Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-09-26
UNION MEMORIAL
SERVICE
DanvilIe's Homage to Our Martyred Presi-
dent,

martyred ruler of our Republic. As
predicted the capacious Opera House
was packed from pit to dome, there be
ing at the lowest calculation sixteen
hundred people present. By one o'clock
! Mill street in the vicinity of the Opera
House was thronged with people wait
| ing for the doors to open. At 80 there
was a rush for seats, OccasiOning au un-
comfortable jam at each stairway which
was not relieved until the big building
was filed. BY l:45 o'clock the last seat
and the greater part OF the standing
room was occupied, while the street was
still filled with people who had given up
| all hope of gaining admIttance.
The stage was most appropriately de-
w. g. Brown, B. W. Musselman and
| William +. ChildS. The pulpit was al
most hidden behind profuSion Of
| American Beauty roses, while along the
footlights stood row of ferns and large
palms, the entire lot loaned for the oc-
| ca>ion by Mrs. John r. Bennett. The
gallery railing aud the boxes we're rich
ly drapei with bunting combined With
heavy folds of Grape. The stage was al
SO he utitied by the stars and stripes, ,iu-
cIuI several large fagS draped Tor the
occ on. The eulogy pronounced 10y
eaLl speaker although necessarily brief
was masterpiece n the sober thought
reflected, III its eloquence and the pat
riotism and sympathy it inspired.
Owing to the absence of Hon. r. X.
Polk, County Commissioner George w.
Miles acted as chairman and very ably
did he fill the position.
General Secretary w. D. Laumaster
opened the service with prayer, be-
seeching that the asSemblage might do
honor TO him who did honor to his
country and thus render honor unto
God.
Rev. DR.. w. A. McAtee read the Goth
psalm, after which the entire assembl-
age joined in singing, "Nearer, Ny God,
to Thee, with the Penn Social orchestra
as accompaniment. The combined effect
was most beautiful.
The first speaker introduced was Rev
DR.. NJ. l.. Shindel Our nation, he said, .
today mourns as perhaps never before,
but We do not mourn alone. While
every home in America is bowed in sor-
row, across the sea in stately halls, in
the palace of kings and emperors are
those who share in our grief and who
paid a fine tribute to the martyred Ex-
ecutve. He was hero on the battle
field, and moral hero in his home and
because of his death the nation is one in
its sorrow. Abiding to the manner of
his death and his solicitude for the mis-
cradle assassin who had inflicted the fat
al shot the speaker declared the serene
forgiving spirit displayed by the martyr
ed ruler will be an additional gem in his
crown of rejoicing. 1t is an example
that will 90 down to pOsterlty as price
less heritage. There is no doubt as to
the destiny of such man. He is still
alive and will continue to rule over the
hearts of his countrymen
Rev. Harry Curtin Harman followed.
The world and especially America, he
said, at that moment was standing still
while the funeral procession of William
Mckinley was passing by. Reviewing
his exalted character, his inestimable
services the speaker summed up by say
ing tn at great as William Mckinley was
in life he was essentially greater in
death. Rev. Harman saw in the Presi
| dents demise attended as it was by cir
! cumstances of lawleSsness, the hand of
God The voice fthe people is not always
| the voice of God as was shown when Lin
coin and Garfield were assassiuated as
well as in the present instance. Continu-
ing he remarked:
"Was President Mckinley's death the
will of God? | think it was Skepti-
cism has been aroused in some by the
tragical event. They cannot understand
why at time when the whole nation
was united as one and all parties, all
sections awaited an opportunity to lay
their homage at his feet a ruler COmbin-
ing all the highest qualities of citizen
ship and craftsmanship should thus be
stricken down by an assassin. God
could have prevented it, He permitted
it. Why? do not know. Sometime
we may discover. 1t may have been to
teach US the uncertainty Of life; at least,
that is one of the lessons We may get
out of it. We were becoming wild-elat.
ed over the development of our country
over our discoveries and the advance
ment we are making in the industrial
arts; might this national calamity not be
brought upon US to teach us not to make
worship of science-that God is to be
worshipped."
Rabbi Adolph Mayer, of B'nai Zion
Synagogue, rendered very fine eulogy
In Hebrew he said the word martyr
signifies. "holy." He applied this
= thought very nicely, stating that in this
condition of ''hoIiness" the American
people have a trinity of martyrs Lin
coin, Garfield and Mckinley.
Rev. NJ. 1. O'Reilly followed with al
t eloquent tribute to the dead magistrate
4 Every utterance had the true ring Of pa
t triotism, which struck a responsive chorC
f throughout the vast audience. We ha'
e lust learned to love President Mckinley
. he said; to admire his patriotism, hl
+ honor and his manhood when the sho
4 which rang around the world silencet
e him forever. To-day we stand united a
the grave of our dead President, Il
=, | idol oF tho world The PODe. he said