The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-09-26

ulFiuudis Out rs one VINO mas heretofore
differed from Mr.. Mckinley In some Of his
policies, and who belonged to party OPP
posed to his. | say l am grateful that
they have permitted me this afternoon to
give my humble tribute to him as our Pres
ident and as man. Great tragedies unite
aNpeople great crises bring them together.
On day like this all partlsanship ceases
Men forget for the moment that they are
members Of any political party, We meet
today to pay tribut to our President !;
to pay tribute to his Christian character as
a man. 1t is strange affair The people
of this country have not come to realize
all that 1t means. We have not yet got
out from under the shock Of that terrible
tragedy Of a week ago last Friday. We
wonder why 1t is, we wonder what 1t means
We cannot understand why a man of the
character Of the late President in his pri-
vate and public life, should have been
stricken down by an assassin and the ma
tion today, in its week of gloom, has not
had the time and perhaps not rhe courage
to understand It.
When Abraham Lincoln was stricken
down at the immediate close Of one Of the
greatest struggles that the world has ever
known, men could account for 1t. They
were just emerging from a fierce war, and
the assassin thought that by striking down
the leader Of the nation, he might help his
people of the South.
We can understand how a degenerate
man could strike down Garfield, because
of failure Of political preferment But
here comes up in the American life a new
force here comes up in the American life
dan hot uTn
dreamed of in the hundred and odd years
that this nation has been established. Our
land has been the refuge and asylum Of
the people of all nations of the earth. We
are established on the doctrine that all
men are free and equal and have
equal rights. We, a people, Sc
lect our rulers, and they are our servants,
We felt absolutely safe in that form Of
government. We felt that as far as govern
mental privileges are concerned, we could
safely select a ruler TO carry out our will
yet there has come up a new force that
says to this people, no longer are we safe.
In the death Of William Mckinley, the les
son that we shall learn from this tragedy
is this that the force that has sprung up
must be crushed out by the strong arm of
the law that we must attack anarchy. And
| confess that l cannot understand it. |
do not know what 1t means do not know
what it intends to accomplish; the very
word means absolute 'aCk of law, absolute
lack of control. How useless all their eff
forts when attempting to strike down the
head of the nation. They must know that
the instant they did the foul deed that the
president still lives, and that the murder
committed was as useless as 1t could pos
sibly be- 1t will require the strongest
means. the most AZURE efforts to meet this
new force in our political life. l do not
know just how to meet it, but l believe
In the wisdom of God we will find plan. 1t
is true that in the East and Europe they
have been unable to crush this great evil
1t has murdered their Kings, Queens, and
Cars They have tried to crush it out
and yet anarchy still exists in European
countries I believe there Is one thing that
we must do, and that is to forbid anarch-
lists to enter upon our shores not only
that, but we must, by some means and by
some law, crush out their doctrines. And
in this way, perhaps, by the blessings of
God, we can in the future prevent the ter
rible tragedies that have taken place in
the past.
want to speak for just a few moments
upon the character of Mr.. Mckinley, and |
want to speak Of him in his three-fOld ma
ture-as President, politician, a Chris
tian and as a home man. And let me say
here that in all three of these phases his
life has been a wonderful example, not only
TO us as a nation. but to the several ma
tons of the world. 1t has been his good
fortune to have been in public life as a
representative and servant of the people
for many years. He was elected for sew
eral terms as a member Of congress he
was Governor of Ohio, his beloved state :;
he was twice elected to fill the greatest
position that it is in the power of any
nation on earth to give: the Presidency of
the United States not there hereditarily =;
not there by birth not there by reason of
wealth but he was there twice because the
great voice Of the American people said
that he should be their ruler and should
represent them. And I want 20 say that
in all his life, from the time he entered
congress, during the time he was Governor
of his state, during the time that he was
President of the United States, no partisan
has been so enyious no paper has been so
mean, no individual has been so low, as
ever to have attacked his personal honor,
integrity or character. We differ from him
in policies We differ from him in the
means Of carrying on the government but
no one has yet ever accused him OF the fact
that he was not honestly and faithfully
carrying out for the best Of The people
his governmental policies. Not only that
he has taught us a lesson that every man
that enters upon public life should learn
and remember, as 1t is the only means of
success In public life, and that is this
that in all his theories and thoughts he
was steadfast in carrying them out. Let
us put 1t down as a maxim, that no man
in public life can ever attain its height un-
less he carries with him not only steadfast-
ness Of purpose, but absolute honesty of
purpose, ana in these two respects Mr..
Mckinley excelled. No phase of his life
was lacking in high moral character and
Christianity, and he made many friends.
So many of us fail in that respect. We
are living in a day In which 1t seems that
we overlook these higher things. 1t is with
great pleasure We look back and see how
his noble Christian character was exhibited
from the time he entered the service of the
United States until he died. l think that
his life, in that respect, is the most beau
tiful l have ever seen. In his suffering
and in his death the same Christian char
acter was displayed
We may think as we may about the in
huence Of this mans life, but there is no
nation but what Is better for the example
of such a life in its Christian character.
Let US take him in his home life, and there
seems that he comes closer and nearer to US