The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-20

In a special despatch from Indianapolis
to the New York World" which was
printed in that paper yesterday, there APP
peared the following statement in con-
nection with the Presidents journey to
Indiana to be present at the funeral of
ex-President Harrison:
"A citizen who met Mr. Mckinley yesterday
told him that the people were touched that the
President should come such distance TO honor
the dead.
NV dear sir replied the President, If honor
there be- we have rather hOnored ourselves by
coming The way had not been open for me
TO tell him. but for many years General Har-
rison had been my beau ideal OF a statesman and
citizen "
Nothing could be more satisfactory to
the American people, as an announcement
OF the Presidents position as citizen
and patriot than is contained in the few
words above quoted. It IS impossible that
Mr.. Mckinley should regard General Har-
rison as his beau ideal of a statesman
and citizen" without agreeing with the
rospel of craftsmanship and citizenship
believed in. preached. and practiced by
the departed statesman. This is neces-
sary conclusion, and we are fam to con-
graduate President Mckinley upon his
devotion to the standards that were ire
yocably those Of his exemplar.
We may be permitted TO say that, in
the past. we have always regarded Mr..
Mckinley as. at heart, better than his
surroundings When We have seen him
yielding to in advice we have felt that
his submission 10 pressure from the
malign influences which have encom-
passed him, and controlled his public
policy. must be obnoxious TO his soul. The
man whose beau ideal Of a statesman
and u citizen is the late Benjamin Har-
rlson could not well take the course he
did in violating "our plain duty to Porto
Rico" and thus consenting to what Cen
eral Harrison called "a departure from
right principles" without cramps of con-
science.
Let us be charitable as to the past. No
man is more than human. and, when we
come to consider the organized character
of the means which have been and are
employed to divert the present American
President from the straight path Of rev.
erence for the Constitution and our old
free institutions we must remember that
they are such as It would take a Wash
ington or a Lincoln to withstand. Who
is there among US who would not become
intoxicated by the bestowal upon him
of power greater than that welded by
augustus. or Napoleon. or by any civil
lied monarch Of our own day? When the
courtiers OF a ruler assure him that his
country trusts him. rather than its elected
representatives,. II is as easy as the de
scent into Avernus for him TO believe
them, and perhaps TO think that his peo-
pies good is bound up in his acceptance
of the role OF benevolent despot.
Perhaps at the grave Of General Har-
rison. President Mckinley may have
lighted afresh the fires of devotion TO the
Constitution. which he has permitted to
fail almost into cold ashes on the nations
altar during the past three years. We
will assume that he did. for his words
seem TO Justify the assumption. In that
case there ought to be a great deal of
hope for the future of Mr. McKinIey's
Administration, always supposing that
he means 10 and will dominate IL. IL he
shall act as he and all men know General
Harrison would act in the same circum-
stances, the President viii frown upon
= the scheme to make him responsible for