Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-09-20
WASHINGTON NEWS

The suspense OF the past week
is ended. President Mckinley is
dead. An yet, though the flags
are at half mast and the colors,
draped with black and framing .
pictures of the President, are to be
seen unreality about the whole
thing. Perhaps not until the day
of the state funeral will Washing
ton fully realize that the familiar
and genial presence of William
Mckinley has vanished forever
from its streets. 1t may be that
the actual realization of the tragedy
has been less vivid here than in
other cities; for the news, flashing
over the wires, has as yet scarcely
effected the memories which prac-
tically everyone in the city has of
the dead President. He was one
of the men who seemed destined
to go through life without being
overtaken by accident. His whole
career was so natural, so orderly
in its development that his sudden
taking off by the bullet of an
assassin was one of the last things
his friends has thought of as likely.
1t appeared for more probable that
after two terms of honorable
service. as chief magistrate of tile
nation, he would retire to his home
at Canton to enjoy a peaceful and
well-earned quiet i'll his old age.
But it was not to be.
Md residents here are inevitably
comparing the scenes of today
with those which followed the
assassination of Garfield. At that
time the city was thrown into a
a wild excitement, and all sorts of
rumors were flying about. To day
there is little if any excitement;
there has been little during the
past week. The dominant feeling
is grief, and even that is subdued
rather than demonstrative
1t is, of course to be expected
that the possible course OF Mr..
| McKinlev's successor will occupy
much of the attention of the public
While not so we'll known here,
! personally, as the late President
i Roosevelt is too thoroughly q
national character not to be fainil.
lar to every Washingtonian. There
is room for much speculation as tC
his views and actions during the
next three years. Perhaps no two
men so radically different i'll TEN
permanent as Roosevelt and McKin
ley ever occupied places on tn,
same ticket. 1t is one of thos,
e historical combinations which seen
e to have been dictated by the ingen
: uity of a novelist. Mckinley wa
+ cautious, prudent, polite, an,
e never made an enemy if he coul
c help it. Roosevelt is bold, impe
/ tuous, frank, and never hesitate
e to make an enemy rather tina
d give up what he believes righ
70 Curiously enough; these two mer
g both conscientious, both earnest
e both devoted to the welfare of tn
II country as they understood
ic arrived at practically the sam
h point of view on the main polite;
g problems of the age; and it Wa
y this which made it possible fc
4. them to occupy respectively til
al positions of Presiden and Vic
lie President. 1t is this, too whic
lie makes the question of Roos,
s, velt's future actions so intei
IN esting. While most people III
to doubtedly expected that he wi
make some radical departure fro
the policy laid down by his pr
g, decessor, it is quite possib
u II that he may do nothing of IL
AZ kind SO far as large public que
tiOns are concerned. He will ce
no tainly have his own notions
w right, and follow the unswervingl
.ct but at the present stage of his oW
0 and the cOuntry's developmer
lis those notions may coincide We
Mt nearly with those entertained
10 Mr.. Mckinley,
of That some changes will be ma,
in the Cabinet appears practical
~ certain. 1t cannot be foreto
- when this will happen, or VIII
er, s'-~laanges will be; for the me
ter "a =, WI" VIZ 2epend on party politi
le- 1 - 20 to some extent ON Il
OF ueaiel of~Secretary Hay, who
le- SAID to be much broken since Il