The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-03-19
A GREAT M AN.


ertheless, and the Presidents inaugu-
raj address was most impressive of all.
Day by day and month by month,
during the past two years, the convie-
ton has been growing in the people S
minds that Mckinley is a great man;
and he enters upon his second term
with the good will and respect Of sub
stantially the entire nation. Else
where in this issue is reprinted from
the Washington Star, an Independent
paper, a remarkable article showing
how the opposition to the administra-
ton has lately broken down in Con-
gress almost completely, and how this
result is due mainly to the remarkable
personality of the President himself.
When Mr.. Mckinley was first nomi-
mated for president it was as the
apostle of protection to American in
dustries. With that doctrine his name
was associated; Of that policy he was
the foremost exponent in the House of
representatives; and in the reaction
from Democratic disaster brought
about largely by the meddling with the
tariff ON the part OF the Democrats,
McKinley's was naturally the foremost
name. But before the campaign was
half through the enemy had succeeded
in changing the issue and forcing the
question of silver monometallism to
the front. The Republicans were
obliged to meet the new paramount
issue" in the midst of the campaign;
and he who met it best was the candi-
date for president.
When he was elected the first time
there was no thought of war, and the
outward relations of the United States
We're apparently as peaceful as they
have ever been. Before he had been
in office two years the new President
sibllities of a war, really forced upon
the country by the opposition to the
administration before preparations had
been fully made for it. Again Nc
Kinley rose to the situation. He avert
ed war as long as possible; but when
it had begun he pushed it through
with all possible energy, gathered the
fruits of 1t without sign of swerving
and accepted the responsibilities en-
tailed by 1t without an indication of
weakness or of fear, and with an abid-
ing trust in the good sense and good in
tentlons of the American people.
Few of our presidents have had se-
verer trial, or been called upon to meet
graver responsibilities; and in every
case, as the emergency has arisen, Nc
Kinley has risen to the emergency. He
ington and Lincoln, who grow greater
the greater their responsibilities and
opportunities become. He has not the
humor, the power of making himself
thoroughly at home with all sorts of
people that Lincoln had, but he has the
tact of Lincoln in dealing with men
and the power Of impressing them
with his asolute fairness and his entire
devotion to the best interests of the
country. No president within the
memory of the present generation has
had greater influence with the Con-
gress; and thatnot by dictatorial meth
DDS, but by honesty and straightfor-
wardness and self-control and the abil-
ity to make men see what is the best
thing to be done at the moment.
But after all, the greatest achieve
ment of the administration is that
which was pointed out in the first few
paragraphs in the inaugural address.
1.-The national verdict of 1896 has for
the most part been executed" says the
President; and there is a tremendous
amount of work and accomplishment,
implied in that simple sentence. At
the beginning of the administration in
dustry was Frustrated and paralyZed;
the Republicans had promised that If
they We're put in power that condition
should be changed, and prosperity
would come again in business; and it
did come. The revenue of the govern
ment was not sufficient for its needs;
the treasury had had to borrow money
In time of peace. the finances were in
bad condition; the foreign trade had
been checked in its natural growth.
Now there is surplus of revenue over
expenditure; the public debt has been
decreased; the finances are on stable
basis, which cannot be disturbed for
some time to come: and American
trade all over the world has advanced
by such leaps and bounds as to excite
the admiration and envy of all other
civilized nations. There never was,
during a period of equal length, such
an extension of American trade. Un-
dor tho nrntectiva toriff which tho