Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-09-20
PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 90 1901.
A Tribute to Mckinley.


in that place, and a student in the
Harvard Divinity school at Cambridge,
preached at the Unitarian church last
Sunday morning. His sermon was
tribute to President Mckinley, with
the lessons of his life summed up and
emphasized in an admirably clear and
unconventional way. The text was
Paul's words: mot seeking mine own
profit. but the profit of the many" Mr.
Birks's tribute to the dead President
began with the quotation of this Incl
dent, related by Secretary Root at the
recent unwilling of a monument on
the battlefield of Antietam:
con the second day of Antietam
when the Federal line was hurled
against Lees right, an Ohio regiment
was stationed by the banks of the
creek not far to the left of the bridge
on which was centered Lees terrible
fire of shot and shell, and away to the
rear with the supply wagon was
commissary sergeant a boy of 49,
who, as the days and hours wore
away. remembered that the men of his
regiment would be fainting and weary
for the food left in his charge behind
And then the boy, without orders.
compelled by no soldiers duty, loaded
/ his wagons, called for volunteer driv-
ers, and on from the rear to the front,
through the shower of shot and shell,
Drawing death every instant. brought
to the front and to the fainting sol
diers of his regiment the reinforce
ments of food and strength that ena-
bled them to go on with the CON
flict till the end. The regiment was
the 23d Ohio, its colonel was Ruther-
ford b. Hayes, afterward the 10Th
President of the United States. and
upon that field of battle the colonel
and future President recommended for
a commission that boy of IS for gal
! lantry in action, and the commission
came. The commissary sergeant was
| William Mckinley, the oath President
of the United States"
Not seeking mine own profit, but
| the profit of the many. How well
the words of Paul apply in this case
| AS the boy began, so did the man CON
| tinue." The young preacher then fol-
| lowed briefly the course of McKinley's
after life as practicing lawyer. as n
| good citizen of his home town in Ohio,
as a representative in Congress, as
! governor of his state. and as President
of the United States, and during all
| these years as the faithful and always
| tender and devoted husband of Ida
SaXton. In closing this portion of his
| sermon, Mr.. Birks quoted with admir-
| able effect Walt Whitman's poem, 90
| Captain My Captain" introduced
with these words: And what a death
that was for a President of the United
| States. There he stood in that beau
| tiful Temple of Music. recently elected
| to a second term by an overwhelming
majority; welcomed to an exhibition
of the wonderful achievements of all
| America by a vast concourse of ad-
miring people; greeting young and
old, rich and poor, with that genial
smile and friendly handshake which
! have won the hearts of all who have
/ met him; the friend of all and the
enemy of none. For two years the
| ship of state had sailed on n stormy
sea, and during all. that time the brave
captain had remained steadily at the
helm; but now that a safe harbor had
once more been reached, and the
grateful voyagers were eager to show
their appreciation of their captain
he had stepped forth to meet them
Then the serpent of crime, bloodshed
and disorder raised it's head and fast
ened itself upon our hero. and another
President of a free people had gained
a martyrs crown"
o Captain! My Captain, our fearful trip
is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack. the
prize we sought is won.
The port is near. the bells I hear. the
people all exultlng.
While follow eyes the steady keel. the
vessel grim and daring;
But heart! heart! heart.
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
o Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear
the bells;
Rise up-for you the flag is flung-for
you the bugle trills.
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths
for you the shores acrowding.
For you they call the swaying mass,
their eager faces turning;
Hear Captain! dear father
This arm beneath your head!
1t is some dream that on deck
You've fallen cold and dead
My Captain does not answer me, his lips
are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm he has
no pulse nor will,
The ship Is anchord safe and sound its
voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes
in with object won;
EXut shores, and ring o bells
But / with mOurnful tread
Walk the deck my Captain lies
Fallen cold and dead.
AS true, the speaker said, of Nc
Kinley as it was of Lincoln of whom
it was written.