The Lamar register., 1901-03-13
A GREAT M AN.

| raj address was most impressive OF all.
Day by day and month by month,
during the past two years. the convie-
tion has been growing in the peoples
minds that Mckinley is great man;
ind he enters upon his second term
with the good will and respect of sub
stantially the entire nation. Else
where IN this issue is reprinted from
the Washington Star, an Independent
papery remarkable article showing
how the opposition to the administra-
ltion has lately broken down in Con-
gress almost completely, and how this
result is due mainly to the remarkable
personality of the President himself.
When Mr., Mckinley was first nomi-
mated for president 1t was as the
apostle of protection to American in
dustries. With that doctrine his name
was associated; of that policy he was
the foremost exponent in the House of
representatives; and in the reaction
from Democratic disaster brought
about largely by the meddling with the
tariff on the part of the Democrats,
McKinley's was, naturally the foremost
maine. But before the campaign was
half, through the enemy had succeeded
in changing the issue and forcing the
question OF silver monometallism to
the front. The Republicans were
obliged, to meet, the new paramount
issue'' in the midst Of, the, campaign;
and1heswho met II best was the candi-
date for president.
= When he was elected the first time
onward relations of the United states
were apparently DIS peaceful as they
have ever been. Before he had been
in office two years the new President
had to meet the new duties and respon.
sibilities Of n war. really forced upon
the country by the opposition to the
administration before preparations had
been fully made for at. Again Me-
Kinley rose to the situation. He nvert-
ed war as long us possible; but when
it had begun he pushed it through
with all possible energy, gathered the
fruits of it without n sign of swerving
and. .snccepted the responsibilities en-
tailed by it without an indication of
weakness or Of fear. and with an abid-
ing trust in the good sense and good in
tentions of the American people.
Few of our presidents have had n Sc
vercr trial, or been called upon to meet
graver responsibilities; and in every
case, as the emergency has arisen, Nc
Kinley has risen to the emergency. He
is one of those Americans like WASH
ington and Lincoln, who grow greater
the greater their responsibilities and
opportunities become. He has not the
humor, the power Of making himself
thoroughly ut hoine'with all sorts of
people that Lincoln had. but he has the
tact of Lincoln in dealing with men
and the power OF impresslng them
with his asolutes IN irness and his entire
devotion TO the best interests of the
country. No president within the
memory of the present generation has
had n greater iDfiuence with tn" Con-
gress; and thatpot by dictatori ueth-
ods, but by honesty and strnightfor-
wnrdness and self-control and the abil-
ity to make men see what is the best
thing to be done ut the moment.
But after all. the greatest achieve
ment of the administration Is that
which was pointed out in the first few
paragraphs in the inaugural address.
'.The national, verdict of 1906 has for
the most part been executed" says the
President ;sand there IL n atremehdous
amount of work and accomplishment
implied in that simple sentence. At
the beginning of the administration in
dustry was Frustrated and paralyzed;
the Republicans had promised that II
they Were put in power thnt condition
should be Changed, - and prosperity
would come again In business; and 1t
. did CONC. The revenue Of the govern
ment was not sufficient for its needs;
the treasury had had to borrow money
in time .ofspeace; the finances were in
bad condition; the foreign trade had
been checked in its natural growth.
iNuW there is surplus VI revenue over
expenditures: the public debt has been
DECREASED; the finances are on a stable
1bnsis, which cann0tsbe disturbed for
some time to come: and American
trade all over the world has advanced
By such, ,lenps, and bounds as to excite
the .admiEatloh and snvy of all other
civilized natlons.s There' never was,
during period of equal length, such
an extension of. American trade. Un-
der the protective tariff which the
no,,oo,,,+i,, fra., tradars, .1,,J ,lyr,,s