Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-08-25
THE MAN FOR THE CRISIS.
The American People Have Greater Love
and Admiration OF President Mckinley
Than Ever Before.

Pdi pOots outH dll Ohp "Ouin navy
been surrounded with weak cabinet
and advisers who would undoubtedly
have plunged the country into disgrace
rather than lifting il INTO the high
position it occupies today under the
guiding hand of our beloved president
The following from the pen of Walter
l.. Wilder, son OF w. f.. Wilder Of this
city, who is the editor in chief and
general manager Of the Colorado
Springs Gazette, is IN excellent arti-
Gle and to the point:
History shows that when great
crises arise in the life of nation, the
time produces man able to meet them
and successfully solve the intricate
problems of craftsmanship and gener-
alship that are incident to them.
In the history of the United States
of America three great crisises over
shadow all others. The first involved
the very existence of the nation-and
George Washington appeared to guide
the infant republic through the desper-
ate struggle that ended by making it "a
separate and distinct nation. The
second involved the life OF the Union
that the first had created-and Abra-
ham Lincoln stood as the bulwark of
our integral existence, saving the
country that had been won by the
blood of our forefathers, from disin
tegraton. The third involved the
recognition OF the United States as "a
world-power, II factor in all future
international affairs-and VIM. McKin-
ley arose to guide his beloved country
through the crisis that ended by giving
America a place among the nations
that it had never before held and that
ii cannot hereafter be forced TO relin-
quish.
Remembering the horrors OF the war
through which we passed, and dread
ing to plunge the nation into another
struggle that must disturb its tran
guilty and desolate many homes,
William Mckinley exhausted every
honorable means to prevent it. Long
before the first gun shrieked its mes
sage of war, be had passed through the
struggle that comes TO the statesman
when he realizes that the supreme
moment is at hand. That diplomacy
with which a munificent nature had
endowed him and which had been
augmented by experience and "A know
ledge of the history of the world s
great diplomatic victories, stood be-
tween bis country and wars horrors,
striving with all its power to maintain
the worlds peace, until the exhaustion
OF every resource and utter failure pro-
claimed that two nations must meet on
the field Of battle.
Then mark the change. Disregard
ing the past: seeing his course plainly
marked. and firm in the belief that a
just God approved his purpose; and
keeping in mind only the thought that
the enemy must be crushed in the
shortest possible time, William Me-
Kinley, the statesman, was lost sight Of
in William Mckinley, the general.
Putting aside the intricacies of diplom-
acy he turned his massive intellect to
the solution OF the problems of actual
conflict With the rapidity that the
country's unpreparedness demanded,
yet with the calm, unerring judgment
that marks the warrior-leader, he
planned the course of action that he
believed would speedily bring the
enemy to sue for peace.
Not only where the battle RACES; not
only where the bullets fly thickest, and
amid bursting shells; not only where
the dying turn fading eyes TO their
country's proud banner and give their
last breath i'm a faint cheer for it, are
heroes born. Not alone on the field OF
action is glory to be won, and not
there alone is the patriots courage To
be tested. Through the smoke OF bat
tie could be seen that splendid figure,
anxious, watchful, immovable; and
above the din OF conflict could be heard
that calm voice, directing and encour'
aging-and that form and voice were
always those Of leader, hero, and a
glorious victorl Is there n citizen OF
the United States today who is not
proud of the chief magistrate OF this
great nation? Is there one who will
not point to that splendid figure who
had the ability to plan his course and
the strength to follow it to a gloriou:
victory In the face of all opposition
and say, There was man. Borne
down by the weight of an awful respon
sibility, and knowing that failure
E. would bring upon his head the curses
of an enraged people, who had placed
their trust in him, he passed through
the ordeal unscathed and arose TO heai
grateful nation cheer his name uuti
every mountain, valley and plain re
Z echoed the acclaim.
I. Not only as the splendid statesman
and indomitabe general do we SCI
L.