Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05
THE MESSAGE I'M FULL
THE DOCUMENT is A coMPRE
HENSlVE ONE.
What President Roosevelt Has to Say
to the Fifty-seventh Congress on
all Questions of Public Interest.

The Congress assemblies this year
under the shadow of a great calamity.
On the sixth of September, President
Mckinley was shot by an anarchist
while attending the Pan-America Ex-
position at Buffalo, and died in that
city on the fourteenth OF that month
| OF the last seven elected Presidents,
| he is the third who has been murder
ed, and the bare recital of this fact
/ is sufficient to justify grave alarm
among all loyal American citizens
Moreover, the circumstances of this.
the third assassination of an Ameli-
can President have a peculiarly sin
lister significance. Both President
4 Lincoln and President Garfield We're
killed by assassins of types unfortu-
nately not uncommon in history; Pres.
ident Lincoln falling victim to the
terrible passions aroused by four years
I of civil war, and President Garfield to
the revengeful vanity OF a disappoint-
i ed office seeker. President Mckinley
was killed by an utterly depraved
criminal belonging to that body of
criminals who object TO all govern
ments, good and bad alike, who are
against any form of popular liberty,
! II 1t Is guaranteed by even the most
Just and liberal laws, and who are as
hostile to the upright exponent of a
free peoples sober will as 10 the ty-
rannical and irresponsible despot.
/ 1T is not too much TO say that at
the time of President Mckinley
death he was the most widely loveo
man IN an the United States; While
We nave never had any pablo man OF
his position who has been so wholly
free from the bitter anlmosities Incl
dent to public life. His political op
ponents were the first to bear the
heartlest and most generous tribute tc
the broad kindness Of nature, the
sweetness and gentleness of charac
ter which SO endeared him to his close
associates. To a standard of lofty in
!. tegrity in public life he united the
tender affections and home virtues
which are all-important in the make
up of national character. A gallant
soldier in the great war for the Union
he also shone as an example to all oul
people because Of mis- conuuct in the
most sacred and intimate of home re
lations. There could be no persona
hatred of him. for he never acted witt
, aught but consideration for the vel
fare of others. No one could fail to
respect him who knew him in public
or private life. The defenders Of
those murderous criminals who seel
81,
ing that it is exercised for politica
ends, inveigh against wealth and ire
spopsible power. But for this assas
sination even this base apology can
: not be urged.
, President Mckinley was a man o
moderate means. a man whose stool
, sprang from the sturdy tillers of the
, soil, who had himself belonged among
the wage-workers, who had entered
the army as a private soldier. Wealth
, was not struck at when the Presiden
, was assassnated but the honest tot
which is content with moderate gain:
after lifetime of unremitting labor
largely in the service of the public
Still less was power struck at in tn,
! sense that power is irresponsible O
:, centered in the hands of any one indi
vidual The blow was not aimed a
tyranny or wealth. 1t was aimed a
one OF the strongest champions TIL
i wage-worker has ever had; at one o
e the most faithful representatives 0
t the system of public rights and repre-
e sentative government who has eve
: risen to public office. President Nc
n Kinley filled that political office TO
d which the entire people vote, and nj
! President-not even Lincoln himself
e was ever more earnestly anxious t
t represent the well thought-out wishe