SENATOR WOODS.
MR. PRESIDENT-During my brief personal ac quaintance with the late Governor James D. Williams, I admired his plain manners an home-like ways. I knew his history, I knew his honest conduct of public affairs, his unbroken friendship for the people, and his earnest solicitude for the welfare of the State he served so long and well. He bowed to the will of the people, and answered their call to act as public servant many times. The people believed him, trusted him and abided by his counsel. He never won official distinction or popular admiration by deep learning or graceful eloquence. He disclaimed these attainments.
The people came to him again and again and laid at feet their power in confidence that it was not misplaced. He never abused it for any purpose, much less for sordid ends, and he was free of the arts of deception. What made him strong with the people? His Integrity was never doubted; his fair dealing, in all the relations of a long life, was never denied, and the people always knew where to find the old public servant. The plain attributes of his life drew the common people near to him, and they were welcome to come. The old Governor knew the duties of official station, and executed all of them so well that neighbor, friend and people joined in one acclaim, "Well done, good and faithful servant." He devoted more years to the public service than any other man in Indiana, living or dead. This fact tells the whole story of encomimum and who can add to its eulogy? When our history, present and past, is handed to coming generations, its brightest pages will tell these sterling qualities of head and heart of James D. Williams, the pioneer Indianian. He was about seventy years of age at the time of his death. For fifty years he witnessed the growth and material prosperity of Indiana. He witnessed the beginning of the free school system of the State, and stood at all times its firm friend and defender. He told me, nearly two years ago in this city, how proud he was of the front rank that Indiana held among her sister States in the magnificence of her school fund and her superb educational advantages. The venerable old man said to me: "I remember well when Indiana had no Colleges or schools of public repute, and the young people can not now complain of a want of them" and the plain, simple story of his early education and its attendant hardships moved me to profound sympathy. He knew all about Indian and had in memory the details of her history. He was an ardent friend of the farmer and of agriculture. He saw heavy forests yield to the woodman's axe, and the wilderness transformed into productive fields and pay tribute to State development, that he admired so much. He worked for Indiana, and prayed that her people might come out of the wilderness. He also witnessed the beginning, growth and splendor of the great cities that dot the State in all the directions of the compass; our great railroads, which came to put prosperity, values, prices and power into the hands of the people. He saw it all, and was ever ready welcome every public improvement of ra merit beneficial to the State. The legislation of this State for thirty years bears the impress of his thought and labor, and no man was more identified with the progress and history of Indiana than James D. Williams, and long in the future will the just labors of this honest man be recalled and appreciated. We can not mourn the loss of a life so long and so full of good deeds, and after all reflections, that man is allotted to die, yet we will linger around the tomb of this good man, think of his blameless life, and say, "Old friend, farewell."
