The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-10-01
HIGH IDEALS MARKED
THE PRESIDENTS LIFE
(From Saturdays daily.)

/
character and abilities
1t is very extraordinary to me as
| look on the three pictures on the wall
| dincoln, Garfield and Mckinley, to
think of Mckinley as a man born in
humble circumstances, without the OPP
portunities for education that you
have, to have become SO eminent III
the estimation of his fellow men. AS
you know, they were all born in hum
BILE circumstances-one a rail splitter,
another a boy who drove mules on the
canal towpath to support his mother,
and Mckinley, who sprang from hum
BILE circumstances, and by hard work
they finally occupied the highest po-
sitions in the greatest government on
earth. Strange it is indeed, that these
men of all men should be selected.
singled out for the knife or the bullet
of the assassin.
Il can understand In reading the
history of countries that have tyranni-
cal rulers, and there is no election or
any way to get rid of that ruler ex-
cept by assassination, although this
course is much to be condemned; l can
understand some kind of a shadow of
reason for such assassination. But, as
you all know, here are free people
that select their own rulers. They
come together every four years and
select whom they desire for President,
and for four years that man occupies
the most exalted position in the nation
Of 75OOo,oO0 of people. Can you con-
ceive of anything more despicable than
such an act as this? You can put out
a President every four years If he does
not do well Here is a man, by his
name, European, and yet / see he
was born in Chicago. Perhaps we must
not judge the man too harshly. He
will pay the penalty with his life.
There is no question about that.
You may say he ought to be torn
to pieces for his despicable act. Yet
on second thought you would not say
such a thing. 1t is the glory of our
modern nations that even in that great
assemblage at the Pan-American Ex-
position, when he had made one Of the
greatest speeches of his life, n man
comes along with the great gathering
to shake the hand of the President
but instead of grasping his hand the
assassin pulls out a pistol and shoots
him. 1t is then that the glory Of our
government is shown. Men cried to
lynch him or break him on the wheel.
1t would have been done In many
countries. But not there. A negro
knocked the pistol from his hand: an
officer of the law arrested him accord
ing to the provisions of the law; they
took him to Jail, and now the grand
jury has indicted him for murder. He
will be given every right of trial by
jury by the promise of the law.
1T was Mckinley's character thot
people most admire His character
was taken into the Presiden-
tial chair. He made no move
ment of a national character that
he did not first listen to sober sec
ond thought, and that of the people.
He read the newspapers and Learned
what the people thought upon great
questions. 1t seems almost incredible
that any man, no matter how despira-
BILE, would assassinate him. He who
tries to suddenly change ordered So
ciety is changing a growth Of centu-
ries. He who tries to change It Is an
enemy to society, and an enemy to his |
race. If people wish changes in the |
United States, they vote for them. If |
they wish the laws changed, |
they vote for their change. If they |
want a man put out of Office, they say |
SO with their votes. The glory of our |
country is in its ordered society. This |
man, no doubt, had been brought up in |
The slums of Chicago. You can hardly |
realize what those people are. He is
to be pitied for his bringing up, per-
haps He will be tried by the forms
Of law, and as he Is an enemy of or
dered society, he will be dealt with in
A manner which will prevent his being
a further injury to anyone"