The Topeka state journal., 1901-09-17
BISHOP ANDREWS TALK
Delivered at Funeral Services
in Capitol Rotunda.

washington, D. c.. September IL
Following is the funeral sermon IN
part delivered by Bishop Andrews in
the rotunda of the national capitol:
blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord. who Of His abundant mercy
hath begotten US again unto lVely
hope of the resurrection OF Christ from
the dead, to an inheritance uncorrupta-
ble undefled. and that fadeth~ not
away. reserved in heaven for US who
are now, by the power of God through
faith unto salvation ready to be reveal
ed IN the last time
.srhe services for the dead are fifty
and almost of necessity services OF re-
ligion and of immortal hope. In the
presence of the shroud and the coffin
and the narrow home, questions con-
cerning intellectual quality, concerning
public station, concerning great
achievements, sink into comparative in
significance; and questions concerning
character and mans relation to the
Lord and giver of life, even the life
eternal, emerge to our view and I'M
press themselves upon US.
Character abides. We bring moth
ing into this world; we can carry moth
ing out. We ourselves depart with all
the accum mulations of tendency ana
habit and quality which the years nave
given to US. We ask therefore, even at
the grave of the ilustrious. not alto
gether what is the great achievement
they had perfected, and now tney nad
commended themselves to the memory
and affection or respect OF the World.
but chiefly of what sort they Were
what the interior nature OF the man
was, what his af1nities- Were Lney
with the good, the true, the noDlez
What his relation to the infinite Lord
of the universe and to the compassion
ate Saviour of mankind; what his mt
ness for that hereafter to which he has
and such great questions come to
us with the moment, even the houl
when we gather around the bier OF
those whom we profoundly respect and
eulogfze and whom we tenderly love.
In the years to come, we viii give fult
utterance as to the high statesmanshIp
and great achievements of the MUS
trious man whom we mourn today.
I'VE shall not touch them today The
nation has already broken out In its
grief and poured its tears, and is sun
pouring them over the loss OF beloved
man Tt is we'll. But we ask this morn
ing of what sort this man is, SO that we
may perhaps, knowing the moral and
spiritual life that is past be able 70
shape the far Withdrawing future.
think we must all concede that nature
and training and-reverently be it said
the inspiration of the Almighty. con
spired to conform a man admirable IN
his moral temper and aims. We none or
us can doubt. / think that even by
nature he was eminently gifted. Ine
kindly. calm and equitable temperament,
the kindly and generous heart, the love
of justice and right, and the tendency
toward faith and loyalty to unseen
powers and authorities-these tnlngs
must have been with him from his
childhood, from his infancy; but upon
them superVened the training for which
he was always tenderly thankful and OF
which even this great nation from sea
| to sea continually mas taken note
TT was a humble home in which ne
was born. 1t is a beautiful thing that
to the end of his life he bent reverently
mia ar
teaching and prayer had so fashioned
his mind and all his aims The school
came but briefly, and then came to him
the church with q miniStraSion of pow
/ er He accepted the truth which It
/ taught. He believed in God and in Jes-
us Christ, through whom God was re-
veaIed. He gladly partook with MS
brethren of the symbols of mysterious
4 passion and redeeming love of the Lord
| Jesus Christ He was helpful in all OF
| those beneficences and activities; and
from the church to the close on his life,
he received the inspiration that hfted
him above much of the trouble and
weakness incident to our human nature.
ana blessings be to God and may we
say. in the last and final hour they en-
/ abled him confidently, tenderly to say:
1t is His will, not ours, that will be
done
sSuch influences gave to US William
/ Mckinley. And what was he2 A man
1 of incorruptible personal and political
4 integrity I suppose no one ever at
tempted to approach him in the way OF
a bribe; and we remember with great
| felicitation at this time, for such an
example to ourselves, that when great
| financial difficulties and perils encom-
passed him, he determined TO denver
| all he possessed to his creditors, that
| there should be no challenge of his per
feet honesty in the matter. A man OF
| immaculate purity, shall we say2 NO
stain was upon his eScutcheOns no Syl-
10, III ff ri ion heard
whispered against his character. he
walked in perfect and noble self-con-
troll Beyond that this man had some
how wrought in him a great and gen
erous love for his fellow man. He be-
! lieved in men. He had himself been
brought up among the common people
He knew their 1abors, struggles, neces-
ssShau I speak a word next of that
which I will hardly advert tor The ten
derness of that domestic love which has
been so commented upon2 I pass 1T
with only that word. take it that no
words can set forth fully the unfalter-
ing kindness and carefulness and up
bearing love which belonged to this
And he was a man who believed in
right who had a. profound conviction
that the courses of this world must be
ordered in accordance with ever lasting
Righteousness or this worlds highest
point of good will can never be reach
ed: that no nation can expect success
eternal laws of the infinite and pass
itself in Individual and collective ac-
tivity according to that divine will.
And now, may I say further, It seemed
to me to whatever we may attribute all
the i1lustriousness Of this man, all the
greatness of his achievements-wh tever
Of that may attribute to his fntellec-
tuaI character and quality, whatever Of
it we may attribute to the patient and
thorough study which he gave TO the varl-
Gus questions thrust upon him for atteI1-
tion for all his successes as q politician,
as a statesman, as a man of this great
country, those successes were largely
due to the moral qualities of which have
spoken They drew to him the hearts Of
men every where and particularly of those
who best Knew him.
His qualities even associated with him
in kindly relations those who were his po-