The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-09-19
GOVERNOR GEER
ON MCKINLEY
Continued from FIRST Page.

outgrowth OF the spirit Of depravity
which appears to dominate what should
be the moral fabric Of few members OF
tho human family. OF both Booth and
Giteau it can at least be said that they
we're not making professions Of personal
/ friendship in order to create the oppor-
tunity for committing one Of the most
dastardly crimes against humanity. But
OF this wretch and those he represents,
what shall we say that shall be adequate
to the occasion2 With loathing we turn
from the contemplation of the malevo-
lent miscreant, feeling that to properly
characterize him, individually, would &C
a waste of words. The proper handlii
of the brutal doctrine he represents
however. is the great question OF The
hour. II should take precedence ovei
all others in both national and state
legislation, until the doctrine called an.
archy, which means the obliterstion Of
all government and which leads directly
TO the justification of the murder OF
those who are in authority by the free
will Of the people. shall neither be pro.
mulgated in public meetings nor dis
seminated through the postal service of
the United States.
No man was a personal enemy to
President Mckinley, for no man had any
reason to be. The assassin who fired
the fatal shot was not an enemy TO
President Mckinley, but he was an en-.
emy to the Office he held. He was not
an enemy to the President, but to the
Presidency, and therefore. Of every loyal
citizen of this great Republic. The
sources from which he coniesses he drew
his incentive to do the dastardly deed is
poisonous in the extreme, is known to
be poisonous and intended TO be such,
and why it has been permitted to grad
ually creep toward the very vitals of our
governmental system unmolested, battles
the understanding of the wisest of our
people, as they behold before them today
the awful sacrifice which this neglect
has exacted.
One Of the greatest and best and most
useful men Of modern times lies cold
in death for no reason other
than that he represented the
forces of law and order as
established by our iorefathers, and
which have, as the years have gone by,
been placed more generally within the
reach of the peop'e. The assassin OF Pre-
sident Mckinley had more privileges
guaranteed to him than President Wash
ington had on the day he laid down the
r E-esidency. This assassination wac
cruel, brutal, irrational and dendish be-
yond precedent, but it may be that moth.
ing less than the bitter atonement It in.
wolves would sufficiently awaken the
American people TO the great peril which
confronts them. Who knows but that II
was "God's way" OF teaching lesson,
the continued unheeding of which would
lead TO a still greater national disaster?
For fully fifteen years the name of
William Mckinley has been familiar
one to the reading public of this country.
The degree of industry and ability it re-
quires to become prominent in the ma
tional House OF Representatives may be
understood when il is remembered that
of the $50 members OF that body, not
more than so, perhaps, are ever heard Of
outside OF their own states CT districts,
but 80 pronounced were McKinley's
characteristics, that before he had fnish.
ed his second term he had already at
tracted national attention. He soon be-
came one Of the recognized leaders Of his
party, and, therefore, man to be
watched by his political opponents. by
untiring industry, fair dealing and tran
scendent ability he had reached stand.
ing in his party so great that when con-
gress met in December, 1889, the repub.
lican party being in control Of the house
again, he became a candidate Tor Speak
or. and the contest between himself and
Thomas y. Reed, for that position be-
came one Of the most noted in the his
tory Of the county. Mr.. Mckinley was
defeated, but his defeat made him Pre-
sident OF the United States. BY the
failure to be elected Speaker OF the
House he became the Chairman Of the
Committee on Ways and Means, whose
duty it was TO formulate a new tariff law.
This law became very popular, the coun-
try entering upon a period Of general