Emilius Oviatt Randall. 103
RANDALL, THE MAN.
BY DANIEL J. RYAN.
Emilius O. Randall had the inestimable
advantage of being
well-born. Not by inheritance of the
muniments of wealth or
caste or rank, but through the
influences of forebears whose
chief purposes in life, and whose
aspirations and achievements,
were within the sphere of the
intellectual and spiritual. They
were Americans more than a century
before Bunker Hill, and
were among the founders of New England,
of whom Longfellow
wrote: "God sifted three kingdoms
to find the seed for this
planting." Through six generations
his ancestors justified this
saying. They helped to bear the burdens
of the forefathers;
theirs was the Heroic Age of American
history. It was the era
when the first forests were felled and
the virgin soil was tilled;
when the conquests of nature and the
Indian went hand in hand;
when the French invader was driven out;
and greater than all,
when popular government was established,
and a new Nation
given to mankind. The Randalls and the
Oviatts did their full
share of all this, and in the later days
of peace they pioneered
to a western land to lay the foundation
of homes of culture and
refinement. They preached the Word and
they taught in the col-
leges and schools of the new land. They
brought with them the
sturdy New England character sifted
through generations of
hardships and tribulations.
This was Randall's heritage - a gift from
God that he pre-
served throughout his ife. He never
compromised it. Beneath
his gentle exterior, which he wore as a
velvet glove, he grasped
the moral side of every question with a
grip of steel. It was the
operation of his New England conscience
which he inherited
from his Puritan ancestors. He had the
robust qualities of
steadfastness of purpose and firmness of
thought. He encour-
aged no conflict in deciding between
right and wrong, he toler-
ated no debate of expediency; he simply
and quietly, but quickly
and immovably took the side of right.
Thus, as he thought in
his soul, so he was in his life - clean
and straight, and free from
hypocrisy and guile. The meaner vices of
life never even cast
104
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
their shadows near him. It was because
of this, when approach-
ing the end that he could say to his
pastor, Dr. Maurer, "I am
not afraid to go; I have led a clean
life." Hence, there was no
"moaning of the bar" when he
"put out to sea;" on a smooth and
level tide the flood bore him to meet
his Pilot face to face.
This man has departed from us, leaving
us heirs to the les-
sons of his exemplary life. It was one
blest by all the virtues
that go to make a real and valuable man
- incorruptible integ-
rity, purity of character, gentleness of
spirit and love of his fel-
lows. What a splendid substitute for
wealth and power! These
attributes were the foundations of his
name, which was, in his
lifetime, the pride and admiration of
his loving friends. The
best and wisest of mankind have held
that such a life is the most
enduring. "A good name is rather to
be chosen than great
riches," sayeth the Proverb. Upon
this foundation he builded
an intellectual and spiritual structure
that will be to him a monu-
ment more lasting than marble.
Almost his whole career was one of
mental activity, and all
his efforts were to the end that this
activity should assume and
develop into a higher form of intellectual
life. Even the avoca-
tions of his livelihood were within this
sphere. To him the world
of commercialism was repellant. He took
no pleasure in barter,
and the efforts and vigors of business
made no appeal to him.
He lived entirely within the domain of
thought in its various
phases and emotions. Herein were his
labors, his studies, his
researches and his amusements. In his
readings he ran the gamut
of human knowledge - theology,
history, science, economics,
politics and polite literature. Rarely is
this done without de-
flecting the mind from sound and safe
thinking. The book-
student too often becomes a crank or
faddist. But with him the
pursuit of extraordinary information and
the study of new and
ruddy-colored ideas and doctrines were
either for adding to his
knowledge of human nature or for
intellectual amusement. He
never read or studied himself out of the
realm of everyday life.
He quaffed deeply of the Pierian Spring,
but was neither dulled
nor intoxicated by its waters. Few men
can do this, but Randall
did it, and it was due to his
penetrative mind and his uncommon
common sense.
Emilius Oviatt Randall. 105
Before the tempestuous uprisings of
recent years as mani-
fested in the new doctrines of
government, sociology and religion,
he stood unbending, and "four
square to the winds that blow."
And yet he read every book on these
subjects, and when the
messengers of the heralded "new
day" came, whether it was
Emma Goldman or Debs or Plumb, he was in
their audiences.
With a deep and patriotic attachment for
the representative
democracy which his forefathers fought
to establish, he rejected
government by the crowd. He knew that it
had been discussed
by the founders of the Republic, and
that the struggle toward
civilization had been to get away from
mass rule, because it
begat the very autocracy which it sought
to destroy. His judg-
ment therefore refused the referendum,
with its handmaidens, the
initiative and the recall, as subversive
of conservative and repre-
sentative government. As he saw state
after state, including his
own, adopting them, he felt that they
were simply digging out of
the junk pile of history machinery
rejected ages ago, and fur-
bished up for use by the power-hungry
crowd. But on these
topics he rarely expressed himself, and
never wrote concerning
them. There were other and less militant
subjects to which he
directed his speech and pen. He took no
pleasure in the polemics
of politics.
Likewise he rejected Socialism. Twenty
years ago he en-
tered into the study of its doctrines
with an open and even mind.
He conscientiously read its fascinating
literature, from the Cap-
ital of Karl Marx to the political platforms of that day.
His
imaginative mind saw the beauty and
attractiveness of its ideals.
He knew that ever since the days of
Plato, and later, since the
days of Sir Thomas Moore's Utopia, men
and women have
dreamed of a cooperative brotherhood. He
knew that the world
was full of wrongdoing, and of injustice
and of unmerited suf-
fering, but he felt this would be
remedied more by man acting to
man as a brother, rather than as a
member of a brotherhood
established by law. He was sure that the
cure was not in drying
up the great reservoir of individual
effort and responsibility,
which gives vitality to human
personality and human purpose.
From his viewpoint, what the Socialist
sought to attain de-
pended upon a complete change of earthly
motives and passions;
106 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
it was an aspiration to transform human
relations into heavenly.
His practical mind could see no
accomplishments in all this
reasoning. From this theoretical
discussion he turned to an ex-
amination into the physical operation of
Socialism. At that time
there was in this state, at Zoar, a
communistic society that had
existed for nearly three generations.
Founded to share property,
profits, labor and lives in common, it
was a fine example on a
small scale of the Socialistic state. To
this living type of Social-
ism in action he turned for the best
testimony. He was received
hospitably by its people, and a vacation
was spent in studying
the domestic and civil life, the
government of its church, its busi-
ness operations, its local literature
and social life. The result of
his labors was a book entitled Zoar:
A Study of Sociological
Communism. This little book is one of the most effective an-
swers to Socialism ever offered; it is
not an argument; it pre-
sents a picture of the hard fact of
failure. It is the best and
most valuable contribution of original
research work of the au-
thor's literary life. He has phased here
an institution that in the
first generation was founded and
followed with religious enthusi-
asm, in the second with lukewarm
fidelity and waning strength,
and in the third with decrement leading
to death. The end was
that the courts received its wreckage
for distribution according
to law. The book Zoar with its
record will always be a truthful
witness when called on the stand to
testify as to the practical
operation of Socialism. The Ohio
Archaeological and Historical
Society has issued edition after edition
in response to inquiries
from scholars, economists and students
throughout the world.
His favorite field of study-in which he
traveled afar-
was the pre-historic and the Indian
period of our State. He was
easily the first authority in this
country on these subjects, and
his writings are authoritative and will
remain as a lasting monu-
ment to his life-work. His studies of
Ohio are reflected from
thousands of pages, and he scattered his
knowledge widely and
freely among the people through
lectures, addresses, books and
pamphlets. While his name is indelibly
impressed upon the his-
torical literature of Ohio, he did not
limit his studies to this sub-
ject; he wandered widely through the
elysian fields of letters, and
of every branch of knowledge he was a
devotee. He was a lover
Emilius Oviatt Randall. 107
of good books, and to him they were the
flowers of literature,
and every day was their summer time. He
loved to quote Words-
worth:
"Books we know,
Are a substantial world, both pure and
good;
Round these, with tendrils strong as
flesh and blood,
Our pastime and our happiness will
grow."
To those who enjoyed his intimacy the
truth of this is known.
Wherever he was there were his books;
his home saw them
placed in every room at every hand; in
his office they were at his
side; at rest or in travel they were his
companions. Thus the
stately characters of all ages - the
good, the true and the beau-
tiful of the past, and the wisest of the
present were his constant
counselors, his associates and his
friends.
If these serious phases of his nature
were admirable to his
friends, his social qualities were an
especial charm and delight.
In his library, at the club and at the
banquet board he was a
fountain of enjoyment, and a companion
always warranted to
dispense knowledge and dispel care; and
a privilege, indeed, it
was for one to sit with him. How well do
we remember him at
many a feast contributing his learning
and humor with great
flavor and with no favor. He was a philosopher
of happiness,
"of infinite jest, of most
excellent fancy." It could be said of
him as Macaulay said of Addison, that he
had a wit without a
sting, and a humor without coarseness.
With these he was "wont
to set the table in a roar." This
dignified lightness of heart was
with him one of the cultivated
philosophies of his life. It served
him well in his labors, it lightened his
researches and even in the
sombre last days he did not fail to
invoke it. To say more of this
man would be to transform fact into
eulogy, and he does not need
that. He was of a fine type. God mixed
in him all the elements
of true manhood. He has left us in his
life a most beautiful
memory. To his family he has committed a
heritage that all
the money in the world could not buy,
nor all powers of earth
wrest from the Fates. He will long be
remembered as a man
with an unsullied name, as a scholar of
great learning, as one
who knew how to use wit and humor
without abusing them, and
as a citizen who kept all the pledges of
the Athenian oath.
108 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
To us, his fellow-members of the Club,
which for nearly ten
years was a pleasing part of his life,
his going means much. But
he leaves no vacant chair. He will ever
be with us, will ever be
talked of, and his chaste association
ever be a benediction and
an influence. We will always remember
his boyish smile of
friendly greeting. When he spoke, the
nights of the Club be-
came Attic nights, and we recall them
with no other regret than
that they can return no more. For 'tis
but the truth, and each of
us can say to him today:
"We spent them not in toys, or lust
or wine;
But in search of deep philosophy.
Wit, eloquence and poesy,
Arts, which I loved, for they, my
friend, were thine."
To his name and his gentle spirit, we,
his friends, are here
to do honor, to keep fragrant his
memory, and to urge his ex-
ample. We send him a message, but it
bears no tone speaking
of the sadness of farewell, nor
complaint of the inevitable; it is
one bearing the appeal of our hearts and
the prayers of our souls:
Emilius, may the companionship of God be
with thee, and may
His mercy and guidance be with us, till
we meet again.
The double quartet -Mr. Charles H. Orr
having replaced
Mr. W. D. McKinney, who was compelled to
leave the city-
then sang:
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Though like a wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Emilius Oviatt Randall. 109
Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee
The meeting was concluded with prayer.
BENEDICTION.
BY DR. JOSEPH S. KORNFELD.
To the departed Emilius Oviatt Randall,
whom we now af-
fectionately remember, may peace and
bliss be granted in the
realm of eternal life. There may he find
grace and mercy before
the Lord of Heaven and earth. May his
soul rejoice in that
ineffable good which God has laid up for
those who love and
revere Him. A never-failing inspiration
in life, may his memory
be a never-dying benediction.
May our Heavenly Father vouchsafe unto
the bereaved His
gracious care and may the light of His
love lead them through
the darkness that surrounds them.
Peace to the dead, power to the living.
Amen.
EMILIUS OVIATT RANDALL, PROFESSOR OF
LAW.
BY DR. W. O. THOMPSON.
The characteristic feature of the
present day in education
seems to demand a highly specialized
study in a rather narrow
area as a preparation for teaching.
Perhaps more than any other
one thing the academic man feels that
his equipment for teaching
is not quite complete until he has
demonstrated his power of
original research and has received the
testimony of that fact in
the form of a degree known as the Doctor
of Philosophy. In
the absence of such testimony there is a
disposition to assume a
certain superficiality in the work that
men do. The older days,
therefore, are often looked upon as less
critical and more super-
Emilius Oviatt Randall. 103
RANDALL, THE MAN.
BY DANIEL J. RYAN.
Emilius O. Randall had the inestimable
advantage of being
well-born. Not by inheritance of the
muniments of wealth or
caste or rank, but through the
influences of forebears whose
chief purposes in life, and whose
aspirations and achievements,
were within the sphere of the
intellectual and spiritual. They
were Americans more than a century
before Bunker Hill, and
were among the founders of New England,
of whom Longfellow
wrote: "God sifted three kingdoms
to find the seed for this
planting." Through six generations
his ancestors justified this
saying. They helped to bear the burdens
of the forefathers;
theirs was the Heroic Age of American
history. It was the era
when the first forests were felled and
the virgin soil was tilled;
when the conquests of nature and the
Indian went hand in hand;
when the French invader was driven out;
and greater than all,
when popular government was established,
and a new Nation
given to mankind. The Randalls and the
Oviatts did their full
share of all this, and in the later days
of peace they pioneered
to a western land to lay the foundation
of homes of culture and
refinement. They preached the Word and
they taught in the col-
leges and schools of the new land. They
brought with them the
sturdy New England character sifted
through generations of
hardships and tribulations.
This was Randall's heritage - a gift from
God that he pre-
served throughout his ife. He never
compromised it. Beneath
his gentle exterior, which he wore as a
velvet glove, he grasped
the moral side of every question with a
grip of steel. It was the
operation of his New England conscience
which he inherited
from his Puritan ancestors. He had the
robust qualities of
steadfastness of purpose and firmness of
thought. He encour-
aged no conflict in deciding between
right and wrong, he toler-
ated no debate of expediency; he simply
and quietly, but quickly
and immovably took the side of right.
Thus, as he thought in
his soul, so he was in his life - clean
and straight, and free from
hypocrisy and guile. The meaner vices of
life never even cast