Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-09-12
THURSDAY, SEPT. =, 1901.

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky
came the shock and crash Of the ter
rible news that President Mckinley at
a public reception in his honor at Buff
falo had been twice shot by an assas-
sin who held his pistol masked by a
handkerchief in one hand while the
other was advanced to grasp that of
the president as if in friendly greet
ing. The wounds in the stomach and
breast we're at first said to be mortal.
Later advices afford ground for hope
that they may not prove fatal But
the worst is to be feared. The assas-
sin was promptly arrested and inn
prisoned or he would probably have
been torn to pieces By the shocked and
infuriated multitude.
The nation stands aghast at this at
tempted assassination OF the presi-
dent. The universal feeling is one Of
mingled horror and amazement For
Of all the men ID the world Vim. Nc
kinney would seem to have been the
last that anybody would wish to kill.
For he had no living enemy His
Kindly and benignant nature over
flowed with such cordial good will to
all that it ,disarmed all political OPP
position OF it's malignity and convert
ed his political enemies into personal
friends. Two of his predecessors
were assassinated within the last
thirty-six years. But the slayer Of
Abraham Lincoln was fanatic. frenz-
led blythe intense passions aroused
by the Civil war, who looked upon
Lincoln as a tyrant and wished to
avenge upon him the wrongs Of the
conquered south. Guteau sympa-
thized with the Conkling faction in
its quarrel with President Garfield
and the blind bitterness OF his politi-
cal animosity moved him to his crazy
deed Of blood. But there seems to
have been absolutely no motive for
this attempted assassination Of Presi-
dent Mckinley. Whatever bitterness
in past party controversies there may
have been has passed away. and an
era Of general good feeling Is now
prevailing which is largely due to the
generous and conciliatory influences
which emanate like genial sunshine
from the kindly personality of VIM.
Mckinley II it had been a period of
general distress aud discomfort it is
conceivable that some crank might
have held him responsible for his mis-
fortunes. But it is a time OF un.ver-
sal peace and happiness and prosper
ity with which President MeKinley's
name IS popularity associated as a
leading agent in bringing it about.
1t is not enough to pay him the mega
tive tribute Of saying that he has no
enemies. We have never had pres
ident OF the United States who was so
generally loved b. all the people Of all
classes and parties and sections.
His attempted assassination is
therefore one of the most inscrutable
mysteries in the annals OF crime.
The assassin himself alleges no intel
Hgible motive for it. Heis like his
crime, an inscrutable mystery. Who
he is or where he came from has not
been ascertained He gives his name
as Czolgosz. He says he is a Pole. that
he is an anarchist and that he has
done his duty, and expects Of course
to take the consequences Here we
have then. some sort Of motive for
the crime. 1t was an act Of theatric-
al self-immolation to carry out an
anarchistic decree that the president
must die because he Is the executive
head Of government
Has it come to this, then, that in
this land Of universal freedom the
life Of the freely elected president OF
seventy-siN million freemen Is no
longer safe because group Of mad
men and tends who call themselves
anarchists teach the horrible creed
that ii is their duty TO assassinatC
the executive chiefs Of all govern
nents2 II has been claimed before
that this diabolical doctrine wa,
aimed only Al mouarchs and ear,
and emper9rs representing mole o.
less despotic governments. But il
now appears that the president Of ia,
Un.ted states Is oae OF the selected
victims % this biieous conspiracy O
maniac murderers or At any rate on,