shall be no more separation, nor death, nor pain, we pray through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. ***** ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH. Mr. McMillan. Mr. President, I am called upon this morning to perform the saddest duty that ever falls to the lot of a member of this body — to announce to the Senate the death of a colleague. Suddenly, painlessly, Francis Browne Stockbridge died at 7 o'clock last evening, at the home of his nephew, Mr. James L. Houghteling, in Chicago. Four weeks ago yesterday he dropped his work here to make a journey to the Pacific Coast, hoping that a month's absence would work the restoration of the health of his wife, who accompanied him. Before reaching Chi- cago he was taken ill on the train, and for two weeks his life hung in the balance. Only yesterday, however, there came a letter written by himself, in which rapid progress toward recovery was hopefully announced, only to be fol- lowed in the early evening by the brief message telling of his death. At a later date I shall ask the Senate to pay to his memory those tributes so justly due to one whose genial presence and whose kindly nature are now a loved re- membrance to us all. It should not go unsaid, however, that to-day there is sincere mourning throughout the State Proceedings in the Senate. 7 of Michigan over the death of one who has long been closely and conspicuously identified with her interests. In the truest sense of the word he was one of her sons. He loved her forest solitudes no less than her busy cities. All his life long he had stood shoulder to shoulder with her people; he had a place in their hearts; and as the families gather about their firesides to-night it will be said of him: "He was a good neighbor and a true friend." To the brave wife whose physical sufferings are now added to by this weight of sorrow, and to the bereaved sis- ters, I venture, in the name of the Senate, to send the syin- pathv of those who honored and respected him, whose loss they so sincerely mourn. Mr. President, I ask the consideration by the Senate of the resolutions which I send to tin- de>k. The Vice-President. The resolutions submitted by the Senator from Michigan will be read. The Secretarv read the resolutions, as follows: Resolved, That the Senale ha> heard with great sorrow the announcement of the death of the Hon. FRANCIS B. Stoi KBRIDGE, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. A', solved, That a committee of seven Senators be appointed by the Vice-Presi- dent to join such committee as maybe appointed by the House of Representa- tives to attend the funeral at Kalamazoo, Mich., and that the necessary expenses attending the execution of this order be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate. Resolved, That the Secretarv communicate these resolutions to the House of Representative-. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. The Senate, by unanimous consent, proceeded to consider the resolutions, and they were unanimously agreed to. The Vice-President, before announcing the result, ap- pointed as the committee under the second resolution Mr. 8 Proceedings in the Senate. McMillan, Mr. Frye, Mr. Washburn, Mr. Cullom, Mr. Jones of Arkansas, Mr. Gibson, and Mr. BlancharGl. Thereupon the Senate adjourned until Wednesday, May 2, 1894, at 11 o'clock a. in. January 25, 1S95. Mr. McMillan. Mr. President, I desire to give notice that on Saturday, the 9th of February, at 3 o'clock p. m., I shall submit resolutions on the death of my late col- league, Senator Stockbridge. MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. February 9, 1895. Mr. McMillan. Mr. President, I ask leave to submit for adoption the resolutions which I send to the desk. The Vice-President. The resolutions will be read. The Secretary read the resolutions; and they were con- sidered by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as follows: Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Fkamis B. St/OCKBRIDGE, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the busi- ness of the Senate be now suspended to enable his associates to pay proper tribute to his high character and distinguished public services. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives. 9 io Address of Mr. McMillan of Michigan. Address of Mr. McMillan Mr. President: The late Francis B. Stockbridge oc- cupied what may well be called Michigan's historic seat in this body. In 1835 the people of Michigan, claiming their rights under the ordinance of 1787, organized and put into full operation a State government and sent to this body Lucius Lyon and John Norvell. For nearly fourteen months these two Senators-elect were kept in the Senate corridors, until the boundary dispute between the young State and Congress was settled as such disputes are usually settled — in favor of the stronger party. On taking his seat in the Senate, January 26, 1837, Mr. Lyon was assigned by lot to the first class; and after serv- ing in the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Congresses he gave way for Augustus S. Porter, elected by the Whigs, who had an accidental majority in the legislature of 1840. Five -sears later Lewis Cass entered the Senate. Among all the Commonwealth builders of the Northwest, Cass was the most distinguished. By just and honorable treaties he had obtained the extinguishment of the Indian title to lands that comprise not less than one-fourth of the present States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michi- gan; and as Secretary of War and minister to France under Jackson he had won fame at home and abroad. During the twelve most eventful years when the Consti- tution was 011 trial he stood with Webster and Clay as its defender, and during that period was the Presidential can- didate of his party. It was during his second term in the Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. n Senate that the movement to resist the extension of slavery north and west took definite shape; and nowhere was this movement stronger than in Michigan, where it found ex- pression in the first Republican State convention, held at Jackson on the 6th day of July, 1854. Of the members of that convention Chandler, Bingham, Jacob M. Howard, and Christiancy afterwards were elected to this body. It is not necessary for me to do more than to advert to the fact that for eighteen of the most trying years of this Government Zachariah Chandler represented in the Senate the uncom- promising loyalty of Michigan. Sustained and supported by his State, he was an aggressive leader; and after a brief intermission he was elected to this body for a fourth time, and he died in the harness. It was during the years immediately following the war of the rebellion that the vast natural resources of Michigan became available. These conquests over nature called into prominence a new class of men. The State of Michi- gan held in trust for the whole country a series of water- wavs and a wealth of iron, copper, timber, and salt which needed but the fostering care of the Government to supply the people of this country with cheap transportation and cheap raw materials. As Cass represented Michigan's devotion to the Constitution, and as Chandler represented Michigan's intense loyalty to the Union, just as truly, though less conspicuously, Mr. Stockbridge represented the commercial enterprise of his State. Like his illustrious predecessors, Mr. Stockbridge was a native of New England, having been born in the town of Bath, Me., on the 9th day of April, 1826. Then, as now, the first ambition of a New England boy was to 12 Address of Mr. McMillan of Michigan. establish himself in Boston; and thither young Stock- BRIDGE went at the age of seventeen. Equipped with an excellent common-school education, for four years he received a solid business training in one of those large wholesale houses which were at that time centers of trade for the entire country. But when the smell of pine is an inheritance it rarely happens that one loses his inborn love of the woods and its product, and it was altogether natural that on attaining his majority the young man should seek the bustling young city of Chicago as the scene of his activities and the lumber trade as a means of building his fortune. In 1 85 1 his outlying interests drew him to the source of his supplies in Allegan County, Mich.; and a few years later he made his home in Kalamazoo, where he became a very considerable part of Michigan's "big village," as the place was known until a few years ago, when it became a beautiful city. As a member of the staff of the great war governor, Austin Blair, Mr. Stockbridge ac- quired the honorary title of colonel, by which he was familiarly known, probably because the rank served well to record a sort of half paternal, half friendly relation in which he stood to the people among whom he had made his home. In 1869 he represented his district in the State legis- lature, and two years later he received the not unusual promotion to the State senate. Careful, conscientious, industrious, and clear-sighted in all his legislative work, his genial nature and his readiness to assist in every good work made friends fur him all over the State, and but for his own expressed wish undoubtedly he would have been Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 13 called to the executive chair. Instead, he came to this body in [887 as the especial representative of rapidly developing- and vigorous western Michigan. What battles he fought against circumstances we do not know. In the end he conquered and became what the world terms a "successful " man, with large interests not only in his own State, but also in the South and the far West. Liberal by nature, he used his wealth to build up the industries of his town and to establish, strengthen, and maintain its charities. Happy in his domestic life, he left a widow to mourn the loss of a devoted husband, and main relatives to regret keenly the taking away ol one who had been as a father to them. Of his work in the Senate it is unnecessary to speak bere further than to say that when his first term was draw- ing to an end the voice of Michigan, as interpreted with a verv large degree of unanimity by the legislature, was for his return. He had satisfied the people of his State. We who were accustomed to his presence in this Chamber can testify to his devotion to the interests of his country, his State, and his party ; and when on April 30 of last year death came upon him suddenly as he was caring for an- other it was the universal feeling here that a wise counselor and a devoted friend had been taken from us. 14 Address of Mr, Frye of Maine. Address of Mr. Frye. Mr. President: Maine never loses interest in her sons who leave to engage in life's conflicts elsewhere, and she always rejoices in their successes. She is proud of the boy who left as a sailor before the mast, then became one of the heaviest shipowners on the Pacific Slope, then governor of California, and now a United States Senator; and of an- other born on one of her hillside farms, educated in her public schools, graduated from one of her colleges, who then went West, became a successful business man, then represented his adopted State of Minnesota in the national House of Representatives, and now is a colleague of ours in this Chamber. These men, and such as these, are a State's jewels. I think, Mr. President, that Maine equips her children fairly well for such contests. She has always been a bor- der State, almost entirely surrounded by ocean and by a foreign land. She is located in the extreme northeast of the Republic. Her early history was one of cruel war. The price of a livelihood was always a struggle; if sought offshore, a ceaseless contest with wind and wave and rock- bound coast; if inshore, then the conquering of the pri- meval forest and the revealing of land which never laughed with a harvest when tickled with a hoe, but responded onlv to hard work. Her climate is severe, her winter long and cold. Mr. President, these conditions, seemingly unfavorable, I think combine to make her people self-reliant, courageous, Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 15 patient, economical, thrifty — legacies to her children of infinitely greater value than ease, luxury, and money. Senator Stockbridge, to whose memory we are to-day paying tribute, was one of these boys. He was born in the shipbuilding town of Bath, of good old New England stock on both sides. His father was an eminent physician in that section of the State, but of course in those days with a small income, and could give his son only the advantages of the common schools, with a term or two in an academy. Young Stockbridge, at the age of sixteen years, self- reliant, started out for himself; went to Boston in a store. He was adventurous and bold and soon found that his counter was altogether too narrow for him. He went West, located in Chicago, then far distant from the home of his birth. He engaged in the lumber business, it may be, inspired to it by the whispering pines of his own native State. He was sagacious and cool, but bold. ^In all of his proposed investments he was his own explorer, his own counselor, depending entirely on his own judgment. He regarded contracts, whether written or oral, as sacred, and observed them with the strictest fidelity both in letter and in spirit. He was a strictly honest man, and was not long in gaining a reputation which insured to him all the credit he needed for his extensive operations. He was a man thoroughly familiar with men. Having been poor himself, he sympathized with the poor, gained the entire confidence and esteem of all his employees, always treated them not only justly, but generously; so his extensive operations were never crippled by strikes nor injurious combinations. It was not long before he 1 6 Address of Mr. Frye of Manic. became one of the great lumber kings in the West and had acquired wealth. Mr. President, I have observed too frequently that when men seek riches they are apt to acquire a love for money itself — one of the most debasing of the passions of the human heart. Not so Mr. Stockbridge. He seemed to think he was a steward for his Lord, and that the prop- erty he acquired was a trust to be administered by him faithfully for the good of his fellows. He was exceedingly generous and charitable, as large gifts to benevolent, literary, and religious associations and institutions testify, and he indulged in an immense amount of that giving of which the left hand knows nothing of what the right hand is doing. It is known in Kalamazoo that on Christmas and on Thanksgiving days no table of the poor man was left without a supply equal to that on his own, and that he did it. In this charitable career he fortunately always had the sympathy and the loving cooperation of his wife, who, while it niav be was more impulsive than he, was equally generous. I have said that Mr. Stockbridge' s early education was limited, but he inherited an intense love for books, was a constant student even when business cares almost over- whelmed him, was familiar with the current literature and well read in the classics. He had one of the finest and best selected private libraries I have ever seen of books — not ornaments, not furniture, but familiar friends. He was fond of art, and lavishly expended his money for choice pictures, fine statuary, and rare bric-a-brac. So it happened that in the latter years of his life neither in Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 17 conversation nor in public speech nor in letters could one discover the school deprivations of his boyhood. He was ambitious. Why not? If all men were con- tent, what would this world be? He had acquired wealth; he had leisure; he knew that he had the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens; he knew equally well that he could render his country and State valuable service, so sought, not unduly, not improperly, public position. His people were ever ready to gratify him. He served in both houses of his State legislature, and then twice they elected him to the highest office in their gift, that of United States Senator. As a Senator we can all bear witness to his fidelity, to his constant attention to the duties of the great office. On committee his services were regarded as invaluable on account of his large experience iu affairs, his careful atten- tion to whatever was committed to him, and his untiring energy. He seldom indulged in debate, but when he did he attracted attention by the dignity and the courtesy of his bearing, by the closeness of his logic, by the clearness of his statements. He was princely in his hospitalities. He had an elegant home in Kalamazoo, surrounded by beautiful and exten- sive grounds, and the doors were always wide open. I have had the pleasure to be his guest, and the moment I entered the house found myself invested with, everything that heart could desire — horses and carriages and servants, and everything that money could buy were mine. Mrs. Stockbridge was a charming hostess, and seemed to take more pleasure in the bestowing than even the guest did in the receiving. S Mis 152 2 i8 Address of Mr. Fjye of Maine. Mr. Stockbridge was a man of strong convictions and fixed principles, to some seeming almost stern and Puri- tanic in his fidelity to them. His stand on temperance may illustrate this. He was a total abstainer from intoxi- cants and never would allow even wine in his house. Here in Washington he kept open house, as he did at home, and was lavish in his hospitality. He was giving frequent dinner parties, and I presume every Senator in mv hear- ing has been his guest. His table was always splendidly equipped, furnished with everything to tempt the appe- tite and delight the taste, but never any wine. I have no hesitation in saying that no Senator here, whatever his own private tastes and wishes might be, left that hospitable table without a new and a profounder respect for the Sena- tor who dared disregard the requirements of custom and of fashion in devotion to principle. Mr. President, Mr. Stockbridge was in every respect a strong man, a warm friend, a good neighbor, a patriotic citizen, a devoted husband; and he was more and better than all these — he was an earnest, faithful Christian, a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, active in all of its charities, faithful to all of its obligations. It is well with him. He has only passed through the open door of his Father's house, and has entered now upon life eternal, with all its wealth of possibilities. Life and ( hatacter of Francis Browne Stockbndge. 19 ADDRESS OF MR. JONES OF ARKANSAS. Mr. President: Mr. Stockbridge and I were warm .personal friends, and when the sad intelligence came to us that he was no more I felt that I had sustained a personal loss which could never be repaired, for at my time of life one does not easily make new friendships. During the whole of Mr. Stockkriuck's service in this body I believe it was my fortune to be associated with him on the Committee on Indian Affairs. In the discharge of the duties devolving on us in that committee we were often associated together on subcommittees in the investigation of questions referred to us. In this way I came to know him intimately and to learn his great worth and merit, and I hazard nothing in saying that no man of correct feelings could know him well and not be his friend. One of the most striking traits in his character was his fine, well-balanced, sound judgment. Never swayed by passion or prejudice, he held always a just balance in weighing the merits and demerits of any question; and when lie had the opportunity for a full investigation of any matter his judgment upon it would command the respect of all who knew him. This qualitv was manifest in everything connected with him. His marked personal success in every walk of life in which he entered, the high position he held among those with whom he was associated in business and politics in his own State and here all bore evidence of it. Perhaps his most lovable trait, that which attached his friends to him most warmly, was his own generous feelings 20 Address of Mr. Jones of Arkansas. and his broad charity. He judged no one harshly, never attributed unworthy motives to others, and never suspected others of sinister purposes, but always put that construc- tion upon the conduct of others which most accorded with his own high standard of proper conduct. While he was distinguished for his modesty he was at the same time possessed of great force of character, exhib- iting in himself such a happy blending of modest worth and self-reliant manliness as forms the finest type of our Western manhood. Of the antagonisms which rude self-assertion is always sure to arouse he knew absolutely nothing. His courteous . bearing toward and gentle regard for the rights and feel- ings of others never for a moment forsook him, and carried the conviction to all who came in contact with him that he was in the finest sense of the word a gentleman. I knew him in his home, and it was there that he ap- peared to the best advantage and in the most favorable light. No one who ever came within the circle of the personal friends and congenial spirits drawn together by his discriminating friendship could forget the charm of his hospitable home, and I am sure that no one ever went out from under his roof without feeling that his was a home of unusual loveliness, the crowning glory of which was the beautiful life of the husband and wife who made it what it was. Mr. President, until the last man who knew and served with Mr. Stockbridge shall have passed out from this body he will not be forgotten here. Xo seat will again be marked as his; his name will not again appear upon our official rolls; but his memory will linger like a sweet incense here where his presence brought only pleasure. Life and L haracter oj Francis Browne Stock-bridge 21 Address of Mr. Cullom. Mr. President: I atn sure that the Commonwealth of Illinois, which I have the honor in part to represent in this Senate, would not have me remain silent on this sad occasion. Mr. President, as has been said by the distinguished Senator from Michigan [Mr. McMillan], the colleague of the late Senator Stockbridgk, whom we mourn, the de- ceased had entered upon his second term of service in the Senate, and to those of us who only knew him as we ordi- narily know each other here there seemed main- years of usefulness before him. Mr. Stockisridge, when he determined to leave Boston to find a new home, located for a time in Chicago. He was soon attracted, however, by business ventures, into the State of Michigan, where he made his permanent home, his fortune, and his fame. His life was a career of honor and great usefulness in that Commonwealth, and he endeared himself to all the people. In the Senate he won the esteem of all and the affection of those here who most associated with him and knew him best. He was a man of strong sense, always cpiickly discerning the right, never swerving from it, and was a most excellent and conscientious legislator. He per- formed his duty under all circumstances, and met the high- est expectations of the people on all occasions. Few men in the Senate have more completely won the confidence and esteem of the members of this body than did Senator Stockbridge. 22 Address of Mr. Ciillom of Illinois. He was a good man in the quiet walks of life, as he was a faithful servant of the people in his public career. He was a man of business. He not only responded to the calls of his people to perform public duty, but he con- ducted large business operations as farmer, stock raiser, and land and lumber trader. He not only sought as a legislator to build up and sustain the policy which he believed to be for the best interests of the great body of the American people, but he sought also to develop by business enterprises the resources and wealth of this country. Mr. President, men are in a large degree what they make themselves. I recognize the fact that geniuses and poets are born, not made; but after all, the man who starts out with the determination that he will be a man among men, that he will carve out his own fortune, that he will make the world better for his living in it, and labors to that end, is the best type of manhood and leaves behind him more to be gratefully remembered by the people. Mr. Stockbridge made no pretensions to genius or to oratorv, but he was an honest man with more than ordi- nary ability, and was always for the right. During all his manhood life, private and public, the people with whom he lived and whom he served appreciated and trusted him. Mr. President, it was my good fortune to become some- what intimately acquainted with the deceased after he entered this Chamber, and the longer I knew him and the more closely I became associated with him the more highly I regarded him. He had no concealments, but was direct and single-minded, always resting upon the truth. He was a patriotic man; he loved our free institutions; he loved liberty, and was proud of the glory of our country Life and Character of Francis Browne Stock-bridge. 23 and its position among the .nations. He was a Repub- lican and believed in the principles and policies of the party, but he was never offensive in presenting his views in the presence of men who did not agree with him. Mr. President, he is gone, and his place has been filled in this body. The same experience must come to us all. I well remember his stalwart form and his vigorous bear- ing when he first entered the Senate; and I also sadly remember the many strong men who have been Senators upon this floor during the twelve years of my membership, and have, like him, surrendered to the great destroyer. Humanity is forever subject to the great law of change. From birth to our final breath we pass constantly on and on, never halting till the silent shore is reached. Senators may ordain, and the people may obey their ordinances, but death shows no favors to the tribunes. The departed Senator began his business career in the great metropolis of my State, Chicago, and he laid down his life in that city, surrounded in his last hours by his relatives and friends. I accompanied his remains to their last resting place in the city of his home, where many thousands of his neighbors and friends, with saddened hearts, lollowed all that was left of Fra.nxts B. Stock- bridge to the grave. I pay my last tribute of respect to his memory. Peace be to his ashes. 24 Address of Mr. Burrows of Michigan. ADDRESS OF MR. BURROWS, Mr. President: While I can not hope to add anything; to the just meed of praise bestowed upon the life and char- acter of the late Senator Stockbridge, yet I should do vio- lence to my own feelings and sense of duty to permit the occasion to pass without expressing and placing on record my high appreciation of his character as a man and his worth as a citizen. Knowing him as I did in private life, and of his many admirable qualities, I am not surprised that Senators who were associated with him in this body- even for a brief period should be able to bear testimonv to his personal worth, and his fidelity, integrity, and rare good judgment in the discharge of public duties, and his unswerving devotion to the interests of his State and the country. These encomiums by his colleagues will be exceedingly gratifying to the people of Michigan, who twice honored him with a seat in the Senate and who to-day hold his memory in the highest regard and deeply deplore that his life could not have been spared to the full completion of the term to which their partiality had called him. In forming an estimate of his character your judgment, of necessity, is based almost entirely upon your association with him in his official capacity as a member of the Sen- ate. But there was another side to his nature none the less attractive and praiseworthy. He was known to you as a Senator. I knew him as a neighbor and friend, with whom it was my good fortune, Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 25 during the last twenty years of his life, to be in almost dail) intercourse, thus affording an opportunity of discern- ing those admirable qualities of head and heart which attached him to his friends and secured for him an endur- ing place in the affectionate regard of his fellow-citizens. During this period of nearly a quarter of a century we were residents of the same city and much of the time of the same ward, and were naturally thrown together in social intercourse, freed from the restraints of public life which sometimes obscure for the moment the dominating characteristics of the human heart. It was under such circumstances and amid such surroundings 1 came to know Senator Stockbridge, and became attached to him as a neighbor and friend. In looking back on the years of that acquaintance and summing up its incidents, if called upon to single out the chief and controlling elements of his character, those which molded and dominated his whole life and made it a marvelous success, I should have no hesitancy in declaring they were his wonderful self-reliance and superb courage. He had confidence in his own judgment and the courage to execute what his judgment approved. This was exem- plified in early life. Born at Bath, Me., in 1S26, in 1842, when but sixteen years of age, he determined to take upon himself, in a measure at least, the duties and responsibili- ties of life, and to that end made his first venture as a clerk in a mercantile establishment in the city of Boston, where for a period of five years he devoted himself to the duties of his position, acquiring his first practical lessons in business affairs and developing those qualities of integ- ritv and self-reliance which marked the whole course of 26 Address of Mr. Burrows of Michigan. his future life. It was during this experimental period, undoubtedly, that he became conscious of his natural bent of mind and aptitude for business pursuits, and having made the discovery, without attempting to force his life into unnatural channels, so frequently attempted and so frequently disastrous, he had the rare good judgment to enter the open way pointed out by his inclinations and dedicated his life to an active business career. Having thus determined his course, he entered upon it with the ardor and enthusiasm of youth and pursued it with unflagging energy to the end, permitting no obstacle, how- ever formidable, to impede his progress or turn him aside from the consummation of his supreme purpose. His resolution formed, it only remained for him to deter- mine the character of his business and the field of his operations. With that sagacity and foresight for which he was noted, he saw in the forests of the Northwest the possibility of a great business future, and accordingly in 1847, at the age of twenty-one, he took up his residence as a lumber merchant in the city of Chicago, a place then of less than 10,000 inhabitants, where he laid the foundations of his future success. From a lumber merchant he became a lumber manufacturer, and pushing his way into the forests of Michigan and the Northwest, erecting mills and establishing camps, he moved forward in the course of his destiny nntil he was recognized as among the foremost business men of the Northwest. In 1853 he became a citizen of Michigan and retained his residence in the State during the remainder of his life. Here he enlarged his business, became connected with other and important industrial enterprises until, at the Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 27 time of his death, his business interests, varied and com- plicated, extended beyond the limits of the State from the extreme South to the distant forests of the Pacific Slope. This great business success was due in a large measure, if not chiefly, to those characteristics of which I spoke in the beginning, and which he possessed in a preeminent degree — self-reliance and courage. These were the weap- ons with which, single-handed and alone, he made his way in the industrial world. But this tribute would be incomplete without mention- ing another phase of his character, as pronounced as those to which I have already referred, namely, his kindness and boundless generosity. His liberality knew no bounds but the measure of his ability, and his charity no restraint but the limit of its necessities. It was this that greatly en- deared him to his people. Reserved, yet companionable; dignified, yet without ostentation,' he freely mingled with all the people in their everyday life, acquainting himself with their conditions and ministering to their necessities. Possessed of an abundant fortune, which sometimes dries up the "milk of human kindness," he bestowed private charity with a lavish hand, while his donations to public objects were on the broadest scale of liberality. Church and school, benevolent and charitable institutions alike were the recipients of his favor. The city of his home is to-day adorned with enduring monuments to his public benefactions. But while engaged in large business enterprises, demand- ing his chief thought and attention, he was not so wholly engrossed by these as to be entirely indifferent to passing political events. In these he took a lively interest, and 28 Address of Mr. Burrows of Michigan. early identifying himself with the Republican party, he became an active and influential member of that organiza- tion, adhering to its varying fortunes with characteristic steadfastness. Here, as in the business world, he quickly secured the confidence of the people and was twice elected to the State legislature, serving first in the house and sub- sequently in the senate, where, in the discharge of his legislative duties, he displayed the same rare good judg- ment which had always characterized his business life. Though a man of practical affairs, yet in his capacity as a legislator he rendered great service to his party and the State; and after all, the highest statesmanship is only the application of sound business principles to govermental affairs. That business knowledge he possessed in a remarkable degree, and it must have advantaged him and the Senate while here in the transaction of the public duties incident to this Chamber. His death is a loss to the Senate, the State, and the country. It is a consolation, however, to know that though his life fell short of the allotted span, yet it was full of good deeds worthy of remembrance and emulation. In his unexpected death we have a fresh reminder of the brevity and uncertainty of this earthly existence. I can not refrain from one single reflection. Nothing has ever so impressed me with the transitory character of human life as the contemplation of the changes wrought in the personnel of the National Congress within the brief period since I first became a member of the House of Rep- resentatives in 1S73. The intervening years have served to remove from these Halls most of the participants in the Life and c naracter of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 29 legislative duties of twenty-two years ago. Out of a mem- bership in the House at that time of something over 300, the names of only five of that number are borne on its roll of present membership. Call to-day in this Chamber the names of the Senators which constituted the members of the Senate in 1873, and only eight out of the seventy-two would make response. Some have passed to other spheres of human action, while main- sleep with the fathers. How rapidly the scenes change! How startling the transformations! The actors of to-dav sleep in the graves of to-morrow, while the drama moves on with unabated interest. When contem- plating these things we call to mind the words of one who, standing in a gallery whose walls were hung with the portraits of departed generations, exclaimed, "These are the realities, we the shadows!" Mr. President, as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. The motion was unanimously agreed to; and the Sen- ate adjourned until Monday, February n, 1895, at 12 o'clock in. Proceedings in the House. May i. 1894. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. E. B. Bagby, as follows: Almighty God, the author of life, the source of all wis- dom, the bountiful giver of every good, we thank Thee for the provisions of Thy providence and grace. Above all else we thank Thee for Jesus our Saviour, and we thank Thee for His life, so full of tender sympathy for all who are bereaved. We thank Thee for His death, that through the merits of that death w^e have the hope of an everlasting life, and we thank Thee for His resurrection, that it is a guaranty to us that if we put our trust in Him we too shall be raised. O Lord, we come to Thee in the name of this Saviour, and ask Thy tender consolation upon the stricken family of Thy distinguished servant the Senator from Michigan. O Lord, may Thy peace be with them, and as they stand by the grave may they feel the presence of Jesus near, and may they hear Him as He says, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live again, and he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die." O Lord, solemnize the hearts of all Thy servants; may they hear the warning cry, "Be ye also ready!" Prepare 32 Proceedings in the House. us for living, prepare us for dying, and save us by Thy grace, through Christ. Amen. ***** MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Cox, its Seeretarv, informed the House that the Senate had adopted the fol- lowing resolutions: Resolved, That the Senate lias heard with great sorrow the announcement of the death of the Hon. Francis B. Stockbridge, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That a committee of seven Senators be appointed by the Vice-Presi- dent to join such committee as may be appointed by the House of Representa- tives to attend the funeral at Kalamazoo, Mich., and that the necessary expenses attending the execution of this order be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memorv of deceased the Senate do now adjourn. The Speaker. The resolutions will be read. The Clerk read the resolutions. Mr. Burrows. Mr. Speaker, the message just received from the Senate of the United States, announcing the death of the senior Senator from the State of Michigan, Hon. Francis B. Stockbridge, is as painful as it is startling. Only a short time since the Senator left the capital in anticipation of a delightful journey across the continent, contemplating an early return to his public duties in the Senate, to which he was devotedly attached. But before these hopes could be realized, he was stricken down in the city of Chicago, within a short distance of his own home (to which he was not permitted to return), and expired in that city yesterday evening. Proceedings in the Hous, . 33 In his death the Senate has lost an intelligent and pains- taking legislator, the State a wise and safe counselor, and his neighbors the truest of friends. The State of Michigan has received a blow from which it can not readily recover; and the sad event will be attended with every manifesta- tion of public and private grief within her borders. Coming from the humblest walks of life, he never lost touch with the common people, and won his place in busi- ness and political life by dint of persistent effort and un- faltering courage. Possessing in the later years of his life an abundant fortune, yet he was prodigal in his private charities; and the city of his home is adorned to-day with enduring monuments of his benefactions. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to suspend its usual busi- ness, and join the .Senate in paying tribute to the memory of the deceased by adopting the resolutions which I send to the desk. The Clerk read as follows: Resolved. That the House has heard with profound sorrow the announcement from the Senate of the death of Hon. Francis B. Sto KBRIDGE, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That the Speaker of the House appoint a committee of nine members of the House, to act in conjunction with the committee appointed by the Senate, to make all necessary arrangements for and accompany the remains to the place of burial. Resolved, That the Clerk of the House notify the Senate of the action of the House in this regard. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the House do now adjourn. The resolutions were unanimously adopted. The Speaker announced the appointment of the follow- ing-named members as the committee on the part of the House under the resolutions just adopted: Mr. Burrows, Mr. Bynum, Mr. McCreary of Kentucky, Mr. Boutelle, S Mis 152 3 34 Proceedings in the House. Mr. Payne, Mr. Aitken, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Linton, and Mr. Richardson of Michigan. And then, in pursuance of the resolutions just adopted, the House adjourned. February 4, 1895. Mr. Thomas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the consideration of a resolution I send to the desk. The resolution was read, as follows: Resolved, That Thursday, the 2 1st day of February, beginning at 3.30 o'clock p. m., be set apart for eulogies on the life and services of the late Franxis Browne Stockbridge, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. There being no objection, the resolution was agreed to. MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. February 21, ICS95. The Speaker. The Clerk will report the special order. The Clerk read as follows: Resolved, That Thursday, the 21st day of February, beginning at 3.30 o'clock p. in., be set apart for eulogies on the life and services of the late Fr IN< IS Browne StOCKBRIDGE, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolutions of the Senate. The Clerk read as follows: In the Senate, February 9, rSgj. Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. FRANCIS B. STOCKBRIDGE, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the busi- ness of the Senate be now suspended to enable his associates to payproper tribute to his high character and distinguished public services. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. Mr. Thomas. Mr. Speaker, I offer the resolutions which I send to the desk. The Clerk read as follows: Resolved, That the House has received with sincere regret the announcement of the death of the Hon. Franc i^ B. STOCKBRIDGE, late a member of the Senate from the State of Michigan, and tenders to the family of the deceased the assur- ance of their sympathy with them in the bereavement they have been called upon to sustain. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a public servant, the House, at the conclusion of the>e memorial proceedings, shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk be directed to transmit to the family of Mr. Stock- BRIDG1 a certified copy of the foregoing resolutions. 36 Address of Mr. Thomas of Michigan. Address of Mr. Thomas. Mr. Speaker: From the eastern shore of Lake Michi- gan and the scenes of his life work I bring my humble tribute of affectionate regard and lay it upon the grave of Francis B. Stockbridge. Born in obscurity on the rocky coast of New England; apprenticed to business in Boston; achieving fortune and fame in the great Northwest, and dying in the fullness of years, honored alike by the great and the lowly — these are the graphic outlines of his illustrious career. When he came to my State in 185 1, an adventurous youth of twenty-five, the resources of the Commonwealth of Michigan were comparatively unknown. Her primeval forests were then unsubdued. Beneath the site of the In- dian wigwam lay vast deposits of unknown mineral wealth. Here it was, with a prescience worthy of maturer years, young Stockbridge cast his lot with that select body of men whose enterprise was destined in a few short years to transform Michigan into homes of comfort and cities of wealth. The same sagacity that guided his business affairs char- acterized his political career. Notwithstanding the presence of two distinct civiliza- tions, apparently irreconcilable, he saw with a prophetic vision the inseparability of civil liberty and Federal union. Through the darkest clays of the rebellion Governor Blair had no truer friend or safer counselor than Colonel Stockbridge. Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 37 When peace returned to our distracted country and great economic questions confronted our nation he brought with him to the United States Senate and to the solution of governmental problems the lessons of patriotism and the practical experience of business. The curiosities of a new political economy never be- wildered his judgment or entangled his feet. The truths of finance and of revenue wrought out in the white heat of the American Revolution and demonstrated during a cen- tury of national life were never abandoned by him. In the Republican and Democratic parties he saw the embodiment of a natural and historical issue. Within one or the other of these parties he believed all the needed re- forms could be accomplished. The disintegration of either by collateral issues he believed would result in the ascend- ency of the other. Hence, he welcomed to Republican councils Prohibitionists and Populists and all who had a cause or a grievance. I first met Colonel Stockbridge in 1871 at the conven- tion which nominated him for the State senate. He was then a strong man of forty-five, of commanding presence and affable demeanor. His fine head was crowned with dark hair, and his full beard was untouched by age. His kindlv face had no trace of severity, save those lines of thought which constant business habit had been register- ing there since his sixteenth year. His largest title at that time was that of "The Sauga- tuck Lumberman. ' ' He had already served in the lower house at Lansing, and a man of his nature could not fail to appreciate the generous expression of confidence con- tained in his promotion to the State senate. 38 Address of Mr. Thomas of Michigan. It is customary on occasions like this to speak of the early life of the illustrious dead. To be well born in- volves three factors, namely, lineage, locality, and liberty. Organic quality must be inherited, environment must favor development, and freedom to act attend upon opportunity. The name of Stockbridge proclaims an English ances- try. To be descended from a race which has maintained the supremacy of one flag on all the seas during the most momentous centuries of human history is no mean honor and itself an earnest of inherited worth. Of the locality of his birth I can not speak in detail, as I have never seen the storm-swept hills of Maine; but this I know, that great men have been nursed beneath her wintry skies. Their names are illustrious in our country's history. One was the second officer in rank in the Repub- lic and the Presiding Officer of the Senate during all the years of civil war. One was a distinguished Secretary of State, whose fame as a parliamentarian and statesman out- ranked in honor the Executive himself. Another is the present distinguished Chief Justice of the United States; and on the decisive field of Gettysburg, at a spot where the combat was fiercest, I read an inscription to the soldiers of Maine who fell in the defense of their country's flag. Francis B. Stockbridge was born at Bath, in the State of Maine, April 9, 1826, and died suddenly and pain- lessly at Chicago, 111., April 30, 1894, while on his way to California with his wife. His father was a physician in ordinary circumstances. He was nurtured in a home of comfort, education, and re- finement until his sixteenth year, when, in 1842, he went to Boston and began his business career as a commercial Life and I 'haracter of Francis Brown, Stockbridge. 39 clerk. In 1S47 ne removed to Chicago and connected him- self with the lumber business, and, becoming interested in Michigan pine lands, in 1851 he removed to Allegan County. Here he wooed and won his faithful wife, Miss Betsy Arnold, of Gun Plain. In 1S74 I was elected to the seat formerly occupied by him in the State senate, and from that time to the time of his death I knew him well, and he was closely identified with my county, my State, and my political party. Colonel Stockbridge possessed the qualifications of leadership. His knowledge of men was intuitive and his charitv for their failings unbounded. In his upward prog- ress to fame and fortune he was never weighted with malice npr disabled by envy nor corroded by jealousy. His faith in men and in the possibilities of the future enveloped his life in the sunshine of hope and guided him to certain success. It is often the case chat men render favors from selfish motives and hope to receive personal advantages as a result of their benefactions. These men pass by opportunities to show unselfish "humanity to man." Senator Stockbridge was often known to show his lib- eralitv, which came from the kindness of his heart, with- out the remotest expectation of praise or personal gain, and this virtue must have made him many friends. During the campaign that preceded his last election to the United States Senate the contest for nominating mem- bers of the legislature was in some localities very active between the friends of Mr. Stockbridge and his oppo- nents. In one locality the opposition united upon a man 4-0 Address of Mr. Thomas of Michigan. who was very popular and influential in his locality, and his friends also thought this a proper time to give him the honor of a seat in the councils of the State, and they so conducted the campaign in his interest that his nomina- tion was conceded. But, to the surprise of all, when the roll was called at the convention, his nearest friends voted for his opponent, and thereby gave him the nomination. When asked afterwards why his personal friends had deserted him, he replied: ' ' Many years ago, when I was a poor boy, I walked into Saugatuck as good as barefooted and wore only an excuse for clothing. I met Mr. Stockbridge and talked with him about the prospects for work. He informed me that he had nothing for me to do. 'But,' said he, 'come with me to the store. ' I did so, and he directed that I be sup- plied with everything necessary for my personal comfort. I accepted his generosity; and although since then I have been abundantly able to pay him, as you know, yet the spirit with which he supplied my necessities forbade my offering him a moneyed consideration. I have not seen Mr. Stockbridge in many years, but if I had been nomi- nated and elected you would have expected me to have voted against him. This I could not have done, so I asked my personal friends to vote for the other man." Thus, the unselfish consideration given to that poor boy gave to the benefactor a vote for the United States Senatorship. As society is now constituted the accumulator of wealth must be a leader of men. There was a time when lead- ership meant power; to-day it means justice; for such leadership the workmen of America are yearning. Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 41 The revolt of society is not against authority but against avarice. . Of all the virtues that promote the well-being of man I would assign to justice the first rank. Industry, temperance, fortitude, and benevolence are grand virtues, but they are often self-relative and expend their force on a narrow field. What the world is perishing for is justice, not charity. If one-half of the millions that are wasted in organized Christian charity were expended to promote the plain pagan virtue of justice between man and man the daybreak of the millennium would fleck the eastern skies. Daniel Webster it was who said: Justice, sir, is the great interest of man on earth. It is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together. Wherever her temple stand-, and so long as it is duly honored, there is a foundation for general security, general happiness, and the improvement and progress of our race. Speaking of justice, Sydney Smith said: Truth is its handmaid, freedom its child, peace its companion, safety walks in its steps, victory follows in its train. It is the highest emanation from the Gos- pel; it is the attribute of God. Above all things is justice- Said David Dudley Field- Success is a good thing, wealth is good also, honor is better, but justice excels them all. Such were the ethics of Senator Stockbridge. And whether you visit his mines in the upper peninsula of Michigan or his lumber yards in the lower; whether vou inspect the plant of the Red Wood Company of Califor- nia, or the Spring and Axle Works of Kalamazoo, or his famous stock farm in western Michigan, everywhere and always the secret of his leadership was the recognition of the rights of those he led. And as a tribute to his mem- ory I would carve upon his monument these words: "He 42 Address of Mr. Tlwmas of Michigan. believed in the equal rights of all and in rendering to each his own." That was indeed a sorrowful day when Michigan paid its last tribute of love to the faithful son she had delighted to honor. Very few, if any, of the great cities of the State were unrepresented. Around his casket gathered alike the rich and the poor, the titled and the lowly; all social, political, and religious distinctions vanished beside the grave of one who was broad enough to be a patriot with- out partisanship, a capitalist without ostentation, and a Christian without sectarianism. Death has of late been a frequent visitor to the Senate Chamber. First, it claimed the distinguished Georgian, Senator Colquitt; next, in rapid succession, Senator Vance, North Carolina's honored son, and before the funeral dirge of Senator Vance had died away the announcement went forth that Michiean's senior Senator had received his final summons. Farewell, most loyal citizen. Farewell, most wise states- man. Farewell, devoted husband, esteemed neighbor, and faithful friend. Well may we say with Senator McMil- lan, "His genial presence and kindly nature are now a loved remembrance." Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 43 Address of Mr. Griffin of Michigan. Mr. Speaker: It was not my privilege to be personally acquainted with the late Senator Stockbridge. His so- cial and business relations were largely remote from ray home, in the city of Detroit. His political sympathies and surroundings, so far as political parties are concerned, were entirely different. Though both were members of the Fifty-third Congress, I came into it at its second ses- sion, and he was called from it when that session was little more than half under way. It is sufficient, however, to warrant my use of a few moments' time that we both came from the same State. If more is needed it is to be found in the esteem accorded him while living and the respect paid him dead by every citizen of Michigan who knew of his honored career. Born in the East, he sought the West for his fortune, and he was its own architect. Happily for him and happily for the State, he found a home in the Commonwealth made illustrious by the great statesman whose name is so often coupled with the names of Clay, Webster, and Cal- houn; a State rich in its waters, its forests, and its mines; a State carved out of that immense Northwest Territory and inspired by the utterance of the ordinance of 1787, "Schools and the means of education are forever to be encouraged;" renowned for the intelligence and morality of its people, for its common schools and colleges, and for 44 Address of Mr. Griffin of Michigan. its great university, whose light through its teachers and scholars illumines and enlightens the civilized world, Occi- dent and Orient alike. He was quick to discover its natural advantages and its superior attractions as a home. It needs no personal ac- quaintance with the man to be assured that to be chosen from such a State and by such a people to the Senate of the United States there must be something in him of character and manhood to provoke admiration and win approval. If we turn, therefore, to that source of knowl- edge which is not infrequently more searching than the ofttimes partial judgment of personal association; if we turn to the common and united speech of his fellow-citi- zens, which goes to make up reputation, we shall find by this estimate that the people made no mistake in their choice, for he was every whit a man. A member of the staff of Michigan's war governor during the second epoch in this country that tried men's souls, he cherished no bitterness and no sectional hatred_ when the contest was over. With a full realization that this nation, to be the great- est, must be united, and that the glory and grandeur of the Republic are to be preserved and perpetuated by the unflinching loyalty and undying devotion of every section and of all her sons, he longed for harmony and brotherly forbearance with peace, for real content and satisfaction with outward reconciliation. He was generous in senti- ment, considerate in expression, not impatient of honest difference of opinion, and ever dominated by the patriotic impulse that lingers upon the words of one of America's Life and Character of Francis Browne Stock-bridge. 45 most lovable poets — words which seem freighted with a divine afflatus: Thou, too, sail im, < 1 Ship of State ! Sail on, I ) Union, strong and great ! * * * * ( )ur hearts, our hopes, are all with thee; Our hearts, our hopes, our prayer-, our tears, Our faith triumphant o'er our fears, Are all with thee, are all with thee. Nor, Mr. Speaker, was he a novice in legislative experi- ence when he entered the Capitol. He had in the very prime of manhood been successfully chosen representative and senator in the councils of his adopted State. It was there undoubtedly that he won his first spurs as a wise and safe legislator; there he gained the confidence of his associates and the plaudits of the people, riveting their attention upon him, until he became the target for kindly expression and generous approval, eventually culminating in the grateful summons to go up higher. He had not been educated for the forum or specially equipped for the halls of legislation. He was not learned in the scholastic sense of the word, but nature had gifted him with a remarkable capacity to divine cause and effect, and had endowed him with a sort of correct a priori rea- soning. These things stood him in good stead in business and public life, and enabled him to accumulate wealth, and at the same time hold himself secure in the growing love of the people. He was one of those rare men who, without early mental discipline in the direction of scholar- ship, in the midst of increasing busines cares and responsi- bilities, fitted himself to creditably and faithfully serve his eountrvmen in the highest station the State can bestow. 46 Address of Mr. Griffin of Michigan. I have alluded to his wealth. His fortune for these times was not extremely, but moderately, large. It had come to him by earnest and steady effort and by honest and wise management, availing himself of the opportuni- ties offered in the legitimate avenues of traffic and trade. But he was not a man to glory in his riches. He was rich in good works and willing to contribute. He held his wealth in trust for the good that it could accomplish. He was a bountiful giver. Every object of charity and benev- olence felt the kindly touch of his generous nature, and the benedictions of the poor were always over and upon him. In the quaint language of the old preacher, he "furred himself warm with poor men's hearts." He had scarcely attained the age of three-score years and ten, but if we live in deeds, not years, he had reached the full limit of four-score. Mr. Speaker, I should be untrue to my own instincts, and this most imperfect sketch would be most unjustly incomplete, if I failed to recall one feature of his life which, pervading as it did his entire business and public career, is deserving of a most marked recognition. The voice of him who spake as man never spake, whose utter- ance gave back to the despairing widow of Xain her only son, called from the tomb the brother of Mary and Martha, restored the ruler's daughter, and on the midnight lake even the winds and sea obey, had a potency and charm for him that permeated all his ambitions, and, as unerring as the Star of Bethlehem, always brought him in sight of the will and command of the Master. His religion was not a thing of lip service. It was not the seeming, but the real. It was not without only, but within also. He left no Life and Character of Francis Browne Stock-bridge. 47 wound prints, the marks of gross betrayal, and no deeds that reveal the whited sepulchre. Humbly at this hour I pay this meager tribute to his memory. He lived a life of usefulness, of honorable dis- tinction, of worthy example, and bequeathed to those he left behind a precious legacy of good works and a record of high and lofty achievement. He sleeps the sleep of the just. How true it is — The last end ,< if the good man is peace! How calm His exit! Night-dews fall not more gently to the ground. Nor weary, worn-out winds expire so soft. 48 Address of Mr. Grout of J ermont. Address of Mr. Grout. Mr. Speaker: My acquaintance with Francis Browne Stockbridge, late a Senator from the State of Michigan, was not intimate, but sufficient to give a distinct impres- sion of his manly, sturdy character. His neighbors at home and his colleagues in the Senate all testify to his singleness of purpose and his straight- forwardness; also to his great good sense and his faithful perseverance in whatever work he undertook. His judg- ment was always excellent, whether on questions of busi- ness or of public concern. Though always able to express himself clearly and forcibly, he was in no sense an orator. In fact, he made no attempt at display in speech, but was rather a man of action than of words. He had only a common-school education, with perhaps a term or so at the academy. He was a native of the State of Maine and was sixty-eight years of age at the time of his death. He had been eight years in the Senate, having been first elected in 1886 and again in 1892. The high honor of a seat in the United States Senate is matter of recognition by the entire American people. And no man can reach that enviable distinction, and es- pecially be reelected, except there be that in him worthy of high approval in the estimation of the people of his State. It seems that Senator Stockbridge had reached this commanding position with the people of the great State of Michigan, and had become the worthy successor in the Senate of such distinguished men as L,ewis Cass, Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 49 Zachariah Chandler, and Jacob M. Howard. Ye;, Senator STOCKBRIDGE had made his way to this goal of great difficulty and placed his name among these great names in the history of his State. And the question I am going to ask, if yon will bear with me for a little time while I answer it, is, By what means was this grand result reached? What was the secret of this great success? And first of all, in answering, let me say that this was not Senator Stockbridge's first great success. He had before that made a great success in business and amassed a large fortune, not by speculation, but by a lifetime of in- dustry and patient labor. He had also accomplished the great success of winning the hearts and the absolute con- fidence of all who knew him; the great success of being esteemed not only independent and able, but thoroughly upright, and always to be relied upon to perforin to the utmost verge all that he had promised, and frequently more than was expected of him, not only in matters of charity but in business as well, And these great successes, possi- bly thought by some not very great, but, I repeat, these great successes were the stepping-stones by which Senator Stockbridge rose in the estimation of the people of Michi- gan, till they crowned his reasonable ambition for a seat in the United States Senate with success also, thereby hon- oring honest worth.and providing themselves with a repre- sentative in that body sure to guard well their interests and always to uphold their honor. Senator Stockbridge had served creditably in both branches of the State legislature, and had shown himself familiar with public questions, both State and national. In his extensive business enterprises he had displayed great S Mis 152 4 50 Address of Mr. Grout of Vermont. courage and ability; in fact, here he was a veritable leader among men. But that which most of all impressed the people with his superiority was the rectitude of his life, both public and private, and the nobility and grand indi- viduality of his character. He was indeed a fine specimen of American manhood, and his noble qualities came partly from inheritance and partly from a well-ordered life, into which entered but little of frivolity and vanity, and much of sober, thoughtful work, not only as the means of success for himself but of usefulness to his fellow-man. He was a good illustration of the poet's conception that — Life is leal! life is earnest ! And the grave is not its goal; 1 lust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. He was in the first place born with that idea. He was of good, strong Puritan stock, which is never quite destitute of energy and a certain religious flavor which have made New England civilization what it is, and not alone New England civilization, but largely that of the great West. He acquired no extravagant, false notions in the recep- tive, formative period of childhood rnd youth, spent as it was in the simple, quiet home of his father, a country doctor. And if we had a full and particular history of the four years, from the age of seventeen to twenty-one, spent by young Stockbridge in the wholesale store in Bos- ton, we should undoubtedly find him strictly faithful and conscientiously diligent in the work of his employer and exemplary in all his habits — doubtless standing then, as in all after life, on the principle of total abstinence from intoxicating drinks, which he did not depart from here at the capital, but exemplified, as few have the courage to do, Life and ( 'haraclcr of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 51 by having no wine served at his elegant and sumptuous dinner parties. Yes; if the curtain could be raised on these four years, young Stockbridge would undoubtedly be presented as "many a time and oft" politely but firmly declining the invitation of friends and acquaintances to partake of the flowing bowl. It would also disclose the fact that his companionship was not with the prodigal young man who "wasted his substance in riotous living." He evidently did not invest all his current earnings in "wild oats," as was'unques- tionably clone by many a gilded and giddy youth of his acquaintance, whose life naturally enough in most in- stances ended early in failure. No; for at the age of twenty-one we find him with some cash and much character, and with good habits and good health, settled in the lumber business in the then young city of Chicago. Here, as at every point in life, he was successful. His upright dealing won confidence and credit, and his business sagacity and foresight, backed by unusual energy of character, soon carried him from his lumber yard in Chicago to the sources of supply in the pineries of Michigan. Here he bought lands and built mills and pushed his fortunes till he was accounted a rich man. Villages sprang up about him and thousands of men were in his employ; all of whom, because of his kindly relations with them, had come to look upon him as a sort of foster father. Of a sudden, however, one of those terrible forest fires which have more than once devastated the State of Michi- gan overran his lands and swept lumber and mills out of eg Address of Mr. Grout of Vermont. existence. He was thought to be utterly ruined, but the indomitable spirit within him rose equal to the occasion. He at once set himself with unabated courage to the work of repairing his fortune. His employees stepped for- ward to a man with a loan of their savings. They had implicit confidence in Mr. Stockbridge, the same as the people of Michigan had when they intrusted him with their interests in the Senate of the United States. And thus seconded by the men in his employ he resumed busi- ness, striking out into new fields, and, phcenix-like, out of the ashes of his first estate sprung another far greater, but which he all the time looked upon as a trust fund for the benefit of mankind— for the relief of the orphan world, rather than for his own personal use and aggrandizement. He always held open hand toward charities, both great and small; to which the Kalamazoo College, Academy of Music, and Young Men's Christian Association building stand as eloquent witnesses; while the church of which he was a member leaned upon him as _ upon a pillar for sup- port. And the poor, whom we have with us always, and whose benevolent steward he felt himself to be, were never turned empty away— he seldom, if ever, stopping to inquire if, perchance, he might not sometimes be imposed upon. Such, in brief, were some of the qualities of the late Senator Stockbridge, and is it any wonder that when his sudden death was announced the newspapers told us of many a moist eye and husky voice in the city where he had his home and where everyone felt that he had lost a personal friend? Any picture of Senator Stockbridge would be incom- plete which did not present his benevolent and sympa- thetic acts as wholly without ostentation or display, and Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 53 as well guarded by a dignified and quiet reserve, both of manner and speech, which to the stranger seemed to make him a little inaccessible; but with the acquaintance and the friend the cordiality was complete, while with the needy a statement of the case was all that was necessary. The picture would also be incomplete if it did not dis- close underneath this sober, earnest exterior a vein of pleasantry and humor that always relished a joke and had a keen sense of the ludicrous; a taste, also, for the beauti- ful, both in art and nature, especially for that most beau- tiful and noble of animals for the use of man, the horse. And so strong was his admiration not only for the beau- tiful but for the lively in nature, that lie had one of the largest and best establishments for breeding the trotting horse in the whole Northwest, in which he took great pride and pleasure. Here is, indeed, a bright, brisk spot in the otherwise quiet outline of his sedate career. But the picture would be still incomplete, sadly incom- plete, if it did not bear testimony to those rare qualities of head and heart which always saved him from serious mistakes and kept him on the right side of all public questions. He was wise and patriotic. His judgment was clear, strong, and practical. His convictions were always a fixed quantity; he was never tossed about bv the uncer- tain winds of expediency, and, as the result, his public record is one of fidelity to duty and of honor alike to him- self, his party, and his State. Mr. Speaker, aside from respect for the dead, if there be any profit to the American people in the memorial exercises held from time to time in the two Houses over deceased Senators and Members, it is to be found in the lesson for the living, and especially for young men, to be 54 Address of Aft: Grout of I ermont. drawn from the life and career of those who have gone ont from amongst ns and are now at rest. It seems to me that in the life of this deceased Senator may be found a valuable lesson for our American youth. Here was a poor boy of humble birth, who won his way to a seat in the American Senate, with only limited educa- tional advantages, and with none of the gifts or arts of ora- tory, which sometimes obscure defects in judgment and are frequently accepted as a substitute for sounder qualities, but which never fail to dazzle and attract, and are really the mediumship of the highest public service; with none of the arts, either, of the professional politician, but with a life devoted to the stern demands of business, in which everything he undertook was thoroughly and conscien- tiously done; a life of which each day gave proof of his sense of responsibility to his Creator and his fellow-man; a life filled with the every-day heroism of the faithful and the just; in short, a life worthy of imitation and of com- memoration. Mr. Speaker, the following verses from Longfellow's the tear fall upon the faces of neighbors and those who were bound by ties of relationship as they looked for the last time upon the form about to be laid away upon the hilltop in their beautiful cemetery. There were gathered men and women who had long known the dead Senator during his active life and had been associated with him in social, business, and political affairs. I shall never forget their sad hearts, sorrowful countenances, and the great attendance, showing the high esteem in which he was held 62 Address of Mr. Linton of Michigan. by those whom he had so often joined in enterprises for the advancement of his city and State, and also many times aided in charitable works, being enabled so to do by his wealth, every dollar of which was accumulated in honor- able pursuits, and the possession of which never caused him to lose that gentleness of manner or the spirit of good fellowship for which he was so well known. The community in which he lived considered him a benefactor in every sense of the word. We all remember the warm clasp of his hand and the heartiness of his greet- ing. We know that in his public as well as in his pri- vate life he evaded no duty and shirked no responsibility. Although seldom heard in debate, his judgment in com- mittee rooms was considered the best, and there, where our work is mostly performed, he often decided the fate of a bill or measure under consideration. His record has no stain upon its page, as evil doing was never thought of in connection with his name; and his life being full of suc- cess and exemplifying the possibilities of American citi- zenship, it is proper and fitting that we should to-dav pay homage to whom homage is due by revering the memory and saying kind words of Senator Stockbridge, whose name and deeds will be cited as examplars so long as our Commonwealth exists. He died with his armor on. Commissioned by the peo- ple of a great State to sit in the council chamber of the world's leading Republic, and with his name still upon the roll, he was called beyond the grave, where w T e hope at the end of earth's existence the universal congress of all nations may assemble for time eternal. Life and Character at Francis Browne Stockbridge. 63 Address of Mr. Gorman. Mr. SPEAKER: In deference to a long-established custom of paying tribute to a deceased member of either branch of Congress, I rise to make a few remarks touching the life and official career of the Hon. Francis B. Stock- bridge, late a Senator from the State of Michigan. I am not given to lauding the services of the living or rendering fulsome praise to the dead. I am constrained, however, to feel that it is a matter of justice and a com- mon expression of feeling of respect to the late Senator to call to mind some attributes of strength, success, and admiration that attended him through life. Of his birth I know nothing other than what is now a matter of history ; nor do I know anything of his training other than what his neighbors have told; of his public career, when called to official dignity and state, I am fairly well conversant. Two things have always strongly impressed me with a feeling of admiration for Senator Stockbridge. The first was that unconquerable disposition that he always manifested to succeed in that to which he aspired. The second was his absolute and unquestionable loyalty to the friends that he made. The first great element of his strength is that which commands the respect and admira- tion of even - American citizen. Success once attained, the beneficiary is justly entitled to the consideration of his fellow-men. Coming into the business, social, and polit- ical controversies of this life as he did quite fully and fairly demonstrates the possibilities that are within the 64 Address of Mr. Gorman of Michigan. reach of the young- men of this country who are not upheld and supported by distinguished parentage, wealth, or social relations. There could be no more beautiful illus- tration of the possibilities of a young man in this country than that which Senator Stockbridge has given to the people of his adopted State. As has been said many times, some are born to honors, others have honors thrust upon them. Neither could be said of the late Senator; he acquired all that he had, and is therefore more to be honored than if they had come from any other source. I did not have a very extended per- sonal acquaintance with Senator Stockbridge, but from what little I saw of him and knew of him I am satisfied that he must have had elements of strength in his honesty witli his friends, his devotion to his principles, and his strict compliance with his promises and obligations in every walk of life that made him especially strong with those who came in everyday business contact with him. I occupied a seat in the upper branch of the Michigan legislature when Senator Stockbridge was first elected to the honorable position, to which he was subsequently reelected, in the United States Senate. I occupied a seat on the floor of the house of representatives at Lansing, when a very warm friend of mine, Senator Palmer, of Big Rapids, presented the name of Franxis B. Stockbridge as a candidate for United States Senator in the Republican caucus. With the eloquent and oratorical effort for which Senator Palmer was especially distinguished, he pictured in such glowing terms the life, the business qualifications, the capacity, the honesty, the probity, and the worth of I\Ir. Stockbridge as an honorable citizen of the State Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 65 that it made an impression on my mind that I never have, and perhaps never will, forget. In speaking of the second great qualification for which Senator Stockbridge has been especially admired and re- spected by his associates and friends, irrespective of party, throughout the State, that is, his loyalty to his friends, I can not too strongly express my admiration for a man who is particularly identified as the one who never for- gets his friends. I do not believe that a man ought to be blind to the interests or wishes of those who are not especially classed as his friends, but I do think that one of the strongest elements that any man in public life can bring to bear in his own behalf, and in the behalf of his partv, is that of faithfulness to those who were faithful to him. This may nut be in strict accordance with the doc- trine of the New Testament, but it is the most natural to human kind, and justified in Holy Writ. To my thinking the most beautiful tribute that I could pay to the memory of a departed friend would be to say he thought first of those who were loyal to him in the hour of need. Senator Stockbridge did not believe in the public policv of governmental affairs that I do; he believed in the advocacy of a policy purely and exclusively American. Whether I think he was right or wrong is a matter of little concern here; it is enough to say that I believe he was sin- cere in the advocacy of his principles. I have great respect for any man who advocates a policy, even though I think him wrong, if he is sincere in the advocacy of the same. That Senator Stockbridge was sincere in everything that he did I have no question of doubt, and I do not think that others who knew him have; that he was honest in his S Mis 152 5 66 Address of Mr. Gorman of Michigan. purposes goes without saying; that he was kind-hearted is well known by the many beneficiaries of his liberal purse; that he was broad gauged and considerate of the natural and religious rights of others is well known and wholly appreciated by all the people familiar with his life. He was honest, sober, sincere, and liberal in what he did. He was a beautiful illustration of the possibilities of American citizenship — an unquestioned type of a self- made man. Jjife and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 67 ADDRESS OF MR. WEADOCK. Mr. Speaker: Having had for main- years only that knowledge of Colonel Stockbridge which every citizen of Michigan had, having known him as one of the promi- nent business men and one of the political leaders of the State, my closer knowledge of him began in the Fifty- second Congress. Colonel Stockbridge prior to that time had illustrated in the highest way one of the most beauti- ful aspects of political life in this country; that is, the strong and enduring friendship that political contests bring, for there are none of us who can fail to remember those friends who, at great cost to themselves either of time or money, or both, have stood by us and the princi- ples which we represented in those contests with that loy- alty which inspires a memory lasting as long as life itself. This is one of the few compensations which come to those who are engaged in public life. One incident I wish particularly to speak of. At a cer- tain time in the history of Michigan a certain Senator who belonged to Senator Stockbridge' s party, and whose term was about to expire, was the candidate of a large majority of his party for reelection. A revolt was led against that choice. Colonel STOCKBRIDGE, then a private citizen, stood by this man who was the choice of his party with a loyalty, an earnestness, and faithfulness that challenged and won the admiration of the people of that State. Fi- nancial and other misfortunes had come to this man of 68 Address of Air. Wcadock of Michigan. his choice, but he stood in the breach unflinching, ready to fulfill every obligation and every requirement of the situation. When the nomination for Senator was offered him, if he would step aside and abandon his friend, he firmly refused to do so, and a new man was elected. He served only one term. In his stead there came from the State of Michigan, with a very strong public sentiment behind him, created by the steadfastness and loyalty he had shown to his friend, the man whose memory we are commemorating to-day, Francis B. Stockbridge. In the Senate, and throughout his career, Colonel Stock- bridge was always plain, modest, unassuming, loyal, and friendly. He belonged to that class of lumbermen that in Michigan, using the colloquialism of the camps, we call the "State of Mainers." They are among the most suc- cessful lumbermen of the State; and it was in that line of business that his great success was achieved prior to his coming to the Senate. Of his career in Washington the gentlemen who have preceded me have perhaps sufficiently spoken. Never at any time nor at any place did he fail to remember the slightest wish of any citizen of his State or fail to respond to it in the fullest measure. Without pretension to great learning, his library was one of the choicest in the State, and he was a man of wide information. He had studied nature in her great forests; he had studied men in the great arenas of business and public life. And education is not so much that which we are taught as that which we know. With such an education as that our departed friend was exceedingly well equipped. Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 69 Those who see their friends taken from them wonder often that the busy hum of life goes on without any change; that the birds still sing, and the sun shines, and the world follows its usual avocations, when everything seems so dark before them. So on these occasions of eulo- gies upon our departed brethren, the great demands upon human activities call this and that and the other man away, so that at the close only a few men, who have some special interest in the proceedings by reason of their closer acquaintance with a departed fellow-member, remain to pay the last tribute of respect to the deceased. In such a state of facts as this there is perhaps but little encouragement to enter upon a career in the public service. At such times a public career seems perhaps the most thankless and disappointing that can fall to the lot of any- one. But it is a part of the obligations of good citizenship to discharge in the best manner we can the official duties we may be called upon by the preference of our fellow- citizens to perform. And to the discharge of such duties, with a hearty, loyal friendship, with a thorough love of coun- try, with thorough loyalty to friends, and with a thorough appreciation of the every-day duties of life, came Francis B. Stockbridge, whose memory we honor to-day. 70 Address of Mr. Blair of New Hampshire. Address of Mr. Blair. Mr. Speaker: Senator Stockbridge, with whose friend- ship I was honored while in the Senate, was a man of gen- ial and equable temperament, most courteous and obliging in manner, who never for a moment seemed to lose his self-poise, much less to act from impulse which endangered in the slightest degree his absolute self-possession. But his calmness of demeanor did not indicate any want of strong opinions and deep convictions or of determined will. He was really a man of great intellectual powers, and his views upon all questions were those of a strong thinker, guided and controlled by sound judgment and the prompt- ings of a philanthropic heart. He was of New England birth. In fact, Michigan has been called the New England of the West; and it is true, probably, that the influence of the three northerly States of that section of the country, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, has been felt more strongly in the growth and development of Michigan than in almost any other of the States which have been begotten of the old thirteen. To New Hampshire the State of Michigan seems almost as a daughter, although the mother may not ever be too fondly remembered, for the great girls of the family do not always like to think of the little cradles in which they were rocked; but later on they will remember, for Cass and Chandler were from New Hampshire, and our hills are high enough for us to behold the mighty growth of Commonwealths born of her own institutions which tower Life and Character- of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 71 along the lakes, in the great valley, and across the con- tinent, overtopping the mountain ranges with still more elevated moral and political institutions, to the far-setting sun and the Pacific seas. Senator STOCKBRIDGE was from our sister State of Maine, and it is enough to say of any man that he was a worthy son of that noble mother. He was a business man in the largest and best sense. He knew how to make monev without robbing his fellow-men under the forms of law, and the great fortune which he acquired by wise and prudent intellectual grasp of the resources and oppor- tunities which surrounded him, but which would have been wasted but for his capacity to comprehend and util- ize them, was as legitimately his own as the wage of the laborer for his daily toil. Wealth thus acquired does not provoke the envy of the less fortunate. They rejoice in it, rather, and point their children to such examples of the success of honest and generallv self-made men as a proof of the excellence of our institutions and the justification of the hopes which should stimulate their own honorable activities. The masses of the American people do not subscribe to the doctrine that "property is robbery," and they never will. But too often, as they look upon the millionaire, they know that robbery is sometimes the source of property. Men like Senator Stockbridge restore the public mind and demonstrate not only that honesty and fair dealing may result in great wealth, but by their wise and humane administration of vast possessions assure the people that a man is a man for all his wealth as well as for all his povertv. With the constantly increasing prejudice in our •J2 Address of Mr. Blair of New Hampshire. country against owners of immense wealth, it is some- thing — perhaps I may well say that it is high honor — to have acquired and administered great fortune so as to have won the approval of society as a rich man. Senator Stockbridge was a model for all rich men. The strong, solid business man, with his practical ideas and his old-fashioned honesty and conservative conduct in affairs, is an indispensable element in the successful states- manship of this country. We are preeminently a business country, and the happiness of our people depends upon the prevalence of sound and sensible ideas in economic affairs. More and more business men must come to the front in the making and administration of our laws. Of this increasingly important class of men in our higher politics Senator Stockbridge was one of the most influential and best illustrations that I have known. His loss in the very prime of life and while his influence was ever widening and increasing, and when his State and country hoped for his services for many years to come, was a distinct and serious calamity to the public, as it was a source of irreparable grief to his large circle of personal friends. But his high example will long oe remembered for the encouragement and instruction of those who survive, and the benedictions of those who loved him will keep his memory fresh and unfadinsr forever. Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 73 Address of Mr. Avery. Mr. Speaker: The death roll of the Fifty-third Con- gress is a long one, and Michigan has contributed to it two honored names, J. Logan Chipman from this House, an able lawyer, an eloquent speaker, an upright judge, and an earnest and steadfast friend of the veteran soldiers; and Francis B. Stockbridge from the Senate, in whose memory these exercises are being held. Death comes unheralded, asks no questions, and will take no excuses, but leaves with the living its admonition, "Be ye always ready." Senator Stockbridge came of sturdy New England stock, and traced his ancestry in this country back to 1635, when a young Englishman by the name of John Stock- bridge, well born and prosperous, with his young wife and baby boy one year old, settled in Scituate, Mass. He bought a mill and built another, also a mansion house, which was used as a garrison during King Philip's war. Mill building and the milling business seem to have descended in almost regular line from this four-times great- grandfather clown to the late Senator. From this John Stockbridge have descended some of the most eminent men and women of New England — business men, merchants, lawyers, physicians, and scientists. About 1800 William Stockbridge, the grandfather of the late Senator, is described as the greatest landholder in Hanover, Mass. , and it is of record that he was a man of j 4 Address of Mr. Avery of Michigan. "ready wit, lively and sociable in his habits, an agreeable companion, and an industrious and upright citizen." He was a selectman in Hanover in 1812. His son John, father of the late Senator, was a physician, and settled in Bath, Me., in 1S05, where he practiced his profession for fortv-eight years, and was known as a "scientific and suc- cessful practitioner, a consistent and devoted friend, and an honest and upright man." Here Francis B. Stockbridge was born in 1826. His mother, Eliza Stockbridge, was the daughter of Hon. John Russell, for many years the editor and proprietor of the Boston Commercial Gazette. Here he attended the com- mon schools and academy until he was sixteen years of age, when he accepted a position as clerk in a wholesale dry- goods store in Boston. When barely twenty-one years of age, in 1847, lie turned his face westward, and from a clerk in a dry-goods store in Boston became at that early age a lumber merchant in Chicago. Soon after this he saw across the lake in Michi- gan an almost unbroken forest of pine. He saw also the practically unlimited demand for lumber the settlement of the vast prairies of Illinois and the West would create. At that time he could hardly have foreseen the wonder- ful growth of that marvel of the West, the city of the World's Exposition of 1893. But with true business in- stinct and sagacity lie saw his opportunity and added to his business as a lumber merchant that of a manufacturer of lumber in Michigan. And while yet a young man only twenty-seven years of age, in 1853, he took up his residence in Saugatuck, Mich., just across the lake from Chicago, where he had already mills engaged in cutting lumber. Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 75 Here he rapidly extended his business until he became one of the most prominent and extensive lumber manufac- turers and dealers in the Northwest. In 1863 he married Miss Betsy Arnold, the estimable and accomplished daughter of Daniel Arnold, of Gun Plain, Allegan County, Mich., who survives him and is now liv- ing in retirement in this city. Always domestic in his tastes, genial and sociable, but of a somewhat retiring disposition, his social and domestic relations were ever most pleasant. At his elegant home in his own beloved city and State he was noted for his hos- pitality, and the humblest of his many friends always found as warm a welcome as those most favored by fortune. At the nation's capital he and his accomplished wife have moved in the most select circles and have been noted for the munificence and elegance of their entertainments and receptions; and many there are who will remember the genial host and hostess of the Stockbridge mansion. My first acquaintance with the late Senator was in 1S70, while he was serving his first term in the Michigan legis- lature. I there learned to respect him for his sterling qualities of head and heart. He was known for his good sense and attention to duty and as an industrious and pains- taking committee worker. He seldom took part in the discussion of subjects not directly connected with his com- mittee work. When he did he was brief, pointed, and clear and commanded the attention of all. He never posed as an orator, and yet he had a good, strong, clear voice, well modulated, and spoke directly to the question under discussion with great clearness and force, but without any attempt at ornamentation. 76 Address of Mr. Avery of Michigan. He took an active part in several campaigns and was counted a well-informed and logical speaker. He always spoke within the comprehension of the common people, and made plain the question he discussed, and the people understood him and believed in his honesty and sincerity of purpose. After serving one term in the lower branch of the Mich- igan legislature he was elected to the State senate, where he served one term with the same conscientious fidelity to the interests of his constituents and State that he had dis- played in the lower branch. He was never an office seeker, but he was always ready to respond to any duty, public or private, imposed upon him. In 1874 he removed to Kalamazoo, one of the most beautiful of Michigan's inland cities, where he resided at the time of his death. Though never a politician in the general acceptation of the term, he was always interested in public affairs and kept thoroughly informed upon all questions affecting the interests of his State and nation, and he was frequently mentioned as one who would honor the State as its chief executive. In 1887 he was elected to the United States Senate to succeed Hon. Omar D. Conger, and in 1893 was reelected to succeed himself. In the Senate he was known and respected as a practical business Senator, as an industrious worker, and for his devotion to the interests of his constit- uents and State. He always kept in close touch with the people of his State, and the humblest citizen could write him at any time with perfect assurance that his business would receive prompt attention and his letter a respectful answer. Life and ( 'haracter of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 77 While he was a Republican of pronounced views upon all the economic questions that divided the parties, and gave to these questions close study and practical applica- tion, he was never offensive in giving- expression to them, and thus by his courtesy and firmness won for himself the respect of his colleagues for his honesty of purpose and practical ability. He was a lover of the beautiful in art and nature. He adorned his home with rare and fine pictures and stocked his farm witli fine horses and thoroughbred cattle; and he never appeared to better advantage than in the domestic circle, when, having laid aside the cares of state and busi- ness, he gave himself up to the enjoyment cf the beautiful in his home and on his farm. As a business man he had a capacity and liking for large operations, and yet he was con- servative, methodical, and always thoroughly familiar with the details of every interest with which he was connected. And in business, as in political life, he was the soul of honor, and nothing so aroused the fire of his indignation as to have his confidence betrayed by one in whom he had confided. As a citizen he was ever mindful of the interests of his own city and State, and was in every way a broad-minded and generous man. In his private charities he followed the injunction of the Master, "Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth," and many a needy and dis- tressed family in his neighborhood have had their prayers for food and warmth answered by an unseen agent. In his public benefactions he exercised the same careful thought that he did in his business investments, but he never neglected the charitable, educational, and religious institutions of his own city and State. 7§ Address of Mr. Avery of Michigan. The Children's Home at Kalamazoo, the beautiful home of the Young Men's Christian Association at the same place, Kalamazoo and Albion colleges and Hobart Hall at Ann Arbor all bear eloquent testimony to his munificent and practical liberality. But more eloquent than all, per- haps, would be the words spoken from the room in the Woman's Hospital at Chicago endowed by his generosity, and which he constantly kept occupied by some unfortu- nate but deserving poor woman. In his death the State loses one closely identified with all its interests and a faithful guardian of everv one of them; very many who were wont to rely upon him a safe counselor and a generous benefactor; the Congress a safe and practical legislator, and the community in which he lived a public benefactor, an upright citizen, and a courtly Christian gentleman. The career of Senator Stockbridge is eminently worthy of emulation by the young men of to-day. He set up a high standard in early life and few men came nearer attain- ing it than he. Starting with a well-grounded Christian character, by his industry, perseverance, honesty, and an earnest and upright life he has assisted the upward movement of Chris- tian civilization, and has demonstrated that true worth out- weighs genius in the great struggle for success in life. He lived an active, earnest life, was faithful to every trust, and his "works do follow him." Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 79 ADDRESS OF MR. AITKE Mr. SPEAKER: The official records which originate in the proceedings on brief occasions like this, when a pause is made for a time to render honor to the distinguished dead of the Republic, have come to make up what may indeed be called a voluminous mass of memorial litera- ture. If all these records of loving words and tender trib- ute, dating back to the formative period of the country and probably now scattered through many places at the seat of Government, could be gathered into one depository, one classified aggregation of regretful volumes, there would be formed a national library of sorrow around which the greatest interest might center — a Plutarchian collection in which, including the lives of chiefs of the State as well as of those who have in humbler capacity been useful to their country, would be found curious facts in biographical data, recorded triumphs won by determination over strange and peculiarly unfavorable combinations of adverse circum- stances, loving tributes on characteristics which have won human affection as well as admiration, stirring eulogies on shining deeds which inspire to patriotism. Seldom, however, in the whole long list of occasions preceding this which have given rise to this mass of memo- rial literature have those attractive, those ever-fascinating human qualities — implicit loyalty to friends, warm-hearted generositv, and manlv sturdiness — deserved more trulv, more justly the tribute of discriminating praise than to-day. These are the qualities which I as a boy at the fireside s 8o Address of Mr. Attken of Michigan. heard attributed to the dead Colonel Stockbridge. That which as a boy I knew but in imperfection I came to know with the more perfect knowledge of .personal association and positive conviction as a man. These are the qualities of which I would more especially speak as I add to other and probably more adequate esti- mates of his character and services these few poor words which, as a friend, I can not refrain from speaking while the consideration of resolutions in his memory remains the pending business before the House. The detailed secret history of political events of the greatest magnitude and significance in the State he repre- sented would show, Mr. Speaker, that Senator Stock- bridge's loyalty to his friends extended even to the point of his own self-sacrifice, and no man in political life can do more, in honor, than to sacrifice for his friends his own prospects for the very highest preferment, and throw away the opportunity which is rarely again ever presented. Fortunately, in the Senator's case, the opportunity sup- posed to be forever lost came with the lapse of time, and he was the recipient of the most flattering evidence of favor within the power of his people to bestow. It is, perhaps, known to but few that the declination of golden oppor- tunity in the original instance was due to a refusal to assume a position in which a subsequent suspicion, even, of disloyalty to a friend might attach to his actions. In the reciprocal operation of the affections one of the most eloquent evidences of his own careful observance of the claims of friendship was the great personal following which he possessed, bound to him by bonds of steel, in his own State, and which, in its long list of devoted friends Life and Character of Francis Browne Stockbridge. 81 and acquaintances personally and intimately known to him, was perhaps the largest possessed by any man in Michigan at the time of his death. His helpfulness' to others shows the generosity of his character even more strikingly than do the benevolences and endowments to deserving institutions which exist as monuments to his memory among his former constituents. His interest in young men of merit and industry was great, and in very many cities of his State are successful citizens who to-day credit much of what they have at- tained to his advice and to other aid of a more practical and substantial character. The number of instances in which he has been quietly but effectively helpful to others who had to contend with unfavorable surroundings in beginning their life work will never be known. Among instances within my own personal knowledge is one which was brought to my attention as late as during the present week and which produced a deep and lasting impression because of the unusual and heretofore unsus- pected circumstances connected with the incident. Its nar- rator describes the bluff colonel's entrance into a law office in the city of Grand Rapids some years ago. There, as it chanced, he found alone a forlorn young student of whose situation, sharing precociously in the burdens of his strait- ened parents' condition, a pathetic little picture was drawn. The office boy wept, while the colonel, although not un- sympathetic, laughed. When the story of his parents' dis- tress had after a time been drawn from the lad, the colonel afforded the encouragement of hearty, stimulating words. He did more on leaving. Without a hint or suggestion from the lad to prompt such a course, he slipped into the S Mis 152 6 L1UKHKY Uh LUMUKtbo 013 704 823 1 j 82 Address of Mr. Aitken 0/ Michigan. hands of his new-found chance acquaintance that which tearful, wondering eyes presently discerned as the still more substantial encouragement of a three-hundred dollar check, a fortune for one of the boy's age. The ambitious law student who was the recipient of this unexpected but most kindly assistance long ago demon- strated the soundness of the donor's judgment by attaining through industry a station in life in which the repayment of the extraordinary loan became possible. To-day, as the Congressman-elect from the second city of Michigan, this former office boy looks back on this act of exceptional character as a bright something in one of the most critical periods of his life's history and one from which results of the greatest importance proceeded. Trifling as this incident, briefly narrated in this place, far from the scene of its occurrence, may seem in some of its details, I have not forborne to make reference to it as a specific instance illustrating, as mere generalization could not, traits of manliness and generosity which have caused thousands of hearts to warm toward that winning person- ality which has gone from the midst of those who mourn his departure. Aside from these more engaging qualities of amiability, he was a man of great force of character, with an energy and industry of his own which could but have made him and did make him a more than ordinarily successful American. Although he did not have the advan- tages of a liberal scholastic education, all who knew him will concede to him liberality of views. Those intimately associated with him found, too, a refinement of taste in art and literature which others might not have suspected, and outside of the State metropolis he was undoubtedly