The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-20
The Memorial Grafton.

- r 0-NA+ AAaAAf $500 0N'
Two weeks ago to-day, at the Buffalo ex-
position, amid flying flags and the gay
music of bands, "A vast audience was as
sembled. With eloquent brevity the chair
man introduced the speaker of the occasion
as follows: Ladies and gentlemen, the
president. Amid the cheers of the people
Ar. Mckinley began his remarkable speech.
He first discussed the benefit of the Pan
American Exposition to the commerce of
North and South America. He next pointed
out how the march of invention had abol-
lshed distance between different parts OF
the world and made all countries interde-
pendent. Cod ana man, SAID he, nave
linked the nations together He stated
that the vast growth of our capacity TO
produce required that the problem OF more
markets be given immediate attention, and
declared that we cannot forever sell every
thing and buy nothing The period of eX-
ever we can; buy wherever the buying will
enlarge our sales Reciprocity treaties are
in harmOnw with the spirit of the times,
said he. measures of retaliation are not
The closing sentences of this address, his
last public words, were as follows: Gen
tlemen, let us ever remember that our in
tereSt ]. in accord. not conflict, and that
our real eminence rests in the victories of
peace. not those of war. We hone that all
who are represented here may be moved to
a higher and nObler effort for their own
and the worlds good, and that out of this
city may come not only greater
and trade for us all but, more essential
than these, relations of mutual respect,
confidence and friendship which will deepen
"'Our earnest prayer is that God will
graciously Vouchsafe prosperity, happiness
and peace to all our %neighbOrs and ike
blessings TO all the peoples and powers of
earth
A the close of that speech William Nc
Kinley seemed TO stand more securely on
his lofty eminence than ever before. In the
very pride of intellect, in the fun splendor
of physical vigOr, in the very zenith of his
powers. he seemed to have ahead of him
a career of almost unparalleled usefulness
.On the day following this speech Mr..
1 RTlI-fnr,xr xfcffo1 co pa Ero11= aud rn-
turned later to the exposition grounds for
a familiar reception of the people. Thou
forward and received the grasp of his firm
hand, and were gladdened by his kindly
smile. There was no thought of danger.
The people had trusted him. and il was
his nature to trust them. Meanwhile. in
that great thrOng, all unnOticed. was a
devil having the semblance of a man. He
waited his turn; he came closer; at last
he reached the President, who extended, as
usual, his unSuspecting hand. Swift as
lightning that kindly hand was thrust aside
and under the very mask of friendship the
traitor. at pOint-blank range, shot his UNI
suspicious victim. Infinite cruelty. Amaz-
ing treacheryl You know the rest. All
that modern science could do. all that ten
derest love could suggest, failed to save
the life of orr President.
1--WE are met to-day, the twentieth ami
versary of President Garfield's death, to
mourn for the dead and to mingle our tears
in the dust of national humiliation and
disgrace.
AAND W.
an the great crisis of life, private and
public, the human heart reaches out toward
God. In these awful moments when sOr-
sow wrings the heart, and the mystery of
suffering paralyzes the brain, the religious
nature of man asserts itself with power.
1t is most natural, it is the immediate in
stinct of men and women to seek the
house of God for the expression of their
sorrow and shame. Man is driven TO this
refuge by the infinite mystery of life. We
are constantly doing things thoughtlessly,
carelessly, without a suspicion OF harmful
consequences, and are later overwhelmed
with results which could not have been
fOreSeen. Looking back, II seems so easy
for tins tragedy To have been avoided.
ANY one of d thousand things would have
prevented it. Had there been no inventions
to utilize the power of Niagara for cleo
tricity there would have been no EXPOSE
ton at Buffalo. Had there been no eX-
position, had the President declined to at
tend, mad he LETT after making his speech,
had he been detained from the public re-
CeDtiOn. had the crowd been admitted with
more care, had the police or any of the
thousands present noticed the suspicious
conduct of the murderer, had they OBJ
served that his right hand treacherOuSly
folded i'm a handkerchief, was not carried
as an injured member, had the assassin
missed his aim, or the revolver failed to go
off, had any one of these things taken
place. the tragedy would nave been averted
anu MI. NUN AiAEN NObtib lldNt bttn SfitAl-
and well to-day. 1t seems as IL men ought
to have been able To see ahead. if for only
an instant. But nature has created man
with eyes which are for the most part
stone blind when turned toward the future.
We are victims of lines of influence, chains
of circumstances from which we cannot es-
cape. We are helpless in the grasp of
this law of unforeseen results, and daily
bring upon ourselves and upon others DIS
aster and death, which we might have
avoided could We have anticipated the con-
| SEQUENCES of our acts.
so it was with Mr.. Mckinley, the wise,
the V%irtuOuS, the upright statesman. So
it Is to-day that we are baffied as countless
generations before us have been, by the
inscrutable mystery of life, and we turn
to God, the benevolent author and sus-
tainer of the universe, rs the only one who
sees the end from the beginning. To Him
we give over our fears and tears because
we can do no other"
After reviewing in detail President Me
Kinley'S public career Mr.. Mason con-
tinued:
1T would seem most natural that a man
of such kindly nature should nave pos
sessed the strongest domestic affections.
And so IL was. In ISL, when Major Nc
Kinley asked the hand of Miss Saxton in
marriage. her father told him that to no
other man could he have entrusted the hap
piness of his daughter. How well he full
filled that trust Mrs. Mckinley, as is
we'll known. became an invalid of the most
serious kind. Yet. in all the years her hus-
rand showed an unremitting devotion to
her. which makes a romance more beautiful
N+lFAA NhE ~ ~ III
His life for many years was one of con-
slant sacrifice. of constant consideration
and care for her comfort and happiness.
And she. poor woman, robbed of his COM
partnership. feels her loss without being
able to understand il. As she sat i'm the
funeral train she is said TO have asked in
the most distressing manner. When can |
see the Major-when can l see the Major?
calling her dead husband by the title which
ne bore when she married him in her youth.
INSPIRATION FOR SHOOTING.
eft l. p1ain that his murderer dill not
shoot at him personally. The Car of Rus
sia was assassinated because his politics
were hated and hateful. Mr.. Lincoln's
assassination was a part Of the civil war,
the last fatal bite of the serpent of dis
union. But i'm the death Of Mr.. Mckinley
the real shot was fired at the government
itself. at the system of law and order. of
which exist in this country. 1t was Anglo
Saxon civilization against which the shot
was directed: and not against the unsus-
pecting victim.
Political assassination has always been
the dread and curse o. government. But
never since the days of the Roman empire
has there been such a bloody record in any
civilized country as i'm the free Republic OF
America. OF the seven men elected PresI-
dent in my lifetime. three have been as
sassinated. Nc modern European state mas
such q record. tt seems ingular that more
stringent legislation has not been placed
upon our statute books for the discovery
and punishment of those social vermin,
those outlaws, those enemies of society,
who preach and teach the killing of govern
ment officials. No doubt at an early day
effort will be made TO solve this legal prob