The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-20
President ,rckInrey's Ideal.

In n special despatch from Indianapolis
TO the New York World which was
printed in that paper yesterday. there ap-
peared the following statement in con-
nection with the Presidents journey to
Indiana to be present 1T the funeral OF
ex-President Harrison:
a citizen who met Mr. Mckinley yesterday
told him that the people were touched that the
President should come such distance 10 honor
Nv dear sir replied the President, If honor
there be- we have rather honored ourselves by
coming. The way had not been open for me
to tell him but for many years General har-
rison had been my beau ideal Of statesman anu
citizen w
Nothing could be more satisfactory to
the American people, as an announcement
Of the Presidents position as citizen
and patriot than is contained in the few
words above quoted. It IS impossible that
Mr.. Mckinley should regard General Har-
rison - his beau ideal of a statesman
and citizen" without agreeing with the
eospel Of craftsmanship and citizenship
believed in. preached. and practiced by
the departed statesman. This is neces-
sary conclusion, and we are fain to con-
graduate President Mckinley upon his
devotion 10 the standards that were ire
yocably those Of his eXemplar.
We may be permitted TO say that, in
the past. we have always regarded Mr..
Mckinley as. at heart, better than his
SURROUNDINGS When We have seen him
Welding to III advice we have felt that
his submission 20 pressure from the
malign influences which have encom-
passed him, and controlled his public
policy. must be obnoxious to his soul The
man whose beau ideal Of statesman
and "a citizen" is the late Benjamin Har-
rison could not well take the course he
did in violating "our plain duty to Porto
RIco." and thus consenting 70 what Cen
ersI Harrison called "a departure from
right principles. without cramps Of con-
science.
Let us be charitable as 20 the past No
man is more than human, and, when we
come 10 consider the organized character
Of the means which have been and are
employed to divert the present American
President from the straight path Of rev
erence for the Constitution and our old
free institutions we must remember that
they are such as il would take a Wash
iugton or a Lincoln to withstand. Who
is there among US who would not become
intoxicated by the bestowal upon him
OF power greater than that welded by
augustus. or Napoleon. or by any civil
lied monarch Of our own day. When the
courJiers Of a ruler assure him that his
country trusts him. rather than its elected
representative. it is as easy as the de-
scent into Avernus for him 10 believe
them. and perhaps 10 think that his peo-
pies good is bound up In his acceptance
OF the role Of benevolent despot.
Perhaps at the grave OF General Har-
rison, President Mckinley may have
lighted afresh the fires Of devotion 10 the
Constitution, which he has permitted TO
fan almost into cold ashes on the nations
altar during the past three years. We
viii assume that he did, for his words
seem TO Justify the assumption. In that
case there ought TO be a great deal Of
hope for the future Of Mr. McKinley's
Administration, always supposing that
he means TO and viii dominate it. If he
shall act as he and sil men know General
Harrison would act in the same circun-
stances, the President wiz frown upon
= the scheme to make him responsible for