Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-09-23

pmess, the realization of your hghes
aspirations, and that your industry
and thrift may have their highest re
wards
In Akron and Summit county he
first conducted a most remarkable
campaign, that not only elected him tc
Congress and started him ON the road
to our country's highest honors, but
proved his marvellous powers OF
leadership, and established between
him and our people never-ceasing
bond of friendship.
Because of your acquaintance with
him, detailed mention Of his career
is unnecessary. Its record is written
indelibly upon the minds of the
American people. and shall allude to
it only to illustrate the great lesson
of his lfes work.
Emerson said, 1T is natural to be.
lieve in great men. The world is up
held by the veacity Of good men
they make the earth wholesome
These noble words are a true sum.
mary and statement of William Nc
kinley's place among men. We may
not have realized, even those wh..
were closest to him, the marvellous
and steady growth of his development
and power; but the world has come 10
know II, and the testimony TO his
greatness has come from men of ali
shades of opinion. his opponents
equa ly with his supporters, the strong
est statements being made by those
best acquainted with and best quail
fed to judge the great of the earth.
His was the highest type of American
citizenship.
Born in humble home, Of Christ.
ian parentage. with limited opportun-
| ity, his was the necessity of making
his own way, and beautiful trait of
| his character was his exalted rever-
ence for and filial devotion to his
parents.
"He became soldier at seventeen,
and therefore, did not enjoy the ad-
vantages of higher education; but,
being a student by nature, like Lin
coin and Garfield, in the broad field
of action, he acquired knowledge and
experience which fitted him for the
great problems of life. His example
and career, like theirs, will ever be
an inspiration to the youth of our
country. .-.-IS,.
ha f,.cf nhto %o
the three years service in the war for
the preservation of the Union was
the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer In
fantly, in which Mckinley was one of
the first to enlist. His predecessor as
Governor Of Ohio and as President
of the United States, General Ruther-
ford B. Hayes, commanded this regi-
ment, and the following entries in his
diary speak significantly of McKin-
ley's soldierly qualities: Saturday,
18th December, 1S62.-Our new Sec
ond Lieutenant, Mckinley, returned to-
day-an exceedingly bright, intelli-
gent and gentlemanly young officer.
He promises to be one of the best
And again, He has kept his promise
In every sense of the word
"At the close of the war, young Nc
Kinley was mustered out, having at
tained the rank OF Major.
Returning to civil life, he began the |
study Of law, was admitted to the
bar, and rapidly rose to prominence
in his profession.
"A lover of home and all that home
signifies, from the day Of his mar
riage his domestic relations We're pc
cullarly happy. He was a model hus-
band. All the annals of fiction and
history do not afford a more tender
example of the true relationship. of
husband and wife, His first thought
upon receiving the fatal wound was
of Mrs. Mckinley. and his first re-
quest that the news be broken to her
gently. The love and sympathy of the
nation are with the stricken widow,
to whom no sufficient comfort can
come to dispel the depth of gloom and
sorrow, because deprived of the strong
arm that has supported her so many
years, and the sustaining love and
devotion that helped her to bear up
under continued illness and con-
confirmed iDvalidity May God grant
ner sustaining strength to bear the
awful ordeal. Il