The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-09-26

Goods VIII, Not Ours, Be Done"
These were the last words of President
I. Mckinley as he babe farewell to the
loving companion of his life, to whom
A his kindness and devotion have been SO
constant and conspicuous Itwas with
this beautiful spirit of resignation that
he turned from the realities of earth
to explore the mysteries of the world
beyond.
The struggle was over-the struggle
OF a week during which hope and fear
alternately gained the mastery. The
book of life is closed, and his achieve
5tnents are part of history After he
became conscious that the end was
drawing near, but before the shadows
quite obscured the light, he was heard
to murmur some of the words of
Nearer, my God, to Thee " This sa-
cred hymn, which will be found in full
upon another page, contains several
lines inspired by Jacobs night at Beth
+ ell:
Though, like wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone.'
Thus do the lines immortalize the
pillow which to Jacob must have seem
ed hard indeed-the pillow which,
when morning came, the patriarch
would not have exchanged for the soft
est one on which weary head was
ever laid.
1t is still true that ones sorest Attic
tions and most bitter experiences are
sometimes stepping stones to higher
rewards.
The terrible deed at Buffalo, rudely
breaking the ties of family and friend
ship and horrifying every patriotic
citizen, crowns a most extraordinary
life with halo that cannot but exalt
its victims place in history, while his
bravery during the trying ordeal, his
forgiving spirit and his fortitude in
the final hours give glimpses of his in
ner life which nothing less tragic could
have revealed.
But inexpressibly sad as is the
death of Mckinley, the illustrous cit
1zen, it is the damnable murder of Nc
klnley, the president, that melts sew
enty-fve million hearts into one and
brings hush to the farm, the factory
and the forum.
Death is the inevitable incident of
every human career. It despises the
sword and shield of the warrior, and
laughs at the precautions suggested by
science; wealth cannot build walls high
npugh or thick enough to shut it out,
no house is humble enough to es-
visitation. Even love, the
tent force known to man-love,
acteristic which links the hui
ehe divine-even love is power
q its presence. Its contingency
eognized in the marriage vow
jill death us do part and is writ
lpon friendships signet ring. But
edsath, even when produced by ma
al causes, of a public servant charg-
with the tremendous responsible
Nes which press upon president,
shocks the entire country and is inf
nitely multiplied when the circum-
stances attending it constitute an at
tack upon the government itself. No
one can estimate the far-reaching eff
feet of such an act as that which now
casts a gloom over our land. 1t shames
! America in the eyes of the world; it
impairs her moral prestige and gives
the enemies of free government a
chance to mock at her. And it excites
an Indignation which, while righteous
in itself, may lead to acts which will
partake of the spirit of lawlessness.
AS the presidents death overwhe Inns
oil in common sorrow, SO it imposes a
common responsibility, namely. to SO
avenge the wrong done to the presi-
dent, his family and the country, as to
make the executives life secure with.
out bringing insecurity to freedom OF
speech or freedom of the press.