The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-27
is MONUMENT TO M'kINLEY,

is MONUMENT TO M'kINLEY.
Although he was not permitted to
live long enough to see the final
triumph of his policy in regard to
China, the name of Mckinley will be
ever associated with the successful
efforts put forth by the United States
to prevent dismemberment of the
empire at a time when the land hun
CRY nations of Europe were unsheath-
ing their swords and preparing to
swoop down upon a helpless people
and parcel their territory out among
themselves. Only through his loyalty
to his w country and his regard for
humanitarian views were made posi-
BILE the events which transpired in
Pekin last week.
The dispatches have briefly told of
the evacuation. of Pekin by the for
eign forces and the return of the Chin
csc imperial soldiery. ROBBED in their
o1lSlCdA SoSICl11So vi hl\o
and costly fabrics hundreds of Chinese
officials were present when the sold
iers of America and Japan were
drawn up at the inner gates to re-
ceive the rightful representatives of
the nation whose capital for over a
year had been in the possession and
keeping of foreigners. The governor
of Pekin warmly thanked the Ameri-
cans and japanese for the ann in
which they had protected the palace
and the foreigners marched out, leav-
ing the Chinese in possession. The i'm
perial standard again 1oated over the
walls from which it had been displac-
ed to give way to the standards of
other nations and the government Of
| China was once more in control of it's
own.
Simple as was the ceremony it
meant much for the Chinese. 1t al
notice to the world that as a nation
they had been rehabilitated and that
from now on China would again gov
ern itself and have standing as IN
Independent and untrammeled power
in the family of nations. Had it not
been for William Mckinley the events
which occurred at Pekin last week
would have been impossible. 1t was
his love for justice and his humanity
and jealous regard for the rights and
privileges of his own nation that LUIS
ed the United States to take the stand
it did and check the rapacity of the
Europeans. Not until Washington had
spoken did they hold their hands and
stop their plans for adding to their
holdings at the expense of the Chin
csc. The warning given that America
had interests in China which would
be guarded and which must be re-
spected stopped those who already
saw their domains extended beyond
the limits which had erstwhile marked
the territorial boundaries of the Chin
csc empire and the world was spared
the spectacle of the strong enrichen
themselves at the expense of the
weak.
No wonder that among the truest
mourners at the death of Mckinley
were the Chinese. They realized what
his friendship for them had meant
and what it had accomplished for
them. While insisting for the main.
tena2cc Of our own, he was not blind
to the rights Of others and the record
which his wise and generous states
manship made for the United States
in connection with affairs in China
during the p~arlous times of last year
will stand forall time as a monument
to the man who instituted Americas
policy and successfully maintained it
to the end. The United States
was China's friend because William
Mckinley was president and willed j;
should be so. The policy to which he
committed the country in regard tt
it's interests in the Orient will be ad
hered to in the future and because hi
was president China has much to be
grateful for.