Evening star., 1900-07-30
president MCKINLEY.
Gen. GrOsvenOr on the Chief Execu-
tive Gas n Man."

In an article in the Independent General
Grosvenor of Ohio says, in part:
l have been requested to write an article
describing somewhat the personal charac-
teristics of William Mckinley, in other
words to write IAN article about him as
man
Mckinley, as an officer of volunteers, as
lawyer at the bar. as a congressman of
long service. as the governor of a great
state for four years and as President of the
United States four years has always been
one and the same man. His leading char
acteristics have never been modified or
changed. except as they have been devel-
oped by the new position in which he was
placed I said in letter written in regard
to him in 1896, before the election. which
was widely published. that he had never
held a position that he did not fill to the ut
most possibilities of the position itself. May
l not say the same now with pride and
great personal satisfaction at the end of
three years and upward of his term in the
greatest office in the world? But what Is
meant when l say that he has been the
same man always, is this: He has been uni
formly kind. courteous, open hearted and
gentle under all circumstances. Pride of
position. apparently. Is CHARACTERISTIC
known to him. He meets his old-ttme
friends of the day of small things with him
with neither more nor less frank cordiality
today. As governor of Ohio he was model
OF the combination of good fellowship, hale
fellow Well met and the dignified magistrate
of a great state. No man IN the hour of re-
Taxation, when Mckinley becomes the COM
retde OF his former or present acQuainta nces
ever loses sight of the fact that ne is Pres
ident of the United States. and Yet he never
feels that Mckinley is feeling. Il am Pres-
dent, and you are insignificant factor"
He is sincere man. He believes in things;
ne mas opinions Some OF our friends feared
when he was elected President that he was
of too gentle and too yielding disposition,
and that he would be swerved from the
right by personal consideration or by failure
of courage TO do his duty. A great many of
those persons of different opinion now.
They have learned in a school that is not
based solely upon theory that when VIII
nam Mckinley has an opinion and believes
IN way. he has a recurrence of what is
popularity called backbone equivalent to
two backbones in some of our greatest
men, do not mean to say that he Is stub
born; he Is not l do not mean to saw that
he does not follow the advice of friends: he
does l do not mean to say that he never
yields his judgment: he does but he never
does 1t because Of any weakness in ability
ana ne stands by the guns of an opinion as
long as he believes 1t to be right. but he
does that which. in my Judgment. is the
most significant evidence of the wisdom of
the man; he changes his opinion, and a man
who cannot Is not fit for administrative
duty In the United States.
He Is not a bigoted man. and has no
criticism of men who differ from him in
matters OF religion. of literature, or of
politics. He Is a sincere and devoted mem
Der of the Methodist Episcopal Church
He never parades that fact. and he goes
as quiet citizen to church. quietly takes
the seat and quietly worships God in ac-
cordance with the dictates of his own con-
science and Judgment.
His domestic life has been a charm to
the people under whose observation IT has
fallen Fflial devotion to father and
mother. affectionate interest in brother
and sisters, and, above ALL a devotion al
most unparalleled In his relation to his
wife. Bereft Of children by the cruel hand
OF death. he bowed to Providence that
sInote him, but took up with cheerfulness
the duty of making the pathway of his
beloved and lovely companion as beautiful
ana as happy as 1t was possible under all
the circumstances He has done no more
than his duty in this behalf" says the
critic That Is true but he has set an
example to the men of the United States
from which and out of which will grow up
many an affectionate home. many happy
fTeside and many a condition that other
wise might have been different. He Is the
model American In the matter of domestic
conduct
He Is of strong faith: faith In
| God. as shown by his devotion to religion;
| faith In mankind; sometimes too much
| perhaps. The greatest men We ever have
| had In this country failed of success in
| certain instances by reason of their un-
| limited faith In personal friends. Exam
| pies are unnecessary to be mentioned in
| this connection. McKinley'S faith in the
| to him and place before him suggestions in
| regard to their fears as to the political eff
| feet that certain questions and the conduct
\ or men may have. and nine times out of
| ten he will study considerably and eau
tiously all that has been said and then
will reply. That is not the right thing;
the position Is a wrong one. and the peo-
pie will, set IT right This Is one of his
| great and leading characteristics
This is a fair Characterization of William
| Mckinley as man. He is of the best
| type of American citizenship; wise, Judi
| cial minded. careful. cautious, possibly
| sometimes suspicious of the motives of
men. but In the long run wise In Judgment
| and absolutely fearless in the discharge
i Of duty. Tolerant of other mems views.
| sympathetic with the suffering. a model of
| domestic virtue. proud of his country,
| anxious for her greatness, considerate OF
| all mems interests. he would shine with
equal splendor In the rural home upon the
| farm. upon the bench of the country, at
| the bar of his country. In the field of dfplo-
macy. In the management of schemes of
| war. or In the mighty discharge of the
varied duties Of an American citizen.