The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-13
THE HUMAN

THE HUMAN MCKINLEY.
st. Paul Dispatch: Were William
Mckinley a president in the abstract,
a mere figurehead Of delegated au-
thority, the pulse beats of the people
would not be quickened to the pace
of the pulse beats of their leader.
1t is because Of the essential manli-
ness of the man, the essential human
ity, that the paths of the bullet are
plowed through the hearts of the peo-
pie. No more human man ever sat in
the presidential chair. No more low
able man ever concentrated the love
of his fellow men. After Mr.. McKin-
ley's first nomination, when party feel
ing was running higher than it has
in the past fifteen months, it was will
ingly conceded by friend and foe, by
adherent and opponent, that here was
a man who could not be found vulner-
able in all essential manliness, yea,
and in those more charming graces of
the non-essentials. AS a prominent
Minnesota democrat phrased it, before
the clean campaign of 1896 had de-
monstrated that the commonwealth
could experience it's quadrennial con-
vulsion without an orgy of mud sling
ing: "Mr. Mckinley is an essentially
lovable man; I hope the press COM
ments will be worded accordingly"
No man in Washington was ever
better beloved. 1t is perhaps, Mr.. Nc
Kinley's misfortune that the majority
of his predecessors have been better
hated. He has lost something of the
aura of glory which made more re
markable, by reason of compensating
hate, the love the people bore such
men as the irascible Jackson and the
uncouth. Lincoln. Had this been an.
'era of good feeling" MI. Mckinley
might have altogether lost the dis
tinction which James Monroe never
won of being well hated The strenu-
Gus times of the last four years have
prevented that. Mr.. Mckinley has
lived through one of the most inflam-
mable periods of our history; he has
been as bitterly hated and reviled as
was ever John Adams, the taciturn,
or James Buchanan, the impotent, O.
Andrew Johnson, the incapable, O
Ulysses Grant, the nepotist. But
through it all, whatever the public
and political hatred, William McKin-
ley has kept his place in the hearts
of his friends and of his countrymen.
Inherited temperament and environ
ment have done much to enshrine this
man in the affections of his fellows.
He comes of that Scotch-Irish.s ances-
try which has given many a genial
man to u public life, has in fact CIV
en- five Of our most distinguished pres
idents to Washington. It combines
strength of character and personal
magnetism in such careful proportions
that it is irresistible. Beside this,
Mr.. Mckinley has had his religious
experiences in the Methodist church,
which probably more than any other
develops the emotions and the sym
pathies. Again, he has been a COM
rade in arms to the Grand Army of
the Republic, and has never forgotten
the comradeship in the quiet times of,
peace.
Mr.. Mckinley has lived the life of
the people and so won their love. He
has borne the burden of public scrll-
tiny without irritation, without losing
the sweetness of a manly character.
He has borne a heavy private burden,
in which he has had the sympathy of
an entire people, with something OF a
holy joy in the bearing of it. Whatever
differences come in matters political,
there have been no differences in esti-
mates of the man. That he is "a low
abzle man" is the testimony being
borne in from every side, from every
state, from the nations beyond the
sea-. It is not the least of the glories
Of the republic that it can yet love
it's leaders.
MODIFIED HIS VIEWS.