Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-12-05
Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires.


Subjects Included in tho Message.
Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires
Washington, Dec. 3.--The first annual
message OF President Roosevelt was re d
10 both houses OF Congress Today. The
full text of the document ia as follows ;
To the senate and House of Representa-.
tires. t.N
The congress assemblies this year under
the shadow of great calamity on the
6lh OF September President Mckinley was
shnt by an anarchist while attending the
Pan-Americ2n exposition at Buffalo and
olrd In that city on the lith of that
or 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 loval
American citizens. Moreover, the circum-
stanreR Of this. the third ASSASSINATION OF
an American president have a peculiarly
sirisier Significance. Both President Lin
coin and President Garfield were killed bv
2 assassins of types unfortunately not un.
common IN, history. President Lincoln
failing victim TO the terrible passions
aroused by four years OF civil war and
President CARRIED TO the reyengeful van
ity or disappointed ofIiceseeker. Presi-
dent Mckinley was Killed bv an utterly
dapraved criminal belonging to that body
OF criminals who object to all govern.
menis. good and bad alike. who are
ngains. any form OF popular liberty il IL is
guaranteed by even the most Just and lib
erHl laws and who are as hostile to the
upright exponent OF free peoples sober
Will as to .he tyrnnnicai and irresponsible
despot
u Is not too much to say that at the
time CT President McKinleys death he
was the most widely loved man in ali the
Npo ha,g 4.
anv public man of his position who has
been so wholly free from the bitter anil
mosities incident to public life. His pollt-
fcai opnonents were the first to bear the
heartfelt and most generous tribute to the
broad ktndiiness OF nature. the sweetness
and gentleness of character which SO en-,
deared him to his close associates. TO a
standard OF lofty integrity in public life
he united the tender affections and home
virtues which are all important in the
makeup O. rational character A gallant
soldier III the great war for the Union he
also shone rs On example to all our people
because. of hia conduct In the most sacred
and Intimate of home relations There
could be no personal hatred of him. for he
never acted with aught but consideration
fer the welfare of others No one could
fail to RESPECT him who knew him in pub
llc or private life. The defenders of those
murderous criminals who seek to excuse
their crImlnalit" by asserting that It
Is exercised for political ends inveigh
afn'nst wealth and IRRESPONSIBLE power.
But for this assassination even this baae
apology cannot be urged.
The sohfectiof the BLOW.
President MCKINLEY was a man of, mod
crate means. a man whose stock sprang
from the sturdy ttilers of the soil, who
had himself belonged among the wage
workers. who had entered tie army as a
private soldier Wealth was not struck at
=. II.w.t
the honest toi which Is content with mod
crate gains after a lifetime Of unremitting
labor largely IN the service OF the public.
sun legs WIS power struck at in the sense
that power Is irresponsible or centered in
the hands OF nrv one individual The blow
was not aimed ut tyranny or wealth It
was aimed at one of the strongest cham
pions the wngeworker has ever had. at
one of the most faithful representatives of
the system of public rights and represent
ative government who has ever risen to
public oflice. President Mckinley flIed
thar political office for which the entire
people vote. and no president. not ever
Lincoln himself. was ever more earnestly
anxious to represent the well thought out
wishes of the people. His one anxiety in
every crisis was TO keep IN closest touch
with the people, 10 find cut what they
thought and 10 eudeavor to give express
sion to their thought after having endeav-
ored to guide that thought Alright He
had Just been reelected to the presidency
because the majority Of our citizens, the
majority of our farmers and wagework-
ers believed that he he'd faithfully upheld
their interests for four years. They felt
Themselves IN close and Intimate touch
with him. They felt that he represented
30 well and SO honorably all their ideals
and aspirations tnat they wished him to
continue Cor another four years to repre-
sent them.
And this was the man at whom the as
"a ssin etruckl That there might be moth
ing lacking to complete the Judas-like in
fanny of his act ne took advantage of an
occasion when The president was meeting
the people generally. and, advancing as IL
to take the hand outstretched to him in
kindly and protherly fellowship. he turned
the noble and generous confidence OF the
victim into an opportunity to strike the
fatal blow. There is no baser deed in all
the annals OF crime
A Glorious Death.
The shock the grief of the country, are
bitter In the minds Of all who saw the
dark days while the president yet lowered
hefween life and death. At last the light
|, MA stillcd in the kindly eyes. and the
breath went from the lips that even in
mortal agony uttered no words save CT
forgiveness 20 his murderer, of love for
his friends and OF unfalterlng trust in the
will Of tho Most High. Such death
browning the glory OF such life leaves
us with infinite sorrow, but with such
pride In what he had accomplished and in
hts own personal character that we feel
thu blow not as struck at him. but as
struck at the nation. We mourn good
and great president who is dead. but
while we mourn we are lifted up by the
splendid achievements of his life and the
grand heroism with which he met his
death. t4
When we turn from the man to the ma
ton, the harm done is 30 great as to ex-
cite our gravest apprehensions and to de-
rna1d our wisest and most resolute action.
This criminal was n professed anarchist.
infinrned BY the teachings Of prcfessed an
nrchists ond probably also by the reckless
utterances OF those who on the stump and
IN the public press appeal to the dark and
evil spirits of malice and greed, envy and
sullen hatred. The wind is sowed by the
men who preach such doctrines. and they
cannot escape their share of responsible
fly for the whirwind that is reaped. This
applies alike 10 the deliberate detnagogue,
to the exploiter of sensationalism and TO
the crude and foolish visionary who for
whatever reason apologies for crime or
excites aimless discomfort.
The blow was aimed not at this presi-
dent but at all presidents at every SYM
Dol Of government President Mckinley
was as emphatically the embodiment OF
the popular Will Of the nation expressed
through the forms Of law as New Eng
land town meeting Is ir similar fashion
the embodiment OF the law abiding pur-
pose and practice Of the people OF the