The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1901-12-06
PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE
VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
THE CONFEDERATION OF
CONGRESS-.
the QUESTION OF RECIPROCITY
FAvORs THE PRINCIPLE, BUT OP-
POSES N GENERAL TAR
IFF CHANGE.
WHAT TO DO WITH The TRUSTS
PUBLICITY THE ONLY SURE REM
EDY THAT A NOW BE
EVOKED.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE TRUSTS
To the Senate and House of Representa-.

To the Senate and House Of Representa-
tives:
The congress assemblies this year under
the shadow of a great calamity. On the
9th OF September President Mckinley was
shot by an anarchist while attending this
Pan-American exposition at Buffalo and
died in that city or the 14th Of that
month.
Of the last seven elected presidents he il
the third who has been murdered, and the
bare recital of this fact is sufficient to
justify grave alarm among all loyal
American citizens. Moreover, the circum.
stances of this, the third assassination Of
an American president, have a peculiarly
sinister significance. Both President Lin
coin and President Garfield were killed by
assassins of tyres unfortunately not un-
common in history. President Lincoln
falling a victim to the terrible passions
aroused by four years of civil wal n
President Garfield to the reveI geful van.
ity of a disappointed oflceseeker.
%><
President Mckinley was killed by .
= an utterly depraved criminal belong q
. Ing to that body of criminals who OBJ q
= Ject to all governments, good and q
= bad alike, who are against any form Q
. OF popular liberty If it is guaranteed .
= by even the most just and liberal q
= laws. and who are as hostile to the q
= upright %xponent of a free peoples q
= sober will as to the ~tyrannicaA and q
. irresponsible despot.
1t Is not too much to say that at the
time Of President McKinley's death he
was the most widely loved man in all the
United States, while we nave never lad
public man Of his position who has
been SO wholly free from the bitter ami
mosities incident to public life. His polit-
zeal opponents were the first to bear the
heart.est and most generous tribute to
the broad kindness of nature, the
sweetness n gentleness of character
which 30 endeared him to his close asso-
ciates. To a standard Of lofty integrity
In public life he united the tender af-
lection n home virtues which are all
important in the makeup Of national char.
acter. A gallant soldier In the great wal
for the Union, he also shone as an ex-
ample to all our people because Of his
conduct in the most sacred and intimate
OF home relations. There could be no per-
sOnal hatred Of him. for he never acted
with aught but consideration for the wei.
fare OF others.
No one could fail to respect him .
= who knew him in public or private .
= life. q
The defenders of those murderous q
. criminals who seek to excuse their q
= criminality by asserting that 1t Is ex- q
q ercised for political ends. inveigh .
= against wealth and irresponsible =
= power. But for this assassination q
. even this base apology cannot be =
= urged.
President Mckinley was a man or mod
crate means, a man whose stock sprang
from the sturdy tillers of the soil, who
had himself belonged among the wage
workers, who had entered the army as
q private soldier. Wealth was not struck
at when the president was assassinated,
but the honest toll which Is content with
moderate gains after a lifetime of un-
remitting labor largely in the service OF
the public. Still less was power struck
at in the sense that power is ~irresponsi-
BILE or conferred in the hands of any one
individual. The blow was not aimed at
tyranny or wealth. 1t was aimed at one
OF the strongest champions the wage
worker has ever had. at one of the most
faithful representatives of the system Of
public rights and representative govern
ment who has ever risen to public office.
President Mckinley filled that political
Office for which he entire people vote,
and no president, not even Lincoln him
self, was ever more earnestly anxious to
represent the well thought out wishes OF
the people.
-
His one anxiety In every crisis was Z
to keep in closest touch with the Z
= people; to find out what they thought 4
and to endeavor to give expression Z
= to their thought after having en- 4
= deavored to guide that thought 4
= Alright. 4
He had Just been reelected to the presi
dency because the majority Of our cit
ixens, the majority Of our farmers an.
wageworkers, believed that he had faith
fully upheld their interests for four years
they felt themselves in close and init
mate touch with him. They felt that h
represented % well and so honorably a
their Ideals and aspirations that the
wished him to continue for another fou
years to represent them.
And this was the man at whom the as
sassin struck! That there might b
nothing lacking to complete the Judas
like infamy OF his act he took advantag
of an occasion when the president wa
meeting the people generally. and. ad
vancing as II to take the hand out
stretched to him In kindly and brotherl
Fellowship. he turned the noble and ger
erous confidence of the victim into an or
portunity to strike the fatal blow. Their
IL no baser deed in all the annals I
crime.
The shock, the grief of the country. ar
bitter in the minds Of all who saw til
dark days while the president yet hovere
between life and death. At last the ligf
was stilled In the kindly eyes, and tn
breath went from the lips that even |
mortal agony uttered nc words save {
forgiveness to his murdered, of love <c
his friends and of unfaltering trust in III
will OF the Most High. Such a deaf
browning the glory of such a life leave
us to infinite sorrow, bu. with such prid
In what he had accomplished and in hi
own personal character hat we feel tn
blow not as struck at him. but as struc
at the nation. We mourn a good an
great president who is dead. but while "
mourn we are lifted ZIP by the splendi
achievements Of his life and the gran
heroism with which he met his death.
When we turn from the man to the
= nation, the harm done Is so great as
= to excite our gravest apprehensions
ard to demand our wisest and most
yesolute action, 4