The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-09-19
The End is Peace.


is dead, and the nation mourns as If
the chaplet of crepe and roses had
been hung at every individual door.
For the third time in less than half a
century the nation mourns for the
Chief Magistrate, struck down in the
p1enitude of his power; at the height
of his fame, his great work unfinished,
by the hand of the assassin. Despite
the passionate prayers of his people,
an inscrutable Providence has seen fit
to take from among us our best and
greatest.
The blow falls with added force
since the nation had become con-
WINGED by the reasoning tidings of
his condition that he would recover;
but when the star of hope was most in
the ascendency his mighty heart, so
pure and tender, was forced to give up
the unequal struggle, and with newt
able peace expressed on his coun-
tenance he dropped to sleep as babe
on the breast of the mother to awake
in brighter and better tomorrow.
That great sympathy, the true mark
of greatest manhood, the winning per-
sona1ity of the man, his exceptional
hold on the affections of the people
makes his death fall as a distinct per-
sona1 loss in every home throughout
the land. Among all classes comes
the one cry that it is not only the emil
nent lawyer, the great statesman, the
President, who is dead, but the man
whose winning personality made him
near and dear. 4. ''' "'''.'''s@ ~"f
Great in life, William Mckinley was
even greater in death. AS the last
spark of consciousness left the racked
body he stood pre-eminent among the
crowd of mourners, and his greatness
was more apparent than ever before.
1t was simply Christian gentleman
on his deathbed-cal1ed to the Great
Beyond. Nothing could have shown
the perfect life of the man better than
the manner in which he gave up all
that was dear and near to him. Around
his bedside were grouped the statesmen
of a nation, but soothing by the bed
side was a sweetheart with whom his
life had been linked and in this last
hour, when women wept and strong
men bowed their heads in prayer, the
President appeared in sublime light.
It was not farewell to statesmen, but
a farewell to the tender love of life,
and with wonderful resignation came
the words, "Not our will but Gods be
done"
That tenderness and loving sym
pathy which had so characterized his
life never left him. The courteous,
Christian gentleman remained the same
even when the Death Angel stopped
near his couch. He recalled in his last
hour of peace and consciousness the
Christian sentiments which had so
governed his life, and in his last mo-
ment those who waited silently about
the bedside could hear him murmur:
'Near, My God, to Thee; Nearer to
Thee, even though it be cross"
Thus ended the conscious active life
of a man who, in the last decade, has
stood head and shoulders above the
manhood of America. His life and
death have taught a great lesson to
the people of the world. Such tender
ness, such fortitude, such love for all
such exalted craftsmanship and such
noble manhood scarcely frds para1-
le1in the history of the worlds great
men.
He rests in peace, and about the
bier today gathers nation of sorrow
full people, longing to lay some tribute
at the feet of the man whom the dark
angel has taken.
How noble an example he has left
all must recognize. Today another
reigns in his stead. He will have the
entire love of the people, the entire
confidence of his party, and he will be
expected to rule wisely and we'll, de-
pending on the example of his great
predeces or as his guiding star.
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