New-York tribune., 1901-11-29
PRAISE FOR MKINLEY THE STATESMAN
GENERAL, STEWART /. wOODFORD SPEAKS
AT THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH

rs,eral Stewart l. Woodford. ex-United States
Minister 70 Spain prior to the Spanish-Anerican
Var in euogizing Mckinley the Statesman at
,e First Presbyterian Church, Fffth-are and hleF-
,fhst Yesterday. declared that in all his fnstruc-
.s,s from washington during his service at Madrid
.se Phiippine Islands were never once mentioned
srd that the responsibility for those Islands came
n, the administration as an entirely unsousht and
unlocked for thing. The general also said that the
-nos- enthusiastic friends of President Mckinley
vorI5 not venture 10 ascribe him great ser
vice 10 the cause Of sound money as had been rem
6ere5 tv Presidents Grant and Cleveland
The Rev. DR.. Howard Duffield. the pastor Of the
church conducted the service the music being rem
derea hv the choir under the direction Of the or
esnisr William c. Carl. with Mrs Cepels. Mr.
Schneider and Mr.. Gray as soloists.
DR. Rossiter johnson read poem on the death OF
President Mckinley
General woodford passing over the career Of the
laa President as soldier part Of his life with
which he had not come in contact, said that MI
Mckinley was q strenuous man, determined ana
forceful in action. but always under the most per
feet self-controI.'' Continuing. he said in part;
Every platform said substantially the same thing
with regard 10 Cuba: and every candldate was was
pledged to practically the same line OF acton-thatt !
the condition of things then existing IN Cuba npsL
cease-tsat was the nations decree but IL Is pu.
justice TO say-and history will so record 1t-that
from the beginning 10 the end President Mchineg
the firm efficient frlend OF peace w ar ~
have come inevitably months before 1t did but Tor @
hts Inn
struck promptly and effectively and when the nfst
opportunity for peace came he embraced II az once
nv signing the protocol With the conclusion OF the
var came strange and unexpected consequences
And il is Just in this connection TO say that not
once in all the correspondence between w ashlngtoh
and the United States Minister at Madrid was me
Pbilppine Islands mentioned. But once were they
even referred TO. and that was when member OF
The Spanish Cabinet explained that Spain would
soon De able TO put a larger force in Cuba because
the rebellion Of Agunaldo was supposed to be pIac-
tically end, and II was thought that ne Would
soon leave the islands and leave Spain free to put
her whole force in Cuba Not once were Spanish
relations in the Orient referred to- II is strange
fact that the one result OF the that Will have
the longest and largest influence never dreamed
Of until like bolt from q clear sky, il fell among
the startled nations. and no man can be held re
s9onsible for il President Mckinley net these new
conditions with courage, firnness and calmness,
seeking TO md out what the American people
wanted. holding his judgment IN allegiance, Keeping
curb on ambition knowing the tremendous strength
Of the American people and when their calm de
uberate Judgment was in accord with his own in
stncts he gave II effect Our dead President as
suEned the responsibility that was his We must
assume the responsibility that is ours. He had
faith in God. and this nation had the same faith,
and. consequently. self-reliance. We must ne true
what the dead President hoped for pra-ed for
and wrought for.