The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-14
OUR DEAD PRESIDENT.

The American people can say the worst
has happened, but not altogether the un-
expected. From the moment that the
/ shooting of the President was announced
and the location and nature of his really
general feeling that his recovery was
! doubtful. and behind all the hopeful bull
letins there lurked a fear that the wound
. or resulting complications would prove ia
! tai. The Presidents strong constitution,
! his robust health and his great will power
were in his favor, but his age. though not
were so many possibilities involved that
everybody felt there was a strong prob
4 ability that he would not recover. This
worst presentiment has been verified, and
/ the American people are called to mourn
: the death of the third of their Presidents
slain by the assassin.
There are those who were much nearer
to Mr.. Mckinley than were the people at
5 large, and to whom his death means much
more than it does to the most of his coun-
I trymen. For these universal sympathy
| will go out in the largest degree because
s they mourn the death of one who was
near and dear to them, but the people also
will mourn the loss Of a great leader and
President whom they were learning more
and more to trust and follow. No Amer
lean statesman has ever grown more stead
lily or rapidly in public estimation at home
and abroad than Mr.. Mckinley did from
his first election as President. When he
was called to the presidential chair there
were some even of his political supporters
who doubted whether he would measure up
to the requirements Of the office. These
doubts were soon dispelled. He more than
fulfilled the expectations and predictions
of those who had the best means of know
ing and judging him. During an admins
tration of stress and storm he showed
himself easily the master of every situa-
ton and won the admiration of his coun-
trymen by his political tact and that of
election for second term was a splendid
popular Endorsement of his first admins
tration, and the two together form one of
the most brilliant eras in our history.
There can be no doubt but the future his
torian will class William Mckinley among
the greatest of our Presidents-great In his
patriotism, in his leadership, in his devo-
ton to duty, in his singleness of purpose,
in his conscientiOusness. in his moral cour-
age, in his nearness to and trust in the
people, in his loyalty to high ideals, in his
simplicity Of character, in his personal
and domestic virtues-in short, great in
all that goes to make a statesman and
ruler for a free people to be proud of.
This will be McKinley's place in history
The verdict has already been measurably
anticipated by the judgment of intelligent
foreigners, who, at their distance, are bet
ter capable of forecasting the judgment
of pOsterity than are Mr.. McKinley's coun-
trymen of to-day. Among them there is
no dissenting voice in the opinion that he
was one of the greatest Presidents we
have had. The London Globe, usually un-
friendly to the United States, says: He
played with signal distinction and entire
success the difficult part so suddenly i'm
posed upon him by the new imperial des-
tiny of the United States" Lord Sails
bury's private secretary, sepaking for the
British premier, said that in Mr.. McKin-
ley's death the whole world will lose
man of greater integrity and statesman
ship than it at present realizes" Similar
expressions have come from all over the
world. In the national mourning this
event will cause the American people can
! feel that they have the sincere sympathy
of all civilized peoples. irrespective of the
cause Of the Presidents death and 1.-The
deep damnation of his taking off,"