David W. Fletcher ~ son of David and Mary (Watkins) Fletcher
A Narrative History
of
The People of Iowa
with
SPECIALTREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN
EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR,INDUSTRY,
BUSINESS, ETC.
by
EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A.M.
Curator of the
Historical, Memorial and Art Department ofIowa
Volume IV
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Chicago and NewYork
1931
DAVID W. FLETCHER, D. D., LL.B.One of the best known men of Iowa, ifnot
of the West, is Dr. David W. Fletcher, former minister of the Baptist
denomination, but now one of the very able attorneys practicing at the bar ofDes
Moines.He has lectured in Wales and America, and is a brilliantspeaker, not
only entertaining, but giving food for thought, and in this workhas been a
National Security, League Chautauqua and Lycru, lecturer, and alsoroyal
lecturer for the Columbian Woodmen, and through his platform work is an
international figure.
Doctor Fletcher was born in Wales, July 2, 1870, a sonof David and Mary
(Watkins) Fletcher, both of whom were born in Wales, and arenow deceased.By
trade he was a roller in the steel mills, and continuedinthis work all his
life.Of the two children born to him and hiswife Doctor Fletcher is the
only survivor.Both parents were activemembers of the Baptist Church, and he
belonged to the Ivorits.His father,Charles Fletcher, was born in Wales,
but came to the United States, and wassuperintendent of a steel mill in
Pennsylvania, being an expert steel worker.After some years spent in this country he returned to Wales and diedthere. The maternal grandfather of Doctor Fletcher was William Watkins, who owned and operated a sawmill in Wales.
Reared in Wales, Doctor Fletcher attended the common schools of hisnative
community, and then took advanced work in London, England, and became a
minister of the Baptist Church.Coming to the United States, he was pastorof the
First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh for three years; for four years heheld a
Baptist pastorate at Kningston, Pennsylvania, and for four years more
continued his ministerial work at Mahoning City, Pennsylvania.It was atthe
termination of his pastorate at the latter place that he entered upon hiswork as a
lecturer on the Lyceum and Chautauqua platform.
Coming west in the early part of 1917, he volunteered his services tothe
administration, but while they were not accepted for the army, he was placedin
the National Security Bureau, and was kept busy for the duration of the war
helping cement ties of good fellowship.In the meanwhile, in 1912, he had
begun to read law in Pennsylvania, and when he entered upon a permanent
residence at Des Moines he formed connections with the office of Zeuch & Warren, and after four years was admitted to the bar in 1922, since which time he has been engaged in a general practice.
In 1888 Doctor Fletcher married Miss Eliza Ann Jayne, a native ofWales, and
eight children have been born to them, seven of whom are living,namely:
William Arthur, who is an electrical engineer of Los Angeles,California;
Nellie May, who is deceased; Joseph W., who is married and lives at Los Angeles, California, a printer and has three children; Ethel, who married Herman Roth, and has two children, Robert and Charlotte Roth, resides at Los Angeles, where her husband is manager of a cafe; Beatrice G., who married Ray Wickstrom, manager of an automobile company of Dallas, Texas; Frances Rebecca, who married Harry Anderson, a salesman of Dallas, Texas;LilliamDoris, who married William Swan, an employe of the city hall of Los Angeles; and L. J. Stanley, manager of a cafe at Los Angeles. After the death of his first wife Doctor
Fletcher married Miss Margaret E. McCabe in 1922.She was born at Rock Island, Illinois, and educated at Des Moines, to which city she was brought at the age of eight years.After she was graduated from high school she entered
Drake University, and was graduated therefrom after takingthe full course in the academic department.For a time she was a teacher of Spanish, and later she was librarian of the Des Moines Public Library.She is a member of the
Presbyterian Church.Doctor Fletcher belongs to the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and has been chaplain of his lodge for several years. He is a member of the Polk County Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. All his life he has been a staunch Republican, and for several years was one of the most popular stump speakers of the state. In 1914 he assisted in electing Doctor Brumbaugh and Senator Penrose, both of whom were opposed by Colonel Roosevelt.In 1924 and 1928 Doctor Fletcher ran for the office of municipal judge, and in 1926 for state senator, but, although he made a creditable campaign in each case, he was defeated.
Some idea of the great work Doctor Fletcher has accomplished, and isstill
doing, may be gleaned from the following extracts taken from the highofficial
recognition accorded him during the war period, and also a fewquotations
from his speeches.
"Allow me to thank you for the valuable work you are doing as alecturer in
cementing the unity and promoting harmony between the United Statesand Great
Britain."Signed by Rovert M. Glen, secretary of the BritishEmbassy,
Washington, and bearing the date of October 28, 1918.
"I am desired by the prime minister, D. Lloyd George, to thank you foryour
services."Signed by T. L. Stevenson, secretary to the primeminister, and
dated 10 Downing Street, London, England, November 27, 1918.
"The President deeply acknowledges and appreciates your very generousand
patriotic proffer of your services, and he wishes in his informal way to
express his grateful thanks for your loyalty and support."Signed by J. H.
Tumulty, secretary to the President, and dated Washington, March 5, 1917.
"I beg to acknowledge yours of the 2nd instant offering your servicesas
chaplain in case of war.I shall file your communication for futurereference."
Signed by Senator Cummins of Iowa, and dated Washington,March 6, 1917.
"I am in receipt of your favor in which you tender your services to the
country in the event that we become involved in the war.I want to commendthe
patriotism that inspires your action in making this proffer."Signed
Commonwealth of Iowa, W. L. Harding, governor, and dated March 7, 1917."
In addition to the above Doctor Fletcher has several testimonials fromthe
mayor of Des Moines, adjutant general of Iowa, department of justice, andfrom
city and town committees throughout the thirteen states in which helectured
during the period of the World war.
The following, known as "Fletcherisms," are interesting as well as
illuminative of the man's high idealism, as well as of his soundpracticality.
"The ministries of America in the larger associations of the world willkeep
the Nation active and beautiful.Such ministries are the perpetualmelodies
of humanity.
"They glorify the present by the light they cast backward, and make the
future bright with the beams they send forward.
"Service in our country's cause tends to emancipate us from the slaveryof
self.It elevates the aspirations - expands the capacities of life -and
stimulates our mental energies.
"If people took more time to examinethemselves, the courts would need less
time to crossexamine them.
"Many of our modern idealists are as absolutely worthless as a mummy of
Rameses II. "There are men among us today who would have us follow them as our leaders who are of no more service to our country than a boy's toy pistol is in modern warfare.
"The great wonder to me is that the food speculator and others who are
making their thousands out of human suffering do not get incurable lockjaw when
they call themselves Americans.
"If I were a man of military age and had not offered America myservices -
providing I had no justifiable reason for asking exemption - I wouldfind the
highest bridge that spans the deepest river and would tumble over thebridge
into the water below, saying, 'Here goes nothing.'
"Anyone who loves another country more than America is worse than the
deepest devil in hell if he tries to betray America into the hands of ourenemies
with a kiss.
"America has given everyone of us a living, therefore the greatestinsult we
can offer our country is to offer it less than our lives.
"I would like to have the names of all persons in this town who havedied
from doing more than they ought to do for America, as I keep a record ofsuch
in a leafless journal."There are some rulers in Europe who areunworthy to
live - unfit to die - and it would be an insult to the worms toexpect them to
devour their rotten bodies.
"Many of our dandiest street paraders are the most vicious fiendsoutside of
Dante's Inferno.
"There is one inscription written the same overthe portals of heaven and
perdition:'Slackers Prohibited.'
"Any hand that may hold the sceptre of the world will not retain itlong if
the heart is diseased.Such are the hearts of the despoticautocrats of
Europe.
"If there is one that I despise more than another of the Americanparasites,
it is a sort of hybrid creature, something between a man and a woman- but
minus the herculean qualities and heroic passion of a man, and the queenly
graces of woman; lacking the dignity of both; with no sense of honor or justice,
and is totally callous and indurate to the claims of beast, man and God.
Such escaped fiends usually wear a silly, insipid simper on their faces,and
carry less serviceable mater in their heads than does a common housefly of
destructive germs on its feet.
"The next generation of American citizens will be strong physically and
mentally, providing the present generation will create pure habits of mind and
maintain perfect standards of home life.
"God has entrusted the American Nation with the unique privilege of
establishing a universal democracy; it is left to us to prove ourselves worthy of the infinite confidence reposed in us, as the worthy successors of immortal sires."
http://www.iagenweb.org/history/index.htmhttp://www.iagenweb.org/history/index.htm
*Check your facts, don't know how accurate.