The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-04-06
THE HOUR AND THE MAN.
The New York Tribnne's Tribute to
President Mckinley.

The hour has come. The climax is
at hand Before this day is done the
word will be spoken which may decide
the fate of nations. The issues Of hon
or aud shame, Of peace and war, are in
the balance. One mind will conceive,
one voice speak, one hand act, for the
turningof the sclle one, and no other
In no land rIled by autoeratie despo-
tism is one man more responsible, more
potent, more commanding, than in this
pure democracy. And for weeks past,
all through the trying time, that has
been as true as it is today. What Con-
gress might think or do has scarcely
been considered. What the report
upon the Maine may be has been DEEM
ed of minor importance. The sole
questions have been, what does the
President think? What will the Presi-
dent do? Congress, Cabinet, army and
navy all have their functions TO per-
form, and are performing them well.
But is is no der5gation Of their dignity
lit is the simple trulh-to say that for
the time they are each and all COM
pleteIy overshadowed by the individ-
uai personality of the Chief Execu-
tive.
In academic theory it should not be
so. The powers OF peace and war lie
in thei hands OF Congress. The real
government of the republic resides with
Congress. The President is merely to
execute the will of the people, as ex-
pressed in congressional action. But
in stern fact, in great emergencies, the
President is more autocratie than a
Car. Or he eau, and indeed should,
be so, if he be made of the right stuff
More than one has been, conscious that
the people were behind him. Lincoln
was, bending secretaries, Congress,
even the Constitution itself, to his tact
fuI, yet no less imperatOry will He
felt upon him the stress of the tremen-
dous charge to see that the republic
suffered no harm, and in the way OF
bearing it Alright all obstacles must
yield. II is the old, familiar rule, the
union and the balance of responsibility
and power. As the one increases the
other must increase. 1t is that othel
ancient rule:
In seasons of great peril tits well that
one bear sway.
When the life or honor of a nation is
laid in one mans hand, that one man
must be Caesar, a Cromwell, or a Lin
coin.
The man of the present h our is mad
of Sttings uf. Those who have known
him well have always kaown it. To-
day thu wdole lani knows it. The
nation knows that in this supreme
crisis it has a worthy head. That i:
why it accepts him as its head with 81
impressive a unanimity. The othei
day Congress with rot 3 dissenting
vote, placed sjO,O30,OO0 in his hands,
for use without let or hindranee, accord
ing to his single judgment, for national
defense. Today s nation of seventy
million, with not n dissenting voice
nor reluctant nor a misgiving heart,
plae . its honor aud its safety in his
hands. The voice of faction is dumb
There is only one party, as there is on
ly one country, and that is the Presi
dents party, as it is the President:
country. That strong, silent, self-pois
ed, selfcontained man in the White
House is master of the situation. Th'
voice with which he speaks today is the
voice of the nations judgment, of the
nations conscience and of the nation:
will. Whether for war or peace, it viii
be the nations order of the day. For
tunate is the nation that has such {
leader. Fortunate is the leader who
has such a n alton for his follower.