Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-09-10
Attempt on Life of President.

Last Friday afternoon at about tlVe
O'Clock dispatch was received in the
city conveying the sad intelligence that
President Mckinley had been stricken
down by the had of an assassin and
was mortally wounded. The news was
passed around with wonderful rapidity,
and soon it was the theme of converse
ton throughout the city, and everyone
was filled with sorrow.
Mr.. Mckinley had been receiving at
the Temple of Music at the Pan-Amer-
lean exposition that afternoon when he
was approached by stranger and was
shot down. The miscreant's work was
done with fiendish cunning. One hand
was wrapped up in handkerchief,
which concealed a revolver, and the
other he extended to the presidentin APP
parent friendship. As soon as he had
grasped Mr.. McKinley's hand he fired
two shots, one bullet taking effect in
the breast, the other penetrating the
stomach. The president was re-
moved to the home of a friend in the
city, where the best of medical aid was
summoned, and one bullet was extract
ed. The wretch who did the shooting
gave his name as Leon Czolgosz, was
Immediately arrested and narrowly es-
capped lynching at the hands of the in
furiated crowd.
The people of the United States are
sorrow stricken and Inundated. Free
government has received black eye.
While mingling among his people at a
festival of the arts of peace, receiving
them in friendly greetings, unattended
by soldiery, thus IMPLYING democracy
the boon of free mems desire-the ex-
ecutive head of $4,000, 900 of free peo-
pie is cruelty. treacherously, cowardly,
wickedly and wantonly shot down by
an anarchist-a foe to law and order.
"Our earnest prayer is that God
will graciously vOuchsafe prosper
ty. happiness and peace to all our
neighbors and like blessings to all
the peoples and powers OF the
earth
The words quoted above were the
closing ones of VIM. Mckinley as he
stood upon thr esplanade of the expo
sition grounds but day before, when
he delivered most masterful address.
In this address he was the perSOnitica-
ton of the kindly, Christian gentleman,
bearing the burdens of responsibility
with noble spirit. Yet by the lapse
of mere fraction of time this genial
American, so loved by his party adher-
ents and respected by his political adj
versaries, lies stricken down by the as
sassins hand. From the beginning of
the world do we find recorded in his
tory instances of men, high in station,
being cut down by the cOwardly hand
of the foe to law, but we know of none
less deserving or more innocent than
Mr.. Mckinley. Chosen as he was by
the people of free land as their exec
utive, moving among them with that
spirit of democracy that has character
lied his acts and speech, instead of be-
ing the tyranical and despotic ruler OF
millions crying out against the wrongs
inflicted by their crowned head, sur
rounded by soldiery and bayonets, it
makes it the foulest, most loathsome
and cowardly crime ever attempted by
the blackened heart of bastard. A
greater crime against self government
could not have been committed. In
this Villains act he perSonihed the ideas
of that most wretched and perverted
being, the anarchist, who has not the
slightest conception of free institutions,
and the high ideals of equality, frater-
nifty and liberty as exemplitied by this
government, made possible since the
idea was first brought out by those
noble men and women who developed
New England and loved better than
life itself that magic word-Freedom.
The crime is shocking. A man kindly
and amiable, of noble qualities of heart
and mind, democratic in ideas and
bearing, without rancor in public utter
ances and well disposed to political OPP
ponentS, loving husband, who loves
his home, his family, his friends, enc
mics and all the people alike, his char
acter is illustrated by the first remark
he made after being shot, in referring
to the man committing the deed, May
God forgive him." His afiiiction is our
affection, and the millions of truly faith
full and loyal American hearts, As well
as all right minded people of the entire
civilized world extend the fullest meas
ure, of sympathy from the depths of
their heart.
The anarchist has no fit place among
men, and his presence among Amerl-
cans, who are respectorS of law aud or
der, should be eradicated ut the earlieS;
possible moment No country on the
face of Gods earth is, or ever has been
so free and prosperous, with its people
so happy and contented as the United
States. To change conditions by an
archiStic ideas, that of killing those in a
high and exalted station of life, does
not conform to the teachir - Of reason,
and will not be tolerate by the usually
patient people of this eouatry. Already
numerous anarchists have beea arrest
ed in many of the large cities suspected
of being implicated in the plot to kill
MIR. Mckinley, and we hope the drag