Evening star., 1901-09-19

hearing his grace and manliness of de-
meanor his kindliness of aspect but gives
assent to this description of him? 1t was
racteristic of our beloved President that
men met him only to love hlm 1hey
might indeed. differ with him, but in the
presence of such dignity OF character ana
grace of manner none could fail to love the
man. The people contided in him, believed
in him. 1t was said of Lincoln that PROB
ably no man since the days OF Washngton
was ever so deeply imbedded and enshrined
in the hearts of the people, but 1t Is true OF
Mckinley in a larger sense Industrial
and social conditions such that he was.
even more than his predecessors, the 1riend
of the whole people.
Touching Scene In Church.
touching scene was enacted in this
church last Sunday night. The services
had closed The worshipers had gone to
their homes. Only a few fingered to dis
cuss the sad event that brings us together
today. Three men In working garb OF
.oreign race and unfamiliar tongue entered
the room They approached the altar,
kneeling before it and before his picture.
Their lips moved as If in PRAYER, while
tears furrowed their cheeks. They may
have been thinking of their own King
Humbert and of his untimely death. Their
emotion was eloquent, eloquent beyond
speech and it bore testimony to the appre-
citation of manly friendship and honest
worth.
1t is a glorious thing to be able to say
in this presence with illustrious dead
before us. that he never betrayed the con-
fidence of his countrymen. Not for per-
sonal gain pre-eminence would he mar
the beauty of his soul. He kept it clean
and white before God and his hands We're
unsoiled by bribes.
His eyes looked right on and his eye
lids looked straight before him. He was
sincere, plain and honest, just, benevo-
lent and kind. He never disappointed those
who believed in him. hut measured up ID
every duty and met every responsibility in
gTan1lV unf1iDchinP.
Not only was our President brave, he
roic and honest; he was as gallant a
knight as ever rode the lists for his lady
love in the days when knighthood was IN
flower. 1t is but a few weeks since the
nation looked with tear-dmmed eyes
it saw with what tender conjugal de-
votion he sat at the bedside of his beloved
wife, when all feared that a fatal illness
was upon her. No public clamor that he
might show himself to the pop11ace, no
demand of social function was sufficient to
draw the lover from the bedside IF his
wife. He watched and waited Willie
all prayed-and she lived.
His Beautiful Domestic Life.
This sweet and tender story all the world
knows, and the world knows that his
whole life had run in this one groove of
love. 1t was a strong arm that she leaned
upon and it never failed her. Her smile
was more to him than the plaudi;s of the
multitude and for her greeting his
receiving the fatal wound his first thought
was that the terrible news might be prok en-
gently to her. May God in this deep hour
of sorrow comfort her. May His grace
be greater than her anguish. May the
widows God be her God.
Another beauty in the character of our
PRESIDENT that was chaplet of grace
about his neck was that he was a Chris
tian. In the broadest. noblest sense of the
word. that true. His confidence in
God was strong and unwaverlng. 1t held
him steady in many storm where others
We're driven before the wind and tossed
He believed in the fatherhood of God in
His sovereignty. His faith in the Gospel
of Christ was deep and abiding. He had
no patience with any other theme of pull
pit discourse. Christ and him crucified''
was to his mind the only panacea for the
worlds disorders. He believed it to be the
supreme duty of the Christian minister to
preach the word. He said: I'VE do not
look for great business men in the pulpit
but for great prea cherS.
His Mothers Hopes.
1t is well known that his godly mother
had hoped for him that he would become
a minister of the Gospel, and that she be-
lieved it to be the highest vocation in life
1t was not, however his mothers faith
that made him Christian. He had gained
in cary l:fe a perfect knowledge of Jesus
which guided him in the performance of
greater duties and vaster responsibilities
tran have been the lot of any other
American President. He said at one time
while bearing heavy burdens that he could
not discharge the daily duties of his life
but for the fact that he had faith in God
William Mckinley believed I'm prayer in
Ihe beauty OF 1t, in the potency of it.
IT'S language was not unfamiliar to him
and his public addresses not infreuue ntIy
eviaced the fact
1t was perfectly consistent with his life
iohS convictions and his personal expert
ences that he should say, as the first criri-
cal moment after the assassination ap-
preached. Thy kingdom come. Thy viii
be DONE" and that he should declare at the
last, 1T is Gods way; His will be done"
He lived grandly; it was fitting that he
should die grandly. And now that the
majesty of death has touched and Gained
him, we find that in his supreme moment
he was still conqueror
My friends and countrymen, with what
language shall ! attempt to give exprcs-
sion TO the deep horror of our souls as |
speak of the cause of his death? When we
consider the magnitude of the crime that
mas plunged the country and the world
INTO unutterabie grief are not surprised
that one nationality after another has mas
tened TO repudiate the dreadful act This
gentle spirit. who hated no one. to whom
every man was brother, was suddenly
smitten by the cruel hand of an assassin
and that, too. while in the very act IF cx-
tending kind and generous greeting to
one who approached him under the sacred
guise of friendship.
The Enormity of the Crime.
awful was the act he was about to per-
form. how utterly heartless the deed me-
thinks he would have stayed his hand at
the very threshold of it. In all the coming
years men will seek In vain to fathom
the enormity OF that crime.
Had this man who fell been a despot a
tyrant. an oppressor, an insane frenzy to
rid the world of him might have sought
excuse, but 1t was the peoples friend who
fell when William Mckinley received the
fatal wound. Himself son of toll his
sympathies were with the toiler. No one
who has seen the matchless grace and per-
feet ease with which he greeted such can
ever doubt that his heart was in his open
hand. Every heart throb was for his coua-
trymen. That his life should be sacrificed
at such time. just when there was abund-
ant peace, when all the Americas were
rejoicing together, is one of the inscrltable
mysteries of Providence. Like many others.
it must be left for future revelations to
explain.
In the midst of our sorrows we have
much TO console us He lived to see his ma
tion greater than ever before. All section
al lines are blotted out. There is no south
no north, no east, no west. Washington
saw the beginning of our national life Lin