Blue-grass blade (Lexington, Ky.), April 22, 1906
PAINE AND GIRARD
It is a significant fact that there is not a single state in the union that has yet dared to suggest the names of Thomas Paine and Stephen Girard for a place in the national Hall of Fame. Could these distinguished humanitarians have their own way about it and considering some of the names mentioned for this purpose it is doubtful if they would accept such honor. Yet it would be a fitting tribute to their memories had some state been found willing to father them. Pennsylvania has lost a golden opportunity to immortalize herself with them as both found a home and worked for human salvation in the Quaker City.
The names of Thomas Paine and Stephen Girard are graven in letters of gold on the great heart of humanity. This is their eternal Hall of Fame. It is imperishable only with the race. Yet there will be men to find a place in this national gallery who were little better, if any, than the cube root of a vacuum, the net products of nothing. If we may be allowed to judge of a tree by its fruit, then there is small danger that either of these great men will ever be forgotten. If high honor be to those who, as preachers, read their titles clear to mansions in the skies and wear an immortal crown, take up the burden of the cross, believing, how much more should be meted out to those who, seeing at the end of life’s fitful fever only an ever-dreamless sleep, performs works of greater worth and merit. To all intents and purposes, Paine and Girard displayed the man. Both were as firm in their human love as the orthodox devil is in hate and both wove from the gold in their own hearts a robe of immortality.
The American people really want names to study. There are those among them who need the immortal have mentioned. We do not really desire to elevate Paine but the star-spangled promise of Old Glory was first given to his sacred dust and his aid was made American independence possible. The resultant sands of tyrant’s wheel Philadelphia was plague-stricken Girard stood and worked and labored while the sanctified horde of preachers fled the city. Although these preachers read their titles clear to mansions in the sky, all another’s son of them were anxious to emigrate. Stephen Girard, the atheist, became a common nurse and through the long hot days and fever-laden nights he toiled from house to house beating back the pestilence, seeking to succor and to save.
Picture this grim old man possessed of enormous wealth pacing the floor of a poor tenement house in the dead hours of night and crooning a lullaby to a nameless babe breathing out its life upon his bosom. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” so reads the law, but Stephen Girard went beyond the statute.
In faith and hope the world will disagree,
But all mankind’s concern is Charity.
Paine assailed religious shams and Girard excluded the sectarian clergy from the college he founded because of their quarrelsome disputes anent points of religious doctrine. For this both have been made the victims of Christian calumny. Their calumniations were but encomiums, their abuse of these great men were encomiums. Their abuse of these great men were laurel wreaths. Now we come to think of it we are of the opinion that both Paine and Girard were far too good, too noble and too pure to be put in the Hall of Fame. They are deserving of better company than to be with some who are to get in.