The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-09-27

CHOSEN representatives OF my state. / am |
here by resolution OF the Republican state
convention, commanding me TO cast my vote |
for John Sherman for President and to use
every worthy endeavor to secure his nomina 4
ton accepted the trust because my heart
and Judgment were in accord with The letter
and spirit and purpose OF that resolution. It
has pleased certain delegates to cast their
votes for me for President am not insensl-
BILE of tine honor they would do me- But in
the presence of the duty resting upon me,
cannot remain silent with honor | cannot
| consistently with the wishes OF the State
whose credentials bear and which has trust
ed me; | cannot consistently with my own
views OF personal integrity consent or seem
to consent, TO permit my name to be used as
"a candidate before this convention. | would
not respect myself IL could find IL In my
heart TO do or to permit to be done that which
could even be ground for anyone to suspect
that wavered in my loyalty to Ohio, or in my
devotion to the chief of her choice and the
chief of mine. do not request, l demand that
no delegate who would not cast reflection up
on me shall cast a ballot for me-"
And who that saw it will forget
similar and almost as dramatic
scene in the great convention four
years later, when once again he put
aside the honor the convention would
have thrust upon him because his
word was pledged to another. To no
other man in all our history has it
been given to twice refuse presiden-
tial nomination; and few indeed have
been those who would have thrust 1t
aside because of loyalty to friend.
First of all, then, in studying this
great life, we see true man.
And next, we see A STEADFAST MAN.
OF all the splendid virtues which
have characterized the Anglo-Saxon
race and have given it dominion over
the earth, no other is so conspicuous
and of such commanding power as the
virtue of steadfastness. 1t is the vir-
tue which Paul inculcated when he re-
buked the timid Ephesians for their
cowardice and tickleness, when he
bade them put on their bodies the
breastplate of righteousness and on
their feet the preparation of the gospel
of peace, and on their heads the helmet
of salvation, to grid up their loins
with truth and to take in their hands
the sword of the spirit, and then com
manded them, having on the whole
armor of God, to STAND. 1t is the
virtue that put the quality of adamant
| lIlO lIlG SOul vi NldIllu So lIdl
he stood before the angry hosts of
Rome dauntless and undisma yed, de-
claring: Here | stand, God helping
me; can do nothing else" 1t was
the virtue that made Cromwell Master
of King and Parliament. II was the
virtue that dictated the message of the
old Commander; II propose to light
it out on this line if it takes all sum.
mer." 1t is the virtue which made
possible the career of William Me-
Kinley. Slowly and carefully, with
much thought and reflection and after
much hard study, he reached certain
conclusions; and there he stayed. If
the popular voice WIS with him, he
was pleased. Popular clamor was
against him he was not dismayed. Do
you remember the Hood tide of protest
and denunciation which rose against
the tariff bill which bore his name,
and how it gathered force until it
swept the bill and its author ana his
party into the sea of defeat? And do
YOU remember how through all the
wild tempest this man stood serene
and confident, calmly waiting for the
tide to turn? | have seen pilot on IA
ship at sea in Il storm. The wind was
against him and the tide was against
him, and now and again mountainous
waves would sweep the deck OF his
vessel, filling his eyes with the blind
ing salt spray; but the pilot did not
change his course. With his hand on
the wheel and his eye on the compass
he kept straight on. | always think
of that picture when | recall the figure
of William Mckinley during the
political storms of 1890 and 1892. The
wind was against him and the tide was
against him. but he kept straight on.
And in more recent years the coun-
try has had other proof of the stead
fastness of this great captain. 1t is
not so long ago but that we all remem-
Der the state of public feeling during
those tense days that preceded the
Spanish war. The American people
are not at heart unreasonable, and
they are not prone TO lose their self
control. But they are generous in
their sympathies, they are touched to
the quick by needless suffering, by
cruel oppression, by pillage, outrage
and murder. And so il was not
strange that they should be deeply
moved by the cry for help that came
from starving and stricken and out
ragged Cuba. Long before the storm
ONCl uo bllb OilluOuS anu
taxable mutterings could be heard.
The press teemed with bitter denuncia-
ton of Spanish tyranny; the demand
for Intervention or for the instant
recognition of the independence of
Cuba was universal and insistent; the
halls of Congress rang with appeals
to prejudice and to partisan feeling.
And then, when the awful tragedy
came in the habor of Havana, when to
indignation for the wrongs inflicted
upon another was added the cry of
vengeance for wrongs inflicted upon
ourselves, do we not all recall how the
whole Nation demanded an instant
declaration of war? A weak man in
the Presidents chair would have
yielded to the clamor, and we all know
now how in that event the war would
have been prolonged and our losses
in lives and property immeasurably
increased. But thank God. there was
not a weak man in the Presidents
chair. A strong man was there, a
man with the iron of the Puritans and
the Protestants in his veins, a stead