The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-24

been constantly upward lie had broadenpd in
intellect and svmpathps with each year Of ser.
vice. AfeCtionate and tender in the domestic
relations Of life "a he was, some unconsciously
had lost sight of the sturdy Scotch.Irish strain
In his character. With the record OF his ad.
nnstration as president before them, his friends
now realize what these years were doing for him.
They look back now upon his services as rep
res6ntatNe in congress and as governor Of his
native state, and recall the traits which only
needed wider fields for their development. They
recall how, frequently when before the people
for their sutfrages, he surprised his supporters
and confounded his enemies by the simplicity
and directncss Of his dealings with veSed ques-
tions. Time and again they had heard him in.
Sist that a course mapped out for him must be
right rather than eXpedent. lie saw fourteen
years of service in that school Of craftsmanship,
the national house of representatives. and never
deserted the standard of the great doctrine of
which he became the exponent and defender So
it was that his friends of these years watched
with eager and hopeful interest his discharge Of
the great duties of the presidency.
o
william Mckinley is a typical American cti.
zen. lie stards for what is best in American life
and character. lie is without ostentation, simple
in his tatcs, deliberate in his speech, consera.
tive in judgment, spotleSsy pure in his private
life. devoted to his home ard his friends There
=
the years that lie has been under the searching
light of public scrutiny His devotion TO his
wife is one cf the most beautiful and touching
things in the lives Of our public men. He wears
we'll. There is nothing erratic about him. He
docs not pose. lie believes in harmony. He Is
a fighter, but not vindiCtiye one. lie fights
with sense II Ia has an object TO accomplish,
he will ACCOMPLISH it even though he may have
to sacrifice the small distinction Of winning
personal victory, Tie keeps faith. lie fulhlls his
promises. lie believes in party obligation lie
wants united party. lie believes that such
party can best serve the great interests COM
mittcd TO its charge. lie knows that we can
otttimcs but Approximate to our ideals and
that it then becomes our duty TO secure the best
results ohtaEablc. The Republican party under
the leadership Of William Mckinley Is more har
| monious, more forcefu more dominant than at
any time in its history In his state and ma,
| tion he has a united party. Could this have
been the work of weak man, as some of hls
opponents would have rs believe? Is this the
| record of unccrtanty? There were times during
| the Spanish American war when William McKn.
| ley was a force of strength and power that
brushed aside jeaouses and littlenesses, that
hurried forward great movements, that blocked
| the way of schcmers and swept all before him
| lie dominates his administration, but. whether
10y force or gentle pcTSuasyenesS he Is the
| strong man at the helm.
His methods are direct lie has had able men
| about him at his cabinet table; men Of keen
minds, of independent thought, hut who had
| heard of disscnsions in the cabinet? There are
| none. lie is the guiding spirit, the controlling
| mind among those picked men of af-
| fairs. With them he is the friend and
| counselor, but when the decision comes when
| the government il to act, when the republic
| speaks, he is president. lie is a ny.sded
man, not restricted in his equipment. In the va.
| ried fields Of administrative duty he has been
| called upon, during his three and a half years
| in the white house, TO assume the direction OF
| matters in many branches Of the government
| In these he has shown a familiarity with tine
| great affairs Of government which has aStonished
| those who have known it. Many Of the state
papers emanatng from the executive departments
and that have become part Of the history of his
| administration were inspired 10y him or were the
| work of his own hand. His mastery Of diplomacy
| has been the wonder of diplomats, but the Sc.
| cret of it has been his Americanism, his plain.
| ness Of speech, combined with certain Yankee
| smewdness in the presentation Of the subject Or
| in the discovery Of the weak points in an ad.
| yersaTys contentious. In the conduct Of the op.
| eratons Of our army and navy he has been the
| real commander.in.chief When the history Of
his time is written his masterfu hand will be-
| seen at every turn. lie took nothing ior granted
but the patriotism and integrity OF the American
people,
lie is methodical in his habits, he is syste.
| matte. lie accomplished much because Of an or
| DERBY disposition OF his time. When in the
| white house he arises at 5, breakfasts at $50;
| from to 0.45 reads the papers and at 10 O'Clock
| he is in his office ready for business. From 10 to
| l.30 he receives the various public officials sen.
atoTs, representatives, members OF the stats Of
| the various departments and the public. At 100
| ba hos y IN bn wifi
Mrs. Mckinley either driving with her, or on
| inclement days reading TO her. During the warm
weather he defers the drive until late in the
| day. Al $50 he is back in the office again and
remains there until late in the afternoon, rarely
| leaving it before O'Clock. II sufficient time Is
| lett before dinner he takes a short nap Rising
| refreshed he is ready for dinner at 7 o'clock.
! After dinner the evening is spent in company
/ with Mrs. Mckinley and friends who call Ap.
| pontments are not made for ofhcial calls in the
| evening, except in special cases. At 10 O'Clock
| the president is in his office again and remains
| there with his secretary until the accumulation
| OF the day is disposed of These hours at night
| are the only uninterrupted ones during the
| twenty four that the president has for the con
| ,deration of the mass Of detail that must be
| daily brought TO his notice; even these are con
| Stautly enCroaChed upon in times Of stress and
| emergency. During the eyentml DAYS Of the
| Spanish war the president remained IN his OF.
hce many hours of the night and was not In,
frequently working there with his secretary long
past midnight.
| He is a plain liver, lie smokes moderately,
does not use intoxicating liquors lie is clean
| OF speech as he is OF character He has been a
model husband devoted son and brother. and
in all the walks of life has so carried himself
as to leave the impress Of a noble character lie