Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-24

oppressed by the most appalling mis-
fortune or deepest sorrow that in
some way-in His own way-the hand
of our All Wise, omnipotent and low
ing God-the Father of us all-Will
bring forth good out of the situation.
Often We are brought face to face with
a situation that calls for such faith.
When the Grim Monster Death en-
tors our household and takes there
from loved one, although always TO
be expected, yet We can never fully
why he should come just
then. If he takes therefrom a child.
our sole consolation is in the thought
that although it be deprived OF a long
and happy life mere as we had hoped
from which we had expectd great Joy
and comfort i'll our old oge, yet it
may be best in that by it early death
it's eternal happiness is secured, and
it has been freed from thousand
saares and temptations that might
have led it astray.
When death comes to our aged low
ed ones We are wont to set over
against our loss the thought that if
the life OF such an one has been up
right their death has been but the
opening to them of an entrance to a
life of everlasting When death comes
TO the middle aged We may be Who'll
ly at a loss to reason it out upon any
thing like a satisfactory theory but
at such times the Christian heart is
prompted and consoled by the thought
which was in the mind of our below
ed President whom we mourn today,
which finds best expression in the
last words he uttered: 1T is Gods
way; his will, not mine, be done"
1t is the thought of the good that
He may bring out of such calamity
that we find greatest consolation.
Love is the controlling element in
the human heart-sincere love mani
tests itself by acts. We never cease
to praise and honor the names of the
dead whom we have loved This ma
ton has loved its presidents as a rule,
as it ought to have done, and some it
has almost worshpipad. Each year
by common consent it raises the names
of some of its presidents little higher
in the galaxy of fame. Each year the
names of Washington and Lincoln be-
come more and more overshadowing
as in each decade they stand out the
more prominent in the worlds history.
When Lincoln was murdered the ma
ton seemed indeed, to be undone,
Just emerging from a long and terri
Bile civil war-the effects of which
seemed largely undetermined, with a
large section of the country in ruin
and all more or less in devastation,
at a time when all channels of trade
were blocked, when the leading men
in limo 0f
section of country, were just laying
down their arms and returning from
soldier life to again take up the avo-
cations of peace. When the effects of
turning loose such large body of
men fresh from soldier life could not
be known and judging from the his
tory of other nations caused great ap-
prehension with some. When nearly
halt of the states were out of the I'm
ion and while there remained the Bit
terest enmity between the north and
The south. When the south was bank
rupt and the debt of the nation reach
ed into the billions. i When all lines of
business were unsettled, uncertain
and the welfare of the people had
never before seemed SO much to depend
upon settled policy of the admins
tration of the President. 1t was at
such a time our beloved Lincoln was
assassinated. At such time it seem
ed most appalling disaster to have
the hand that had guided the ship of
state through the thickest and black
est of the storm and brought it in
sight of harbor stricken down and a
new and untried hand placed at the
helm. At such a time it must have
been hard indeed to fix ones mind up
on any one good result that might
come from so great calamity. But
in way then unseen the hand of the
Advise Ruler of nations has ever since
directed our course in the way of
great national prosperity. All that
ing is the impress and influence of his
character. God uses men for what
they are worth.
Lincoln's life work was best com,
pleted when he had accomplished the
two great purposes nearest his heart
Emancipation and the restoration of
the Union. In the accomplishment OF
these purposes his efforts were crown
ed with most marked success, and now
thirty-siX years afterward we wonder
if after all the thing most helpful 10
the country's future at that time, thu
one thing which more than all else
tended to melt the bitterness of party
feeling and weld the broken ties of
the estranged citizenship was the
death of Lincoln brought on in that
way. Much has been said by those
who have preceded me about the
character of President Mckinley and
so much has been said in the press
and from the pulpit and rostrum that
l must desist from dwelling at length
on this feature. ! may, however, be
allowed to point out briefly some OF
the strong points in his character oil
life, some which l think may well
stand out as examples to the boys and
men of all coming generations of our
people. He was an obedient and def
erential boy. 1t never occurred tc
him either in boyhood or young man
hood that it was necessary to lose anv
time in Sowing wild oats" He was
a studious pains-taking and apprecia
tive student. He studied for and with
a purpose. He was a brave and trust
worthy soldier, such as especially t.
command the respect, confidence and
| esteem of Americas great fighting