The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-04
M'KINLEY AT COLUMBUS
HE VISITS OHIO STATE FAIR AND
TALKS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN.
Ovation from over $4,000 People
Warning Against Bodily Harm.

COLUMBUS, O., Sept 3-President Nc
Kinley and party arrived here at 10 a. m.
as guests of the Ohio State Board of Agri-
culture. They were preceded by Hon. James
Wilson, secretary of agriculture, who
joined them here. With the President came
Mrs. Mckinley, Senator and Mrs. Hanna,
Secretary and Mrs. Alger, Colonel and Mrs.
Myron Herrick, Webb C. Hayes and other
on reception appointed by the Board of
Agriculture escorted the President between
lines of. police to carriages. The crowd
in the vicinity of the station was immense,
the weather being fine and the attendance
at the fair very large. Col. John S. POLAND,
in command of the Seventeenth United
States Infantry, and Colonel Colt, in COM
mand of the Fourteenth Infantry Battery
II, and Company B, Ninth Battalion, Ohio
National Guard, received the President
the station entrance with the command to
the troops, present arms!' He was then
escorted, the city police leading the way, to
the Great Southern Hotel where he had
been assigned rooms.
Luncheon having been served at the ho-
tel in the regular dining room, and to
which all table guests of the house were
admitted as usual, the resident and party
military, which had gone ahead Ito rest
in the shade as desired by the President,
until he came TO them at a point near the
entrance. Having carried a gun and other
military accoutrements himself he seemed
not TO nave forgotten how soldiers in war,
CURED to stand for hours awaiting the con-
venience of dignitaries
1t is variously estimated that between
l0,OOU and 100000 people were gathered on
the grounds to greet the President, but only
a fraction of this number were able to
hear the brief speech which he delivered.
1t was school children's day at the fair
and thousands of little folks were scattered
through the crowd. President Mckinley
directed his remarks in part to them.
After visiting the Grant cottage the Presi-
dent held an informal levee in the office
of Secretary Miller There was great
appeared on the balcony at the east side
of the main exposition building. The bal
cony was beautifully decorated. 1t was
impressive sight that greeted the President
as the vast crowd spread out over
several acres. After the applause which
greeted the President subsidized the Four
teenth Regiment Band played America"
and the vast assemblage took up the ia
miliar strain, making great chorus. Sec
rotary Miller, of the State Board of Agri-
culture introduced the President, who said:
My Fellow-citizens-I feel that it is al
most hopeless task to undertake to make
myself heard by this great assembage of
my felow-citizens. 1t is peculiarly crafty
ing to me, after more than eighteen months
of absence from the capital city of my
State to return TO these beautiful agricul-
tural grounds to meet my old friends and
my fellow-citizens with whom for so many
years | have been associated in the past.
If l had been asked to select a greeting
NEST agreeable to myself 1t would be that
greeting which the committee has prepared
for the children of the schools of the State
assembled on these grounds to-day. Cap
plause)
THE presence of forty thousand school
children commands our affection and in
spires our hope; and 1 congratulate the
children of Ohio that they enjoy excep-
| tional opportunities for education at the
hands of the government of the State. No
other State has higher common school adj
| vantageS than the State of Ohio. And it
is gratifying to know that a half million
| children every day in our State crowd the
door steps of our public schools in their
| thirst for knowledge to fit them for the
| grave and responsible duties of life. There
| is one thing which the United States can
proudly boast and that is our great public
| school system where the boys and girls
| from every walk of life assemble in full
| equality and enjoy equally with all their
| fellows all the advantages of public in
| struction. congratulate you all for that.
Il am glad to meet these school children
here to-day .Children's day it is to you
now, but in a little while it will be citizens
while will rest the duty as we'll as the re-
| sponsibility of carrying on the great politi-
bearing the glorious old banner they have
| so proudly borne in the past. Great APP
plause)
| God bless the school children of America
| and guide them to intelligence and virtue
| and morality and patriotism, and with
| these elements dominating our citizenship,
| our institutions are safe and our Republic
| may be glorious forever. l thank you and
| bid you all good afternoon" Great APP
| plause)
At the conclusion of the Presidents
| speech he the recipient of an ovation
| from the school children and assembled
| multitude. Brief speeches were also made
by. Secretary Alger and Senator Hanna.
| After driving over the grounds the presi-
Dental party returned to the hotel.
In the evening complimentary. dinner
was given by the State Board of Agrcul-
| ture to President Mckinley and brief in
formal reception followed The President
leaves for Canton tomorrow morning.
An unpleasant feature of the Presidents
visit to the city was a report which gained
currency through the publication to-day or
an anonymous letter to the effect that the
President was in bodily danger because of
the appointment of immigration Commits
sioner Powderly and that extraordinary pre-
cautions would be taken to guard Major
Mckinley. The mayor and the director of
pubic safety regard the communication az
hoax. and both state that it was never
considered SarinuSlV