The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-02
THE WOMEN OF STARK COUNTY
GREET MKINLEY, HIS WIFE
AND MOTHER.
TIVE THOUSAND FAIR ONES present
Eloquent Adress Delivered iy Mrs. Alice
Jones-Governor Mckinley Replied
Briefy-Not Man Present, Save
Reporters and Patrolmen.

Canton. June 26.-Five thousand of
the 1000 people of Stark county greet
ed Governor Mckinley, his wife and
mother in a public reception by the
women of Canton late this afternoon.
And of these 5000 there was not Il man
present besides the patrOmen at the door
and two score reporters. 1t was a nom
partisan affair. The house was dark
ened. There were handsome floral and
electric light effects. Two hundred
handsomely dressed women assisted
in the reception. There was music, and
the beautiful home of the late Jacob Mil
Ter, with its great rooms and broad lawns
and shade trees, presented scene long
to be remembered.
81 thought there would be a great
many here, but | did not think | would
have to wait two hours to get in," was
the remark of one woman. at reminds
me of White House public reception"
said a noted Washington correspondent
For half dozen blocks each way the
streets were crowded.
Mrs. Alice Jones, one of the most elo-
quent women of Ohio, presented Gov
ernor Mckinley, wife and mother, aged
81 years, saying:
"NIother and wife of William McKin-
ley-You know the import of this meet
ing. We, the women of Canton and
Stark county would show honor to the
two women nearest and dearest to the
man to whom not only Canton, but an
entire nation is paying homage.
''He is bound to you by ties even closer
than those which bind him to his cOun-
try, and we believe he will say with us
g l., Of
making.
",The path which we now see so plainly
leading to the White House had its be-
ginning within the doorway of the little
frame house in Niles. There the wis
dom of a father and the loving guidance
of mother laid the foundation stones
in young boys life All, mother. the
little hands you guided then have been
growing stronger and your own growing
feebler. Life's discipline of calm and
storm has left its marks on your boys
face. but the nursery lessons and songs
are still remembered and the touch of
your aged hands upon his hands today
is a motive power for good, so pure, so
good that none can underestimate its
worth.
Mrs. Mckinley, over twenty-five
years ago you prophesied CantOn's flu
ture pride in 'Canton's young attorney.
YOu plighted TO him your girlish faith,
and within the old Presbyterian church
you linked your life with his. Canton
has been proud of him for many years
and Canton has been proud of you. Gov
ernor Mckinley's action today bears up
on it the stamp of association with re-
fined womanhood. SO purely womanly
is your wifely devotion. so III sympathy
with his every interest has your life al
ways been that We're you not a part of it
today we believe that, like La Fayette
he would eXclaim in the bitterness of his
heart She was so one with me that
life seems robbed of half of its power
without her.
proud as we are of our statesman,
are we of wife's and mothers part in
giving to us one in whom we all can safe
~ trust. Women. such as you. have
given to our nation in the past her bray
est, nOblest sons John Quincy Adams
owed his greatness to his mother: Wash
ington consulted his mother: Lucy Webb
Hayes was her husbands truest helper:
Jackson deferred 10 the opinions of his
idolized wife, and the name of Ida Sax
ton Mckinley will be associated with
the name of her illustrious husband.
Fourteen years ago, on the Sunday
following his nomination. James a. Gar
field walked into the old home church.
bearing on his arm his aged mother. and
on last Sabbath morning into the church
of his early faith walked our future
president and with him walked his
mother.
with home anchoragcs such as this
we women have no fears that under the
coming administration hearthfres will
burn DINNER or counting times be closer.
Our men may deal with questions of
tariff and finance and political policy.
We won't believe but that the impor-
lance of pure living is higher than all,
nd oil h,+ oh lao
called to preside over the destinies of Il
nation we shall have Il man at the head
with character pure and record so I'M
furnished that any mother here today
would feel proud to know that our
little boys might be in lines parallel with
this.
Governor and Mrs. Mckinley. in Civ
ing you to the nation we do not feel that
we are losing you. Too many ties. ten
der ties and sacred. will bring you back
to Canton. There are friends here
there is love. There are tiny graves
and larger ones which will ever make
Canton a Mecca for your returning feet
''In this, your hour of triumph and
ours of pride, when to you and yours
we extend the congratulations of your
townsman, we can not refrain from pay
ing tribute to the memory of one who.
bearing also the name of Mckinley
will be remembered in Canton so long
as they who came in contact with her
have powers of remembering Anna
Mckinley. possessing that latent power,
that force of character. that winning
charm and gracious tact which made
her queenly among women. and which,
had she been man, would have made
her second only to her beloved brother,
Governor Mckinley. No richer benson
can we ask for you than where. with
wider reach perchance than hers. your
hands may guide and govern. But
with the ovatiOns of nation ringing in
your ears how small must seem the
commentator of simply women, and
then, so little can words express the
deepest feelings of our hearts, our per-
feet faith. that closest interests will be
wisely guarded; and so little can they
convey to your honored wife and