The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-04

q y
his message as follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives: The congress assemblies
this year under the shadow Of a great
calamity. on the sixth of September
President Mckinley was shot by an
anarchist while attending the Pan
American exposition at Buffalo, and
died in that city on the fourteenth of
that month.
OF the last seven elected presidents
ne is the third who has been murdered,
and the bare recital of this fact Is
sufficient to justify grave alarm among
an loyal American citizens. Moreover,
the circumstances of this. the third as
sassination of an American president,
have a peculiarly sinister significance.
Both President Lincoln and President
Garfield were killed by aSSasslns Of
types unfortunately not uncommon IN
history: President Lincoln falling a
victim to the terrible passions aroused
by four years of civil war, and Pres
ident Garfield to the reveageful vanity
of a disappointed Office-seeNer Pres
ident Mckinley was killed by On ut
terIy depraved criminal belonging to
that body of criminals who object TO
all governments. good and bad alike,
who are against any form OF popular
liberty if it is guaranteed by even the
most Just ana liberal laws, ana VINO
are as hostile 20 the upright exponent
of free peoples sober viii as 30 the
tyrennical and irresponsible despot
Tribute to Mckinley.
II is not too much to say that at
the lime of President McKinley's death
he was the most widely loved man IN
AN the United States: white we have
never had any public man of his posi-
ton who has been so wholly free from
the bitter animOsiJies incident 10 puD-
lie life. His political opponents were
the first to bear the heartiest and most
generous tribute to the broad klhdll-
ness of nature, the sweetness and gen
tIeness of character which so endeafed
him to his close associates.
To a standar5 It lofty integrity IN
public life he united the tender af-
fections and home virtues which are
ar-important in the makeup Of ma
tional character A gallant soldier in
the great war for the Union, he also
shone as an example to all our people
because of his conduct in the most Sa-
cred and intimate of home relations.
There could be no personal hatred Of
him. for he never acted with aught bu
consideration for the welfare of others.
No ore could fail to respect him who
knew him in public or private life. The
defenders OF those mUrderOUs criminals
WhC seek TO excuse their criminaIty
by asserting that it is exercised for
political ends inveigh against wealth
and irresponsible power. But for this
assassination even this base apology
cannot be urged.
President Mckinley was a man of
moderate means, a man whose stock
sprang from the sturdy tiilers of the
soil who had himself belonged among
the WagewOrkers, VINO had entered the
army as q private soldier Wealth was
not struck at when the president was
assassiuated. but the honest toll which
is content with moderate gains after a
lifetime of unremitung labor. largely il
The service Of the public Still less was
power struck at in the sense thar
power is irresponsible or cenUered I'm
the hands of any one individual.
Blow Aimed at Free Government.
The blow was not aimed ct TYRANNY
or wealth. 1t was aimed at one of
the strongest champions the wage
worker has ever had: at one of the
most faithful representative. Df the
system OF public rights and represent
ative government who has ever risen
TO public office
President Mckinley filed chat p.Iit-
icai Office for which the entire people
vote, aud no president-not even Lin
coin himself-was ever more earnestly
anxious to represent the well thought
out wishes of the people: his one
anxiety IN every crisis was to keep in
closest touch with the people-to frd
out what they thought and 10 en-
deavor To give expression to their
thought after having endeavored 10
guide that thought Alright.
He had just been re-eIeated to the
pr sidency because the majority of our
citizens, the majority of our farmers
al,d WagewOrkers believed that ne had
faithfully upheld their interests for
four years. they felt themselves in
close and intimate touch with him.
They felt thar he represented so well
and so honorably all their ideals and
aspirations that they wished him 10
continue for another four years to rep
resent them.
And this was the man at whom t7fe
assassin struck, That there might he
nothing lacking to complete the Judas
Ike infamy of his act, he took adj
vantage of an occasion when the pres
ilent was meeting the people gener-
ally and advancing as If to take the
hand Outstretched To him in kindly
aud brotherly fellowship, ne turned the
noble and generous confidence of the
victim into az opportunity 10 strike
the fatal blow. There is no baser deed
in all the annals of crime.
Grief Of the Country.
The shock. the grief of the country,
are bitter in the minds Of all who saw
the dark days. while the president yet
lowered between life and death At
last the light was stiiied in the kindly
eyes and the breath went from the
lips that even IN mortal agony uttered
no words save of forgiveness 10 his
murderer. of love for hif friends. and
of unfsltering trust in the wiz of the
Eiosl High. Such a death, crOWninc
the glory Of such q life. leaves US with
infinite sorrow. but with such pride
in what ne had accomplished and in
his own personal character. that we
feel the blow not as struck 1T him
but as struck at the nation. We mourn
a good and great president WHO is
dead but while we mourn We are lift
ed no By the splendid achievements OF
his life and the grand heroism with
which he met his death.