Smyrna times., 1901-09-18

WHEN we issued the TIMES last
week, it was the belief of physicians
and public men about him that Presi-
dent Mckinley was out of danger and
speedily recovering. In two or three
days he was dead with whole nation,
metaphOrically speaking, bowling
in grief at his bedside. He died at
2.15 o'clock on Saturday morning.
The Baltimore San, of that morning
said:
''The death of President Mckinley,
after the optimistic and cheering re-
ports that have come from his bedside
day after day, is scarcely less of a
shock to the country than was the an
nouncement of the murderous attack
upon him. The false hopes upon
which the public has been fed, serve,
indeed, to intensity the general grief
and depression and add the pang of
bitter disappointment to the original
burden of regret and sorrow. Many
persons of experience and conserva-
tism, it is true, accepted the daily bull
letins issued at Buffalo with consider
able allowance for the possibility of
human error, but the physicians and
surgeons in attendance on President
Mckinley were men of eminence in
their profession and the tone of their
bulletins was so confident and buoy
ant that the great majority of people
were led to believe that the danger
point had been passed and that the re-
covery of the distinguished patient,
was in all probability but a matter of a
Jew weeks. The fall from this height
of hope is, as we have said, second
blow scarcely less severe than the
first, and invests the momentous ira
gedy with deep pathos that touches
each heart. The physicians doubtless
will be the objects of criticism in many
quarters, but whether their explana-
tions are entirely satisfactory or not,
it should be remembered that the is
sues Of life and death are in higher
hands than theils, and that they ex-
erted all their skill and intelligence in
the struggle against death. The mel
aneholy termination of the battle
shows that medical and surgica
science still fights in the dark in many
cases against its old antagonist Death
and that there are still many things
connected with life and disease un
drempt of in its philosophy. If tn
President was not to recover, it wa
unquestionably best both for him an,
the country that he should have passe,
away after his brief illness of liItl
more than a week, rather than hav
been doomed to lipger on in sufferin,
for two months and hall, like Presi
dent Garfield. Both he and the cour
try are saved the protracted agony c
suspense and pain which would hav
been involved in a long aud vain cor
test with fatal wound, and we hay
the satisfaction of knowing that he hs
been saved the torture of lingerin
death, the keen pangs of hope deferre
and the keen pangs of mind and bod
that oppress the sufferer who is force
to pass slowly through the valley
the great shadow.
Little more thon 10 months ago WI
liam Mckinley seemed one of the ia
oritc sons OF fortune. Reelected
lief Office of the nation by &
overwhelming electoral vote after OF
of the most tremendous struggles
our political annals and campaign i
volving issues Of worldwide cons
quence, he rode conspicuous on t
crest of that great wave of victory
one of the most important and slgni
cant figures of contemporaneous h
tory. Identified with a new and ia
reaching policy of government th
placed us among the national dictate
of the world, and the representative
new regime of aspiration IL
stretched out it's hands for power a
business development to the uttermt
ends of the earth, no other ruler amo
men seemed to stand on so glorious
summit of possibility as an archit
of national greatness and a moulder
national destiny. His future appear
full of nothing but greatness and &C
fortune, while that of his president
rival suggested only political obse
ity and failure. And yet if he |
been defeated last November aud ]
Bryan elected, he would have b.