city bar, he is more meditative and studious; and the late justice Miller, of the federal supreme court, observed that the great judges are commonly recruited from this wholesome and inspiring environment. As a practitioner Judge Broady was sagaciously effective in jury cases and, by virtue of an unusually discriminating judgment and presentation of points at issue and an industrious examination of the learning and precedent affecting his cases, he was also strong before the courts. In the pioneer days his high character and safe and honest counsel distinguished him from a class of lawyers who are especially numerous in new communities. He therefore exercised a strong and wholesome positive and restraining influence in the earlier constructive period of the state. On the same account, he was recognized as one among a half dozen leaders in the constitutional convention of 1875. I am persuaded that Judge Broady, confronted by the temptations of the now distinctively commercialized practice, often and effectively asked himself, "What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" The nurture and admonition of the old school democracy, in which Judge Broady was brought up, blended with a tincture of the spirit of the old school lawyer, of a wholesome but not reactionary strength, distinguished, if it did not characterize his social relations and attitude. This old spirit of democracy included an innate or instinctive regard for individual rights, freedom, and feelings, and for economy in public expenditure and the conservation of old and tried principles of social organization and government. Through these qualities he exercised a measurable and wholesome restraint in the formation of the new commonwealth against the antipodal aggressiveness of the dominant party which, coming into |
control, so far as possession of the government could give it, of the richest material resources with which any people has ever been endowed and at a time when almost miraculously potent forces and machinery for the development of those resources were discovered and invented, yielded to the temptation to exploit them at once; and, perforce, too abruptly and sweepingly, overriding old landmarks, precedents, and consideration of the individual resulting in a "prosperity" inevitably so concentrated as to defy equity and so fabulously luxurious as to lead to national lust. Coming from the simple scenes and methods which during a quarter of a century of active association had molded and stamped him, to the relatively urbanized and cosmopolitan society of Lincoln, after he had passed the prime meridian of life, Judge Broady never quite adapted himself to the new conditions, and so was at some disadvantage--which affected his wonted prominence and professional success. Shrinkage of property, in which he had with over-confidence in the immediate future of Lincoln somewhat over-invested, seriously depleted the modest acquisition which would have saved him from financial solicitude or embarrassment in declining health and years. Though he met this misfortune with fine fortitude, yet such reverses, coming when it is too late to recover from them, remorselessly pierce through the best-tempered philosophic armor into that keen sensitiveness of obligation to family and to business standing which, in Judge Broady's case, lay beneath it. The most admirable phase of Judge Broady's career, I think, was and is the mutual loyalty of the father and the family through the ups and downs of life and in and after the hour and article of death. This phase is easily the finest of a comprehensively fine life, because the fam- |
ily solidarity it exemplified is the foundation of our social structure, which, instead of strengthening with age, the better to sustain the increasingly diverse and complex superstructural institutions, is the rather weakening with the weakening hold of those fundamental moral sanctions. Therefore it is that, however valuable his wider public services, his service to society in raising and educating well a family, in many aspects now regarded as un-American in numbers, but in which unity and confidence and contentment were an inspiration, crowns them all; and, alone and fairly, that service has won him the plaudit, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. . . " The vicissitude of Judge Broady's life, which is the fate of all lives and is harrowing to all finely sensitive souls, suggests how incongruously society has commercialized the admonition of St. James, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. . . " An otherwise beautiful hymn of Montgomery's is spoiled, I think, by its emphasis of the reward sanction or motive. Nor lay thine armor down; The work of faith will not be done Till thou obtain the crown." I like better the spirit of our modern
interpreters of life. The woman and mother, getting a little
the better of the philosopher in Romola, she thus excuses
the weakly dastard, Tito, to his children: "The world was
not very kind to him, and he saw meaner men than himself put
into higher places because they could flatter and say what
was false." The boy Lillo said he wanted greatness and great
pleasure too; to which Romola replied: "There are so many
things wrong and difficult in the world, that no man can be
great--he can hardly keep himself from wick- |
eduess--unless he gives up thinking much about pleasure or rewards and gets strength to endure what is hard and painful." And Stevenson speaks truth and shames the old main motive of Christian devotion when he says: "The soul of piety was killed long ago by that idea of reward. Nor is happiness, whether eternal or temporal, the reward that mankind seeks. Happinesses are but his wayside campings; his soul is in the journey; he was born for the struggle, and only tastes life in effort and on the condition that he is opposed." And Hardy: "The beauty or ugliness of a character lay, not only in its achievements, but in its aims and impulses; its true history lay, not among things done, but among things willed." The catastrophe of Ibsen's A Doll's House is the climax of rebellion against our mid-summer madness for doing--even in its altruistic phase --at the expense of being. Not until living shall run a far less extreme and obtrusive journey into the idolatrous field of action shall we properly appreciate the "old-fashioned" devotion of our departed friend to principle and the idealism which he unobstrusively but hospitably entertained as his guest. And I am not sure that until that change begins, at least, life as normally lived about us every day, is worth living at all--except in the satisfaction of helping to bring the change about. The foregoing sketch suggested to Mrs. Anna Broady Avery, daughter of Judge Broady, the following observations touching the character and career of her father, which serve as a valuable supplement to the address proper. . . . . Your hint that his personality offers a type to the literary interpreter of life--the novelist--suggests many things in the way of side lights to my mind. As you know his early years were lived in a most interesting environment, at a most interesting period: on the very ground and in the |
atmosphere of the Lincoln-Douglas episodes. These influences went far toward forming the ideals of this impressionable and somewhat mystical-minded boy. Chance, or the general drift of things, later brought him to the most opportune place for a young man of his temperament to become a force. Brownville, on the river, just over the way from Missouri and Kansas, was teeming with all kinds of life and work, picking their way out of the tangle made by the war. A town full of action and romance, furnishing inspiration and plenty of work to do to the young man of purpose and ideals. You, who seem to understand the meanings of things, will see how the setting and the man were suited; how they brought out the best, each from the other. An illustrated lecture on the historical geography of Nebraska by Professor Clark E. Persinger concluded the regular program. Professor Persinger spoke extemporaneously and no stenographic report was made of his lecture. At the close of the program, on motion of S. L. Geisthardt, the meeting adjourned until Wednesday, January 13, 2. P. M. The Society met in business session
Wednesday, January 13, at two o'clock in the afternoon,
Robert Harvey, first vice president, presiding. It being
apparent that a quorum was present the roll call was
dispensed with, as was also the reading of the minutes of
the last annual meeting. The report of the secretary was
then presented and, on motion of Lorenzo Crounse, duly
seconded, was adopted. To the Members of the Nebraska State Historical
Society: |
operation which has been received from members of the Society, and especially from the members of the board of directors. As the minutes of the regular and special meetings of the board, which accompany this report, present in detail the transactions of that body, it has not seemed necessary for the secretary to do more than summarize the work of the year in the various departments. While there has at all times been more
work to do than could be properly done with our limited
facilities and in our crowded condition, there has been much
to encourage in the advancement that has been made. The
appropriation of $25,000 by the legislature of 1907, for the
purpose of laying the foundation of a great library and
museum building, has given the work of the Society a new
impetus and increased the enthusiasm of its friends. The
classifying and cataloguing of the library and the binding
of accumulated newspapers has made accessible the valuable
material on hand and increased the usefulness of the
Society's collections. This work in both the library and the
museum has been continued during the year, and substantial
progress has been made in both departments. The completion
of the second volume of Nebraska Constitutional
Conventions adds a valuable book to the list of the
Society's publications, and it is hoped that the two
remaining volumes of this series may be completed during the
present year. The acquisition of two hundred new members for
the year has been a very gratifying indication of the
growing interest in our work. The Nebraska Territorial
Pioneers Association, an allied organization, has shown a
corresponding increase in membership, and in general
activity. |
coöperative relationship with national, state and local historical societies, departments of history, and library and museum associations. At the annual meeting of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association, held at Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, June 22-23, and at the semiannual meeting of the same organization, and the meeting of the American Historical Association held at Washington, District of Columbia, and Richmond, Virginia, December 28-31, the Society was represented by your secretary. Several valuable additions have been made to the museum and library, principally by gift and exchange. Many Nebraska newspapers, not heretofore received, have been added to the regular files, and there are few progressive newspaper men in the state who do not now recognize the importance of having preserved here a complete file of their paper. The legislative reference department has rendered efficient service to members of the legislature, and has furnished a large amount of reference material to school principals and superintendents for use by the Nebraska High School Debating League. The work of the Society covers a wide field, and it is the purpose of the management to render the greatest possible public service at the minimum cost. Indeed, work which needed to be done, although entirely outside of the legitimate field of the Society, has been undertaken because of its seeming importance. Such, for instance, as the legislative reference library, the furnishing of reference material upon social and political problems to high school and college debating teams, and the operation of a general information and reference bureau for the benefit of The public. Important as are all of these things, some of them must of necessity be given up; unless the legislative appropriation for the maintenance of the Society is materially increased. |
Among the more important activities
which have engaged the attention of your officers and board
of directors during the year just closed is the matter of
securing a site for the proposed library and museum
building. In this work we have had the active and effective
coöperation of the city officials, and the officers and
members of the Lincoln Commercial Club. |
appropriated by the city, with interest on the whole amount for four months at five per cent. These warrants were sold to W. E. Barkley, at par, and after paying to each subscriber to the fund half of the amount of his subscription, with interest at five per cent., there was a balance left of $20.95, which is held to be applied to the payment of the unpaid paving taxes. The property is deeded to the Nebraska State Historical Society, the deeds are recorded, and in the possession of the secretary. There remains no legal claim against the property except the paving taxes, amounting to $798.12, not yet due, and which it is expected the city will provide for. Preparations have been made to erect on this site the wing of a building as contemplated by the act referred to. Mr. George A. Berlinghof, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was elected as architect and superintendent and has prepared plans for a structure 108 feet 8 inches x 237 feet 10 inches, to occupy the entire half block. The wing of this building, to be erected at this time, is to be 82 feet 5 inches x 108 feet, 8 inches. The work of classifying and cataloguing
the library, begun last year, has gone forward as rapidly as
the varied duties of the librarian would permit. During the
year, 1,233 titles have been catalogued, and the librarian
has personally cleaned, mended, temporarily bound and
catalogued many of the old pamphlets, maps and manuscripts,
which have thus become available for public use. Duplicates
of government publications have been checked over, and 2,700
titles returned to the superintendent of public documents at
Washington, thereby affording more space for the handling of
the remaining duplicates, to which there have been added
during the year five hun- |
dred titles. The work of exchanging duplicates has not received special attention, as it has seemed more practical, with the limited number of helpers, to direct the energy of the library force toward the classifying and cataloguing of the large amount of material already on hand, rather than toward accumulating more books that could not be put into condition to be used. A number of comparatively rare books have been added, however, when it was possible to secure them as a gift or to purchase them at a bargain. Aside from the duplicates there have been added to the library for the year two thousand titles, making a total of 30,550 titles now upon our shelves. Valuable donations of books, manuscripts, maps and pictures have been received from the following named friends of the Society:
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