Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1901-09-27

ON THE DEATH OF
PRESIDENT Mckinley
REV. ARTHUR e. SHEPHERD,
In The Court House at Canton, Thursday, Sept. 1g
DELIVERED BY

character and history of our Presidents
George Washington, the Father O
his Country, was a man of wealth
Abraham Lincoln, the Savior of tn,
Republic. was born in rude log cabir
where poverty was painfully evident
William Mckinley. the Unifier of the
Nation, was neither the son of wealth
nor the child of penury but a repre-
sentative of that largest portion Of on,
citizenship, the middle class, or fairly
we'll to do people.
The rise of these three men to the
exalted position which they filled with
such credit to themselves and profit to
the nation was not due to any "boas,
OF heraldry or pomp of power" not
because Of pride of birth or circum-
stance of wealth but because of those
inherent qualities of true manhood and
character which they possessed And
as long as we recognize and honor
these qualities in men; as long rs it is
true that man cannot be president
simply because he is rich and cannot
be kept from becoming president sim
ply because he is poor. go long is the
nation safe and SO long will the flag Of
the free float over a peaceful, happy,
and prosperous people.
1t will hardly be necessary for me at
this time to recite in detail the early
history of William McKinley's life, In
fact. of his boyhood's days there is
nothing important or dramatic to mar
rate. He lived, as thousands live, a
peaceful, uneventful life. He was not
a prodigy in genius nor a dullard in
mental sluggishness. He neither sur
prised the world by his brilliancy nor
disappointed his friends by lack Of
common wit. Let the common boy take
heart, tie one who is neither so pre-.
cocious as to arouse great expectation,
nor 80 backward as to give promise of
becoming famous blockhead; many
a common boy has developed into an
uncommon man and the man whose
memory we honor today was such an
one
When he was a mere child his par
ents moved to Poland, in Mahoning
county, that they might give their child
rem the educational benefits of an acad-
emy which was located there. Here Mr..
Mckinley was given such education as
he received in school. It is told of him
that he was a studious, serious lad who
liked his books, but also liked to hunt
and fish and take his part in the sports
of the village youth. He was promin.
ent character in the debating society at
the academy and usually its president.
At the age of sixteen he Joined the
Methodist Episcopal Church of which
he remained faithful, consistent
member to the time of his death. Let
those men who consider it beneath
their dignity to profess faith in Christ
and to join the church, take lesson
from the noble example of William
Mckinley. Though crowned with
earthly honors greater than which no
man since the beginning of time has en-
joyed, he remained always the same
in his loyalty and devotion to his Christ
and his church Unpretentious and
humble, he manifested faith, at once
simple and sublime, and the Methodist
Church mourns today the death of her
most honored and distinguished lay
man. In his seventeenth year he START
ed for Allegheny college at Meadville.
Pa, but on account of sickness was
obliged to leave After returning home
he successfully taught a country school
near his home village.
The year 1861 will be forever mem.
orable in the annals Of American his.
tory. When the tocsin Of war .was
sounded its loud alarm was heard in
that quiet, inland village Of Ohio and
brave hearts responded TO the call Of
arms. Among others who went forth
from that place was William Mckinley.
A biographer describes him at that
time as ''pale-faced, slender, scarcely
medium height. with dark brown haiI
and deep grey eyes that are racial
popularity of the Irish people," His
parents might have exercised thei1
authority and prevented his going but
knowing that motives of purest patrio'
tism had prompted him and being
themselves moved by that same holy
passion they bade him go with their
blessing to fight the battles of his
country.
Throughout that bloody conflict Will.
lam Mckinley displayed the spirit OF
the true soldier His conduct during
those awful times that tried mems
souls was above the suspicion of re-
proach, duty within him was always
stronger than fear and no matter how
great the sacrifice and no matter how
great the risk and hazard, the line oi
duty was always followed and followed
to the end
81 His meritorious conduct and intrepid
bravery soon attracted the attention oi
nv u ssa -