Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1901-09-28
"The Catastrophe and the Problem


memorial sermon preachedlast Sun
day by Rev. H. c. Mason, of the
Congregational church:
Text: "Know We not that there is
great man fallen this day in Isra-
el?"-II Sam, 1898. And
straightway he came to Jesus, and
said, Hail! Rabbi; and kissed
Him
We are met in the presence of a
national, a worldwide sorrow.
There is no partisanship today. Had
Mr.. Bryan been elected president at
the late election, he would have been
the martyr. The assassin cared no
more for democrat than for republi-
can. And today, our sorrow finds
little difference nahe ranks of men.
All the world is in mourning. To
no dead ruler, unless perhaps we
except the late Queen Victoria have
such death honors been paid. The
nations of the world are suffering
with us.
Twenty rulers have fallen at
the hand of murder within the last
hundred years, sixteen within the
I present generation. It's noteworthy
that majority of these have been
presidents of republics: twelve out
of the twenty-one. Three out of the
last seven presidents have so fallen.
When one considers for what rights
and principles republics exist, how
they stand for liberty and freedom
from oppression for all, it seems
strange that they should have been
the chief sufferers. And yet, it is
not so strange after all Kingship
has learned to surround itself with
safeguards of force and convention,
while it is glory of democracies
that their rulers are only the equal
OF all, and approachable by all At
this present time the Gar of Russia
IS making a tour of the capitals of
Europe. We hear of little extraor-
binary being done for his protection
IN Berlin or London; but in Paris he
IS painfully surrounded with safe
guards and bodygtards.
Moreover, the freer the country,
the greater its burden of the unfit.
The oppressed and discontented
flock to its shores, and III its free air
their discomfort finds easy voice and
action. Republics are therefore
peculiarly at the mercy of the i'll
balanced and despairing and the
crack-brained seekers after notoriety.
1t is one of the passing pains of our
larger liberties and nobler ideals of
freedom.
What shall we say of him who
has passed? With the splendid trib-
utes of honor and praise to his mem
ory from the great ones of our coun-
try and of the world ringing in our
souls, it is little necessary that much
shall be added here. And yet, we
cannot be altogether silent.
Let it be kept in mind that it was
not Mckinley the man only who
was slain. 1t was the president of
the United States the chosen ruler
of this nation; the elected of the
people to be their representative. 1t
was not a man murdered merely: it
was a nation insulted, a people hui
inflated. He was martyred for our
sakes. His was the death: ours was
the shame.
He was good and noble man;
true man; strong man. He was a
home man, with all that that means
OF love and tenderness and purity of
life. Home has had no truer advo-
cate, no more illustrious preacher
than he. The nation, with tears in
its eyes, watched his faithful love as
he bent over the bed of his fragile
wife, and sighed with Joy when the
danger was passed. Home was first
with him; before honors; before ease:
even before public duty. Let us.
who realize that the home is the
shrine of the nation, and that there
are dangers threatening that sacred
place, thank God for this great
mans loyalty to it.
He was man of honor. In pub /.
lie and private life alike no word is
breathed against his honor. Those
who are familiar with his story will
call to mind how more than once
under circumstances of great trial