The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-20
A WORLDWIDE FUNERAL.

A WORLDWIDE FUNERAL.
Since the beginning Of the Christian era
no other day was ever so generally OBJ
served throughout the world as a day of
mourning as yesterday. History records
that when Christ finally gave up His life
the earth quaked and was covered with
darkness. 1t is not irreverent to say that
since that event no other in human history
has caused such a universal vibration of
sympathy throughout and beyond the Dor
ders of Christendom as was evidenced yes
terday in the worldwide tributes of respect
paid TO the memory of William Mckinley.
The bells that tolled at Canton echoed
pound the world, and the waves of sorrow
that started at the grave of the dead Presi-
furthest places inhabited by man. In re-
spect of universal observance no other
funeral within the historic period could
compare with this except that of Queen
Victoria, and even hers was not observed
in as many widely separated places, by as
many different nationalities and by such
unique tributes of respect from the world 5
activities and industries. The warships of
all European nations lowered their colors
less guardians of the Mediterranean. the
batteries at Gibraltar, voiced British grief
in that quarter, and wherever the British
flag. floated there were tributes of respect.
The Mexican Congress adjourned and or
dered the Mexican flag on the building to
be half-masted for four days The Aus
traiian Parliament adjourned At memorial
services held in Westminster Abbey the
American President was virtually accorded
place among British kings and heroes,
and like services were held in nearly all
the capitals of the world and i'm every
city where there is an American colony.
But perhaps the most unique feature of
the days observance, and one without
a precedent in any country, was the stop
page of mills and factories and of street
ears for a brief period in many American
cities, and of all train movements on many
of the leading railroads. Thus the COM
mercial magnates and the business inter
ests of the busiest nation in the world
paused in the midst OF business houses to
adj bqfr ri #
mourning.
The sentiment which thus swept round
the earth, making the whole world kin for
at least a brief period, could not have had
such development but for modern means
of communication. In his great speech at
Buffalo the day before he was shot Presi-
dent Mckinley said After all, how near
one to the other is every part of the world.
Modern inventions have brought into close
relation widely separated peoples and made
them better acquainted. God and
man have linked the nations together. No
] nation can longer be Indifferent to any
other" He amplhied the idea that steam
and electricity had promoted the brother
hood of men. The idea was strikingly ex-
4 emplified yesterday. George Washington
4 died at Mount Vernon on Dec. H. 1899, and
! the news of his death did not reach Con-
gress, then sitting at Philadelphia, till the
4 18th. In order to afford time for the an
J nouncement to reach all parts of the coun-
! try the 22d of February following was fixed
as a day of mourning and public
observance. Such an observance. more
than two months after Washington
death, might be sincere, but could
not have any spontaneity of grief There
I was. of course. no foreign observance and
4 no expression of sympathy from any for
eign government or people. The world was
q too vast and too widely separated for any
i exhibition of national sympathy. Modern
4 inventions had not yet brought nations and
peoples close together. The universal OBJ
servance of yesterday was a striking illus
tration of the brotherhood of man and OF
i world kinship set in action by the death OF
j one whom all true men respected and ad.
4 mired. 1t was a worldwide funeral