The
New York Herald in the following Sunday, October 13, edition published further
tributes to Don Martin.
“HE
DIED IN THE SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY,” CLOSE
OBSERVERS OF
DON MARTIN’S CAREER DECLARE
High Tributes Paid to the
Character
and Work of Herald Correspondent
Don Martin’s epitaph was written yesterday in the tributes
of many of his friends and acquaintances. “He
died in the service of his country.” The notes of sympathy and personal
grief over the sudden death of the war correspondent of the Herald in Paris on
Monday came from a multitude of men, representing many walks of life, who at
some time or other had come in contact with Don Martin and felt the warmth and
bigness of his personality and character.
Those who held high places in the political life of the
State and city, and those who worked with him in his long and brilliant career
as a political writer on the Herald, all paid tribute to his fairness and spoke
feelingly of the keen personal loss they felt in his death. Some of the
newspapers paid editorial tribute to him.
Men who had not known him personally, but who had read his
clear and forceful political stories for years, and others who had been more
recently attracted by his illuminating work as a correspondent with the
American forces in France, were among those who wrote to the Herald and
expressed a sincere feeling of sympathy and regret.
Action by Two Organizations
Resolutions on his death were adopted by the Amen Corner and
the Association of City Hall Reporters, the two local organizations which
include in their membership the political reporters of the past and present on
all New York papers, practically all of whom were warm personal friends of Don
Martin. He was a fellow member of these organizations. The old Amen Corner also
has among its members many men now prominent in the pubic service. Thomas F.
Smith, Representative in Congress and secretary of Tammany Hall, is its
president. Frank A. Tierney, president of the New York State Legislative
Reporters Association, who was Mr. Martin’s assistant when the latter first
went to Albany for the Herald, paid a loving tribute to his old friend and
associate.
These expressions of the newspapermen who knew Don Martin
intimately and were associated with him in their work were particularly
touching. All felt the loss of a real friend and lovable companion. Don Martin
had no enemies among newspaper men. Few hoped to equal him in the quality of
work, but none was jealous of his unusual achievements, for it was impossible
for any one who came in contact with him, not to like him.
By the Amen Corner
The directors of the Amen Corner met at the office of Luther
B. Little, No. 1 Madison Avenue. Representative Thomas F. Smith presided and
spoke of the high regard in which Mr. Martin was held by all his associates.
Arrangements were made by cable to send a suitable floral tribute to any
services that might be held in Paris. The resolutions adopted follow: --
“The
directors of the Amen Corner have heard with deep sorrow of the death of their
fellow director, Don Martin, in France. In the friendly activities of this body
he was a leading spirit and loved by all.
“In
his profession he was conscientious, faithful and eminently successful; in his
association with public men he possessed great tact and the ability to make and
hold fast friendships. He held their confidence, and he viewed public men and
events with the discrimination of a trained newspaperman who had high ideals.
“In
his great work, reporting the scenes on the battle fields of Europe, he coupled
with accurate narrative the fire of his own patriotic faith, his sympathetic
understanding of the American soldier and the ideals for which he is fighting
and his undying hatred of the Hun. His loyal service to his paper was an
inspiring service to the American people who read his despatches.
“His
life was given to his country as surely as if he had fallen in battle. We shall
always honor his memory and glory in this sacrifice.”
The secretary was instructed to
send a copy of the resolutions to Mr. Martin’s mother, Mrs. J. B. Martin, of
Silver Creek, N.Y.
By the City Hall Reporters
Resolutions by the Association of City Hall Reporters
follow:--
“The
newspapermen of New York City, and particularly the members of the Association
of City Hall Reporters, learned with deepest sorrow of the death of one of
their members, Don Martin, war correspondent on duty in France. Mr. Martin’s
work as a new gatherer, in politics and war, stamps him as a genius in his
profession. Trained as a political reporter, he stepped into the front rank as
a war correspondent.
“In
all that he undertook he kept to the highest ideals of his profession. Those
whose privilege it was to come in contact with him knew well the charm of his
personality and his splendid character. He made and kept many friends, and
these, while sorrowing in his death, glory in the fact that he died as truly in
the service of his country as in the service of his paper.”
The association ordered a copy of
the resolutions spread upon its records and a copy sent to Mr. Martin’s family,
“as a token of the grief the members of
the association, his fellow workers, felt in his untimely death and as an
expression of sorrow at their great loss.”
Frank Tierney, of the Legislative Reporters Association, wrote from
Albany: --
“I was Don Martin’s assistant when he
came to Albany first for the Herald. He was one of the squarest men I ever
knew. He was as thorough and as honest and as clean in his work as the day is
long. He put character and pride in his efforts. He had the confidence of
public men because they sought his judgment, welcomed his quiet and charming
personality and loved his fairness. Every official and every newspaper man in
Albany will receive the news of Don’s death with a sorrow as keen as if it were
one of his own immediate family.”
Regret
was expressed by many State officials and employees and others in Albany who
had become acquainted with Mr. Martin during the years he spent at the State
Capital as legislative correspondent.
Martin H. Glynn said he was one of the most capable young men he
had ever known.
“His word was as good as gold,” said Mr. Glynn,
“and this trait of his character won him
the confidence and respect of men in high official positions. He was an
incessant worker and absolutely fearless. His war articles have done
magnificent work in picturing the conditions across the seas to hundreds of
thousands of people on this side of the Atlantic. I consider his death a
distinct loss to the newspaper world and to the country generally.”
Senator Henry M. Sage,
chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said: --
“I was deeply shocked to hear of his death.
We read his stories with the greatest interest. All who know him were fond of
him, and those who did not know him personally certainly will regret his death
as that of a friend.”
Dudley
Field Malone, formerly Collector of the Port, sent this message to the
Herald: --
“Don Martin has been my friend since
the first campaign of President Wilson for the Governorship of New Jersey. His
loss is one of the saddest of this great war. His friends were so happy over
the distinguished international reputation he had won, but he has fittingly
died with his immortal comrades on the fields of France.”
Edward G. Griggs, formerly a widely known political writer for the
New York Sun, paid this tribute to his friend: --
“Don Martin
was a noble representative of one of the noblest professions in the world –
journalism. He exemplified in his character the ideals and purposes of the
great newspaper men, past and resent. His major chords -- and I knew him for
many years, closely, intimately – were thoroughness, persistence, discernment,
courtesy, kindness, patience, courage, physical and mental integrity,
phenomenal industry, and a genuine consideration for the other fellow’s
viewpoint. He had a lovable, quiet, tender way and even in the fiercest
political skirmishes and battles I never saw him lose it. He had a sort of
whimsical expression as he noted the fierceness of the struggle, and yet he had
a profound appreciation of the purposes of the battles for principle. His
modesty was one of his very marked charms. If it was necessary to criticize he
did it with no thought of animus, but always with an idea of bringing about, if
possible, a better state of affairs in the political world. He was absolutely
just and one of the finest types of newspaperman that it has been my very great
privilege, which I count as a splendid mental fortune, to have met in my day.
He has died like the modest hero that he was, for he surely gave his life for
his country. And the thought is with me, the sorrowful thought, that his young
wife could not have lived to share in the glory and honor of his life and
death.”
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