The Washington times., 1901-10-07
BULOGY ON NR. M'KINLBY.
The Late Presidents Pure Life
Praised by His Former Pastor.
The Rev. DR.. Bristol Takes the First
Opportunity, Since His Return
From Abroad, to Pay Tribute 10
the Martyrs Mobility of Character

The place of worship which the late
President Mckinley attended-Metropoli-
tan NJ. e. Church-was the scene yester-
day morning os an outburst Of feeling on
the part of the large congregation, in
whose hearts the grief occasioned by the
death of the beloved Executive is as great
and overwhelming as upon the memora-
BILE first Sunday after his assassination at
Buffalo.
The Rev Frank NJ. Bristol. who has
just returned from London, England,
where he was during the sad events which
eliminated in the death of the Chief Mag
istrate, filed the pulpit of the church yes
terday morning for the first time since
returning from his vacation. There was
an atmosphere of profound sorrow
throughout the heavily draped building
and about the black-covered pew now
empty Of the familiar figure of the late
President Dr. Bristol. in voice fun OF
emotion, and kccnly alive to the loss
which has fallen upon him, as well as
upon the nation at large and the grief
stricken congregation, paid an eloquent
and pathetic tribute to the memory OF
the martyred President
The service opened with one of PreSi-
dent McKinley's favorite hymns, Holy,
lowed by a prayer by the pastor. in
which the divine blessing was invoked
upon the successor to the assassinated
Chief of the Nation. DR.. Bristol offered
an earnest supplication to the Heavenly
Father in which he prayed that the di-
vine grace might give strength to the af-
ficted nation in its dark hours of tribu-
lation. In the death Of the beloved Pres
ident was seen the mysterious workings
of Gods great justnsss.
DR.. Bristol took for for his text Samuel
Hiss: Know We rot that there is
prince and a great man fallen this day in
Israeli" and said:
Il do not think it is necessary for me
to tell you that since that Sabbath of
September ii was absolutely impossible
for me to reach home before last Thurs
day. My sorrow was intensified by my
inability to be with you in Your great sor-
row. l cannot speak this morning as you
expect me to. From the moment that we
heard of our beloved Presidents death.
that prince and great man. our hearts
have been saddened. Yet there is les
son which We must learn, which we have
learned. What was true in the time of
David is true now.
''Nobler men walk The earth now than
in the days of David What was great
ness 3O.B years ago. and what is great
ness today? This recalls President Nc
kInley. a prince he was by virtue of the
innate mobility which no title can adorn.
A great man, great in character, great
in common sense, great in his American
ism, great in highmindedness. great in
his love Of man and woman. Is 1t not
true that he who ruleth his own spirit
is greater than he who takes a city?
The rnal question to be asked of every
man is not what he was as genius. but
what was he as a man? Not the party
to which he belonged. or TO what church.
or what nationality, but what was he
as man? What was it that made every
heart pray for the recovery of the great
man, William Mckinley, and every heart
bow in sorrow when the words were
flashed over the wire, The President is
dead: II was not the love of genius
What was the inspiration of that love?
The high nobility of the man, William
Mckinley. What was it that turned every
house in England into one Of mourning
and set the bells Of the world ringing
in sorrow, but the man. Today the great
est thing in the world is character and
people realize that character rises up over
creed, above all
Our great man. our princely man. has
risen above the petty questions of creed
and belongs to all humanity. with Wash
ingtOn, Lincoln. Hamilton Jefferson. and
Grant. and his name has passed. like a
great white star, into that galaxy of
nobility.
In the truest sense William Mckinley
was great and princely man. No ex-
plantations are necessary in setting forth
the life of this good man. Clean and pure
from his mothers knees to his wifes last
kiss, William Mckinley led life of
which every mother and wife may be
proud. The mantle of his Christian man
hood he has worn TO the judgment throne
He was clean boy, who never forgot the
counsel of his mother. In all his strug-
giles TO success and position ne carried
cleanly spirit which won him a place in
all hearts. Only by clean methods did he
win political recognition. From his early
soldier life 10 that high Presidential po-
sitiOn which he attained he was true TO
his mother, true to his country, true TO
his God.
But if his heart led him to serve any
one class more than another it was me
poor. He was of the common people; he
believed in the common people. and he
died in his devotion to the common peo-
pie. 1t was his ambition to make every
hammer a sceptre. every hovel a palace.
The common people never had a truer
friend. When advised not 10 shake hands
with the people he spurEed the idea; he
would shake the hand of any man, and
he fell martyr to that courage and love.
He was a man Of God and constant
follower of Jesus Christ, who was both
his Saviour and his ideal. To him religion
was a life, a heavenly impulse and in
spiration. To his dying day he enjoyed
the word of God He manifested his be-
lief in the thought that child brought
glorious manhood. He was a lover Of
children, and his heart was warm and
tender for all the little ones. In meeting
a child he would pat its head and those
splendid eyes enjoyed the sight of the
little boys and girls he brought about
him. One Of the happiest days OF his life
was on that day when the children, par
ticularly the children of the poor and
humble. gathered on the Monday follow
ing last Easter on the big oval back OF
the White House for their innocent egg
ATr Nc fula nod
them from the portico, their faces bright
and glowing in the happiness Of the chill
dren. He loved boys. loved them with n
deep and overwhelming love and affection.
He lifted those great. calm eyes of his
from the face Of a loving child and look
cd into the face of death.
He was one OF the people he was a
child of God. He was a member OF this
church. and when he knelt at the altar
he cared not who knelt beside him. He
came. not as the President, not as Chief
Magistrate, but as a Christian devoutly
worshiping He loved the religious
hymns and he took part with joy in the
song service. He was good listener,
and / felt less afraid Of him than Of any
member of the congregation. He was
very gracious, very kind, and he would
now and then say a kindly word TO his
pastor. / learned that his favOrite themes
were charity. brotherhood peace, the
glory Of Jesus Christ. the sovereignty and
providence of God. During that war with
Spain, not by the people, not by the poll
ticians was the guided, but by provi-
dence. He loved not strife. but though
slow to war, he was swift TO action. and
after victory he was as swift to justice
and goodness.
His trust in God was wonderful Speak
in. to me of that trip home from Cali
fornia. with the beloved wife i'll and his
heart heavy. he said ! thought of Ari-
zona. the arid regions through which we
would have to pass, with its penetrating
dust The day we passed through rain
fell and laid the dust and ! knew then
that God was watching over her
He was a man Of prayer, and one OF
tho last scenes Of his life was one Of de-