T. E. TAYLOR-AN APPRECIATION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 2 August 1911, Page 4

T. E. TAYLOR-AN APPRECIATION

By G. P. W.

It is finished. The last farewells have been said, the last sad rites performed and amidst the mourning of a people all that was mortal of Thomas Edward Taylor has been laid to rest.

Fallen at length Is the tower of strength That stood foursquare to all the winds that blew. No man in his life provoked bitterer hatred, no man inspired deeper affection. A fierce and uncompromising opponent of all sham and injustice, a deadly enemy or vice and wrong, he dared at all times t® say what others dared only to think He was a fearless advocate of the Prohibition Reform in the days, when to be a Prohibitionist was to be a "bigot " "fanatic," and political outcast, when to espouse the Prohibition cause meant boycotted business and sometimes threatened, life. When, during the Boer war the Dominion was aflame with the martial spirit, and every man who did not throw up his hat and shout "Rule, Britannia!" was regarded as a "pro-Boer " he dared incur the ignominy of publicly protesting against this new world participating in the quarrels of the old. His protest cost him his seat in Parliament, _ iE * Taylor was ever a man to preter loss of place to loss of honor and self-respect. Of him it can be said, as of another dead hero, that

He never sold the truth to serve the hour, Nor paltered with eternal God for power.

Keen in criticism, uncompromising in speech and impetuous in action he oftentimes aroused fiercest opposition particularly amongst a section of the press, and consequently prejudiced newspaper antagonism led many to form a totally wrong estimate of the man. To know Mr Taylor personally was to love him. His genius had an extraordinary range. At the time of the Seddon—Taylor trial he had matched against him two of the cleverest counsel of the Dominion, yet he canducted his own defence and delivered a speech which has not been surpassed by th« most eminent barrister of the Supreme Court. A platform speaker of the first magnitude, he possessed in a remarkable degree the power of swaying his audience and arousing conviction His marked influence over men resulted from passionate conviction, intense sincerity and absolute unselfishness, joined m a nature that brimmed over with love to his fellows. His intimates only could know in fullest extent the altitude of his ideals, the magnetic charm of his personality, the tenderness of his chivalry and the warmth of his heart. All his life through a fierce ambition burned within him to right earth's wrongs, and though often seemingly baffled he remained to the end a mighty optimist, strong in the belief that the best is yet to be. Fearing no foe in life, he would not cringe at death, but spent his last hours in shaping solemn calls to duty to those left behind to carry on his'life work. Let us now mourn for Thomas Edward Taylor. He died as he wished—in harness, aud if by his death his admirers are stirred to bigger effort in the great cause that lay" so near his heart, there will be required no other monument to immortalise his memory. Farewell, brave heart, thy form we shall no more see, but while incmorv endures we shall pay thee the tribute of our affections.

" Lord within Thy gracious keeping, Leave we now Thy servant sleeping."