The leader., 1901-09-18

DEATH or PRESIDENT N'KIN-
LEY.

pected moment by the cruel hand oil
the assassin. When last weeks
LEADER was issued it was generally
believed President Mckinley, who had
been shot down at the Buffalo Ex-
position on September 9Th, by the
assassin, Leon Czolgosz, was on the
road to rapid recovery, but on last
Thursday evening he took a sudden
turn for the worse, alarming symptoms
set in, and buoyed up at intervals only
by the powerful drugs administered by
his physicians, he continued gradually
to sink until o'clock Saturday morn
ing, when his eyes were gently closed
in the last long sleep.
The death bed scene was a most
touching and pathetic one. Realizing
fully that he must die, in his last
conscious hour he called to his bedside
the invalid wife whom he had loved
and cherished like a delicate flower
throughout all their welded life. and
tenderly sought by words of comfort
and hope to tighten the inevitable
blow. Despite her physical weakness
and the strain under which she had
been ever since the fatal shot was
fired, she bore up bravely under the
trying ordeal and sat for quite awhile
holding her dying husbands hand
lovipplr in har oup
Mr. Mckinley died the death of the
Christian that he was. In his last
period Of consciousness, which ended
about 7:40 Friday evening, he chanted
the words of the beautiful hymn,
Nearer. My God to Thee
and his last audible, conscious words.
as taken down by Dr. Mason at the bed
side, were: Good bye, all: good bye.
1t is Gods way. His will be done"
And thus the spirit of the brave
soldier, the broad minded, conserva-
tive statesman, the loving, loyal, de
voted husband and Christian patriot
passed into the Great Beyond.
Around his bier the entire American
people, North and South, East and
West, bow in unfeigned sorrow and
pay loving tribute to his memory as
one in every way worthy of honor and
respect.
Mr.. Mckinley's name will occupy a
distinguished place in American his
tory. The Mckinley tariff policy and
the Mckinley policy in dealing with
circumstances and questions incident
to the Spanish American war will be
potent factors in American enterprise
and government for generations to
come That Mr.. Mckinley accom-
plished so much in public life without
making bitter, personal enemies or
ever being betrayed himself into per
sonal detraction or abuse of his oppo-
nents, is one of his most distinguish
ing marks of greatness.
Much, however, as we all deplore
the Presidents sudden taking off and
execrate the black crime of which he
was the victim, The LEADER is not
one of those who believes that it will
result in great present harm to the
country. or is a time for dark forebod-
ings as to the future. AS the martyred
Garfield himself once said on a similar
occasion: God reigns and the Repub-
lie still lives" The Republic has
passed triumphantly through two such
ordeals, and it will pass through this
one with even less of jar and disturb
ance to its public policies and business
interests.
Vice President Roosevelt, who en-
couraged by the hopeful news from the
Presidents bedside the early part of
last week, had gone off on a hunting
expedition on the Adirondacks when
the fatal change came. hurried back
on the first news he received and was
formally sworn in as President on
Saturday President Roosevelt is
Republican, in full account with all of
President Mcklnleys policies, and
with his party's platform. He is man
of the highest personal character
and integrity, proud personal aud
political courage. clean private life,
and, like Mr.. Mckinley, Christian
gentleman, who will give the country
faithful and conscientious admins
tration of his great office. Therefore,
while all must deplore the cause for
the change in official heads of the
government, there is really, no suffi-
cient ground for alarm about the
present or future
Changes in cabinet and other official
positions, when they occur. as occur
they Will, will come gradually and
cause no perceptible jar of the gov
ornamental machinery.