The Washington times., 1901-11-03
Circulation Statement.
The Mckinley Memorial Arch.

The Mckinley Memorial Arch.
The indianapolis News" a journal
of wide circulation and influence in the
West, commenting on the movement to
erect a memorial arch to President Nc
Kinley in Washington by popular sub
scription, says that the common feel
ing is that the national memorial mon
ument to President Mckinley should
rise at Canton" and that this is IN
the line with our custom"
The News argument refutes itself.
The committee in charge of the Nc
Kinley Memorial Arch movement is in
hearty sympathy with the plan to- erect
a splendid tombstone over the grave Of
the martyred President at his old home
in, Canton. Nothing could be better or
more fitting. bgt the place for ma
tional memorial is at the Nations Cap
ital, and, with due respect for the views
OF our indianapolis contemporary, we
have the best reasons for knowing that
this is the general consensus of opinion
among the people of the United States
in all divisions of the Union. The ques-
tion of appropriateness aside, how many
of the people at large, considering their
numbers. ever would see Mckinley
memorial in the small manufacturing
town of Canton. Ohio? What is the OBJ
ject of such a tribute in stone and en-
during brass? Is it not to remind the
masses of the country of the greatness
and achievements in their behalf Of the
good man who was murdered in the
performance of his duty as Chief Mag
istrate of the Republic? What proper
tion of Americans of this or any sue
ceeding generation ever would gaze
upon a national memorial at Canton?
On the other hand, there are compare
lively few of our citizens, except the
very poorest, who at some time in their
lives do not manage to pay visit to
Washington. now grown to the pro-
portions and aspect of one of the most
beautiful of the worlds capitals, and
replete with memories of the nations
departed great. The home town or vii
lsge is perhaps the right spot for the
mighty dead to rest, but the Capital is
the place, and the only one, for a ma
tional monument
Indianapolis News requires different
treatment. 1t says: Washington, as
the seat of government, as the one city
in which all States have direct official
interest, in some way fails to reach the
wider and deeper feeling of American
life, and has never been able to attract
a response in expression of such feel
ing" Although there is a germ of truth
in this statement. it is in the main in
accurate and misleading. In a city
where legions of Americans from all
quarters of the common country con-
unually congregate it is easier to
gauge the interest which our citizen
ship takes in the place-its beauties,
history, traditions and mementoes-
than it can be in place like Indian
apolis. which, fine a town as it GER
tainly is, can only be regarded as a
provincial centre Indeed, the state
ment cannot be successfully combated
that Washington is the pride and Mecca
Of the American people and that, were
the matter left to a popular vote there
would be no possible thought thereafter
OF a national memorial to President Nc
Kinley anywhere but here.
The Capital laid out by the Father Of
mis- Country is dear TO the heart of the
plain citizen and his wife and children.
1t is not so to the politicians sent here
to get what they can for their con-
stituents and their districts without
much reference to how they get it. In
the log-rolling scramble for public
buildings, for the improvement of mud
fats and mountain brooklets, the Cap
ital is ignored, neglected, and even con-
temned. simply because it is without
representation. The political agents Of
other cities and localities combine to
keep Washington out Of what they
quarrel and trade for lest there be not
enough to go around. Only in that
sense does the Capital fail to reach
the wider and deeper feeling of Ameri-
can life" In fact, il is only the wider
and deeper feeling" of avaricious poll
ticians that ii does not reach. It would
De a poor and narrow sort of patriot
ism that did not hold in love and re-
spect the beautiful city by the Potomac,
within sight Of Mount Vernon, where
lie the mortal remains of the first Pres
ident; its every acre haIlowed by abid-
ing memories Of the lives and deeds Of
the greatest Americans. 1t is 50 loved
and respected, and the sentiment will
deepen as the Republic takes on age
and gives new and splendid hostages to
national history which will ever be
identified with the City of Washington.