The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-14
Gods VIII. Not Ours.

III TINS houI OF supreme nalloudl
grief. it is well for the American peo-
pie to remember the last words Of the
dying President, addressed 10 the sor-
rowing wife kneelng at his bedside:
Gods viii be done, not ours" We
may take il that in his heart William
Mckinley gave utterance 20 these
words. not only as an admonition to
the mUch-loved companion in his joys
and sorrows. but as a parting message
TO the country.
Mysterious are the ways Of Provi-
dence. We cannot fathom them.
We can only bow reverently to
Gods decree, as our people were called
upon to do when the glorious Lincoln
was cut down at the zenith Of his fame
and usefulness by the foul hand of an
assassin, and as two Of his successors
have been. The nation may not ques-
ton Gods goodness in permitting the
awful crime of Friday. September 6. To
attain success. 1t may and does sin
cerely and bitterly mourn the departed
ruler. and blame itself for too long toll
Grating conditions and practices which
made his assassination easy Of accom-
plishment
1t was a brave and noble passing.
When the President realized that the
end was near, he accepted the newt
able with Calmness and Christian res
ienatiun- No word OF complaint against
his sad fate escaped the dying states
man. He even expressed pity and for
giveness for his murderer. and. thence
forward. thought only of the gentle.
loving woman who within a few short
hours would be condemned TO a weary.
sunless widowhOOd. Brought within a
day from the confident hope Of conval-
essence and a speedy return 10 his we'll
loved work for the nation, TO a sudden
realization that his LIES work was
done. and that before the dawn of an
other day he must be numbered with
the dead, President Mckinley. never
theless. displayed only the Christian
fOrtitude he had shown as a youth on
many battlefield, and faced the duty
of dying well as he had all the great
duties aud responsibilities Of a distin-
Suished career, bravely ard without
tremor OF murmur.
The whole civilized world is aghast
today in me presence Of an event which
but too plainly illustrates the made
Quacy Of our social institutions TO guar
antee the safety Of those who represent
the majesty OF law, and the rights Of
civilized peoples to protection in life.
liberty, and property. The assassina-
ton Of President Mckinley accentu-
ates the necessity for national and in
ternational measures for the preserva-
ton Of society from the shafts and as
saults of its notorious and deadly enc
mics The fact that the dead man
was the elected Chief MAGISTRATE
Of free republic. wherein personal lib
crty is all but unbOunded. viii impress
foreign rulers and peoples with the idea
that no form OF government, and no
degree Of freedom from governmental
interference with the rights or activi-
ties Of the citizen, as conditions exist.
can assure the ministers Of the law
against the dagger OF bullet Of anarch-
ism.
William Mckinley will live in history
as one Of the worlds great rulers. II
we consider the United States Of Amer
lea as II was when, on March 4. 1897.
he for the first time took the oath Of
Office as President, and think upon
what BE- is or this the day Of his death
the human mind can hardly conceive
the truth that such marvellous. and TO
this country. such pOrtentous and Clio
rous changes have accrued in f0ur
years and six months. Since the he
ginning Of President McIlinIey's first
Administration the Hawaiian and part
Of the Samoan Islands have been ac-
puired. a war with Spain fought war
marked by the splendid naval achieve
merits Of Dewey and Scbley. and re-
sultins in the addition 20 the national
domain OF Porto Rico. Guam. and the
Philippines. incidentally 10 that war
Cuba las been freed, and is about To
become an autonomous State under
American suzerainty. while the Span
ish power in the Western H-mieUhare
has been wiped out forever. Our com
merce has extended until il has become
the wonder and fear Of Europe. Pros
perity has blessed the country most
bounteousIy. and il has passed from
the condition Of a vast and remote az
greSation Of provincial units. indifer-
ent TO external affairs and interests
q that Of a world power which must
b counted with by every member Of
the family Of nations i'm connection
with governmental policies or move
ments IN every quarter Of the globe.
Grand have been the national accom-
Ulishments and material progress Of
the United States under the Presidency
OF William Mckinley. His genial per
sonahty and devotion 10 the Iabors Of
mis- high office. as well as his tragic
death, forever viii be identified with
them IN the thoughts Of pOsterity. As
often we have said. no President since
Abraham Lincoln. with the possible ex-
ceptiOn Of General Arthur, ever has
been as near as he to the hearts Of the
people. Here I'm the District Of Column
bia, where 50 many Of his best years
have been spent. the community
mOurns him not alone as a Chief Of
State. but as a most kind feII0w-citizeu
and neighbOr. To all Of US. political
opponents and party associates alike.
his loss IS a personal amiction and
grief The CHEEKY face that thousands
II US have delighted to gaze upon in
the White House and on our city
streets, we can never see again. The
friendly greeting that he gave To every