The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-19

| but feels in the death Of one man d
sense distinctly approaching personal
bereavement Why IS this nation vail
/ ing at the tomb of the dead presidents
| Is IL because his administrative policies
4 were SO universally approved as that
/ everyone acclaimed him wise and just
| NO, on the contrary, they were sap
proved by a vast body Of his country
men, Is it because he typiied that
against which anarchy raised its hand.
the majesty of the law? No, even
despOts do that Is it because he more
than any one else guided the forces
which make for social order, moral con-
! ditiOn or national welfare? No, be-
cause these SO far as human agencies
are concerned. are more fully Sc in
motion and moved by the laW-making
and laW-eXpounding branches of gov
eminent He was but the eXecutioner
of what they Willed and what they de-
cfded- Is it because of his cruel, I'M
deserved death2 Only that in part If
outside his rank and power if apart
from the wisdom and business of his
rule, II aside from the tragedy of his
fate, he had not been something else.
the entire nation would not be now as
sembled around his bier I'll tell you
what it Is that this day makes every
American citizen mOurner at his
tomb It is because of that trustfuI
feeling which everyone possessed that
above William Mckinley the partisan
stood William Mckinley the patriot;
that above William Mckinley the
statesman was William Mckinley the
upright, common citizen; that above
William Mckinley the president
lowered William Mckinley the con-
scientious, clean and moral man.
Most men of renown have won the
regard of their cOuntrymen by their
deeds, but / venture to say that if we
look clearly into our hearts, William
McKinley's Judgement there viii be
found to be less because of the value of
his public services than his devoted
faithful performance of them according
n he because
OF the wisdom and brilliancy of his IN
tellect than the goodness of hisA soul
and the simphcity-the almost humility
of his life-leS because he was a states
man and more because he was a friend
less because of his attractIveness in
public station and more because of his
character as a courtly knight and gen
tleman.
1T was not my fortune to have a
personal acquaintance with the dead
president, nor was I able to approve
some of his policies. but in the possess
sion of all those qualities which differ
entiate the man from the public Off
cial, and which when possessed dis
tinguish the man as public Official,
and without which presidents are I'M
worthy the title and the rule, he was
the peer if not the superior of the most
worthy of them all He alone of all
escaped criticism of private character
and habits. Against both Cleveland
and Garfield immortality of personal
conduct has been charged OF Hays IL
was Sa1u Dy some IHaI lie sought Dy
devious ways to obtain the high seat,
knowing he was not elected to It.
Against Grant grievous charges of cor
ruptiOn in office were made. To Lin
coin was attributed eoarseness and vul-
garity of habit and speech. OF Blu
chanan it was said he was willingly
and criminally the plant tool OF the
slave power. while Jackson was ac-
cused of the awful crime of murder
but in the fierce light which for nearly
generation beat upon the armor OF
sonal calumny could find no opening
place to enter. Wen. indeed, might
Leon CZOlgOsz, the wretched assassin,
watching for the evil moment to de-
liver his blow. have paused to say as
Macbeth did when contemplating the
murder of his king
A Besides this Duncan hath borne his
faculties so meek, hath been SO clear in
plead like angels, trumpet tongueds
against the deep damnation Of his TAX
ing off.
MAY I now in conclusion, though |
really to repeat myself, say that the
lesson of the life of William Mckinley |
as I have learned it is the lesson OF /
moral worth-of the beauty of right |
living. 1t is not the lesson of exalted |
station reached from humble level |
through strenuous endeavor. of high /
Office gained in unequal contest with /
adverse fate, which is SO often pictured 1
for the inspiration Of the youth May /
I say that kind of lesson is hardly q /
profitable one among the great Verities /
of life.
What is some of the instruction in
Guided in the lesson Mckinley taught?
l viii mention only those things which |
this hour more than at any other time /
need to be learned. They are love of /
peace and the institutions of social /
order, tolerance of sentiment, charity
of disposition, forgiveness of spirit.
Typifying as he did in his representa-
tive capacity the supremacy of the
law in his name then I protest against
tn eanarchy OF governmental subVerSiOn
and social chaos; and protest not only
against the anarchy OF the aSSaSs11a-
ton of rulers, but I protest against the
of mob violence of suspected
and possibly innocent men and women
A soldier, who himself had heard the
shoutings of the captains and had seen
the riot and carnage of battle. he YET,
though In command of the mightiest
legiOns OF the earth, was the last and
most reluctant to enter the conf ct.
Master Of himself, calm tempered and
sOul-cOntained, in his name then / pro- |
test against that demoniac and unseen
" rage which now fills the land, and
which so i'll BELTS the character of men
and the dignity Of grief With the first
sharp pangs which followed the muir
1erOuS shot with the assassin full IN
ness of his heart he said. Let him BE-
fairly treated In the name then of
the great soul who thus forgave and
the great magistrate who thus COM
manded, 7 protest against that bar
barrie torture. unheard of since the
Dark Ages. said to be inflicted upon
the miserable wretch to extort from
him unwilling and perhaps perjured
confessions May the graciousness OF
William MeKiuley's spirit be this day
and hence on impaired to the American
people"