Warren sheaf., 1901-09-19
FROM WASHINGTON.
An Interesting Letter From the Ma
tiOn's CAPITAL. IF

done"-these were the words ut
tered by President Mckinley just
previous to the moment when the
ether took effect Friday, September
6, while the doctors were preparing
the distinguished person for the op,
Grafton necessitated by an assassin s
bullet. Friday, September 13, at
about the same time, the dying
President chanted the words OF the
famous hymn, "Nearer my God to
Thee" while exhausted and be.
numbed with intense pain and suffer
ing. About - o'clock, rallying from
state OF unconsciousness, his feet
and hands cold, he called for his
wife, the Aaron Of his life, to bid her
final farewell. What more than a
tender kiss and embrace given him
by his courageous wife passed be-
tween the two, is matter of private
concern. But Immediately after this
last pathetic meeting and farewell,
the dying President and martyr Ut
tered these words: "Good-bye, all,
goodbye. 1t is Gods way. His
will be DONE"
At 2:15 o'clock a. m., September
IA, the spirit OF our beloved Presi-
dent passed paaceably away. Cour-
ageous and large in life the Presi-
denU was, Magnificent in the hour
OF death.
What a change wrought in the
brief period OF only half score days!
Then the strong, virile President
and statesman we have learned to
know him to be during more than
twenty years OF our history. Now
the dead hero, the victim OF dia-
bollcal crime as stunning as afflict-
1ng. Robbed from us at time when
his intellectual powers were at their
zenith, when he had scarcely entered
upon his second term as President,
having been reelected under circum-
stances that made his success at the
same time almost a national and
personal ovation, while beloved,
honored and trusted by everyone,
the loss of this remarkable man is
altogether beyond appreciation. To
quote from an editorial in one of the
local papers, "We know that he died
humbly, lovingly, without fear. He
must have fancied the green fields
and heard the running brooks and
seen the purple changing on the hill,
for as he passed he. murmured,
Nearer my God to Thee"
Mr.. McKinley's life and career was
a typical American one, distinguished
and remarkable. He came of hum
BILE parents and rose tn the position
OF one OF the worlds greatest rulers.
He aimed high and therefore built
accordingly. One of his early utter
ances were: "Luck will not last. 1t
may help you once, but you cannot
count upon it. Labor is the only
key to opportunity" This senti-
ment controlled him through life.
Fortunately he could build on some
thing real. In his veins coursed the
blood OF good ancestors, and he was
bronght up we'll in an atmosphere OF
Christianity and intelligence. By
the time he approached his majority
grave and momentous questions ami
mated the souls OF men. The Civil
War came fast and furious and he,
a precious yonth, threw himself into
the whirlpool of political questions,
debating and discussing them with
his elders in the village gatherings.
Here, where he learned to frame his
sentences and laid the foundation
for fruitful public life, within ra-
dius OF hundred miles, he expert
enced the influences emanating from
host OF great men who have fig
ured in our history-Quay, Platt,
the two Shermans, Manderson, Gar.
field and Hayes. When the war
broke out young Mckinley Joined
the Federal forces, and at twenty
one he was captain in one OF the reg
iments famous for it's commanders
in chief, one of which was R. B.
Hayes, another Mr.. Justice Stanley
Matthews and third General Rose
Grams. ,, -
At the conclusion of the war VIM
Mckinley entered upon the practice
of law, and was Immediately swim