The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-09-25
a'OUR MARTYRBD
CHIEF" I"

speak eth" Hebrews ll:4.
Some mems lives are like an elec
trio light, which when turned ou'
by the hand that invented it. leave.
its community in u denser darknes
than before. Others are like tn
setting sun some autumndl day
whose light iingers long after tn
orb OF day was seen to be surely
Westering, while gazing worl'
sees the heavens blush at the sink
ing of the sun. Memory soon close'
the path tina t some men 8 hands hav'
blazed in the forest Of human sue
cess, and little children soon forge
to question parents about heroe:
once called great. Unless ndeee
those heroes were both good ant
great. For goodness outlives great
ness as certainly as spirit trans
cends matter William Mckinle.
was great at So, but he was gooc
from his sixteenth birthday. wher
uniting with the Methodist Church
he promised fidelity aud fealty tc
Jesus Christ.
His loss is personal loss 10 al
who are able TO appreciate his
worth. He is mourned today by
more people than ever wept before
at the bier OF the dead President O
the United States. Those who car
remember, as the speaker cannot
the bitter days oil '6l to 'O5, know
full well the divided grief that was
but natural in view Of the divided
nation, at the death OF the negroes
friend. the Nations Sayoir. And
even twenty years ago the mourn
ing over him whose statue look
upon every time | walk to our
church and whose burning words
carved thereon read so often,
'God relgos and the Government at
Washington still lives" was not
as widespread as it is today.
Thirty-six years have passed since
the assassination OF the immortal
Llncoln and thirty.six years have
done much to draw together the
ragged edges Of the Nation wound
aud it was lett for this decade to
witness the tull healing of the civil
sore. and the traternal grasping OF
the hands OF men OF North and
South. His loss is a Nations loss
not sectional one and today our
whole land and indeed other lands
JOIN IN the universal grief The
Court Of st. James at King Ed
wards command has put on mourn
ing for the martyred President,
and throug hout the United King
dom troops wear crepe and bands
play dirges. Special memorla SER
vices will be held III West Minister
Abbey, while London pulpit and
London pressjoln in mingled eulogy
and sorrow.
1t is fitting therefore that we
should try 10 form true estimate
ol his lile and to learn the lessons
OF his beautiful death.
/. William Mckinley was a
great man and President. He was
not great because he was Presl-
cent, out President because he was
great. Some men are made great
by position, but Office never made
him more or less the great man
that he was. Emergency was never
wave to lift him higher; he was
always higher than the emergency.
And met it when it came his way
with fearless heroIsm that seldom
brought defeat. This is the reason
whv he beng dead yet speaks with
living eloquence. Great deeds die
aud NAY he buried IN the sepulchr
OF selhshness, which their colsum
nation wrought; good deeds live
forever. 1t is true that neither
greatness nor goodness is seen at
the glImmering dawn Of mans in.
tultive conception, neither always
at the twilight of his fading life,
but in the noontiGe Of his highest
spiritual experience that fills and
floods him with his glory. SLOWLY
the mind approaches the thought
Of ideal greatness and more slowly
ideal goodness.
Future historians will write the
name OF William Mckinley higher
than the eulogists oi today. for time
aud reelection Will add 10 the lustre
OF the fame he held. He was not
an old man but was at the full tide
of the greatness he Justly and mod
estly possessed. Think a minute
OF the bare record OF his career
lie was born January 10Th, 1915
at Niles, Trumbull county, Ohio
being the seventh Of a family 0
nine. Educated in the public
schools Of his birthplace at Unior
Seminary, Poland, Ohio, and a
Allegheny College, Meadv:lle
Pennsylvania Joined the Mctho
dist Church at the age Of sixteen
AT seventeen taught 10 the public
school, At eighteen left his posi-
ton as pos'otfice clerk to enlist al
private in Company f, Of the 25t
Ohio Volunteer Irfantiy. At nine
teen appointed Comnssary Ser
geadt. aud in the same year, (lS62
promoted TO Second Lieutenant ir
recognition of bravery at the battle
OF Antietam. AT twenty promoted
the First Lieutenancy. In the mex
year cast his first vote for the mex
President, who was to fall by thu
assassln's hands. At twcnty-tw,
commissioned by President Lincolt
Ma aor in the Volunteer Army OF thu
l.. s. OF America ln the sam,
wear mustered out of the army will
his Regiment, having never bee'
absent from his command on slcl
leave during more than four years
At the close OF the war he imme