Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-09-23
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.

Earth to earth; ashes to ashes;
dust to dust. These words at last
come TO be pronounced over the grave
of every mortal man, be he great or OBJ
scure. Prince and pauper alike must
al last take his place In the silent
halls OF death and his body be con.
signed To the earth from whence II
came.
Death, II Is said. is the great equal.
izer OF mankind but In how many In
stances are We reminded OF the fal-
lacy of this statement. Some men are
born and play their parts upon the
stage Of life. sink into the oblivion OF
the grave and are forgotten. Others
come into the world. achieve great
ness through their individuality and
the services which they render for
the bctterment of mankind, and. while
they may receive the public'a p,aud
It's as they pass down life's highway.
II is not until Death lays his icy hand
upon their brows that their true worth
is known: when they are gone, many
who failed 10 acknowledge their aupc
rior worth In life come suddenly to n
realization Of their greatness. and ;he
world bows in acknowledgement Of
their merit and hastens to tell Of their
greatness.
OF this latter class was william
Mckinley. Mckinley the soldier. the
siatcsman. the mnn. While in life
there were those who opposed him.
those who decryed his oliioial acts
and those who were wont to pile up
obstacles In his path: there were
even those who questioned his mo
tivcs and Viewed with suspicion many
Of his nobiest .deeds. hut today all
is changed. All rancor and political
opposition are lain aside: the mask of
pretended nhbelicf In this great man
has been cnst on and AT this hour
eighty millions OF Americas people
bow their heads aud shed tears OF
genuine regret upon the bier OF the
poblest American OF the age: and
millions In other lands echo the senti
ment that goes up from Coiumbia's
shores today. and mourn with us the
loss OF him whose place can never be
filed.
Mckinley. our beloved president, is |
dead and with his passing went the
grestcat. the grandest statesman OF
modern timcs. A true American In
every sense of the word; a patriot 80
true to the principles OF right and
justice that no fealty to party could
swerye him from the path OF duty TO
his fellow men; nh executive to whose
skirts there never chung the slightest
breath of scandal. and whose ofi,clal
who laborcd ever for the welfare OF
those who needed aid, and under
whose beneacent rule this great re
public of ours has been made to bios.
som even In the desert places. and the
harvest song Of plenty liz heard
throughout the land. while peace and
happiness reign supreme around every
fireside within our broad domains.
Truly. II may be said, he lived not In
vain. From his earliest manhood
throughout all his life. even up to the
day of his ruthless striking down. he
iabored for the people. A man OF
the people. he WAS happiest when
mingling with his Kind. Having
known the wants OF the humber
classes, he realized their necessities
and became their powerful advocate
in high places for the amelioratlon
OF their condition. DigniGed In de-
meanor. and yet no man more demo
cratic. The humblest might easily
gain his ear. and their Just appeals
were never fruitless. A Christian
man. whose acts were always inter
a