Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-09-24

American liberty, as we understand
liberty, II is tit and proper that all
the people shall stand as mourners
around his bier and give expression
to their grief
1t is but short time that he was
called the second time by the voice OF
the people to the highest station
which man can occupy in this free
land of ours and today, and at this
hour, his body Is being borne to the
grave.
What a sudden, terrible change in
this short space of time. and how
horrible and appalling the means
which wrought the change.
The atmosphere seems heavy with
the burden of our sorrow; we seem
to hear the muffied drums, the sullen
boom of the minute guns, as the
funeral procession slOwly passes
through the city of Canton to the
burial ground, and we mingle our
voices in the solemn requiem chanUed
by the nation, as the sacred dust is
laid to rest.
From early youth to the hour OF
his death his life was devoted to the
service of his country; as a soldier he
was bold and brave; In all the varied
phases of his official life whether as
n representative in congress or as
Governor of the great state of Ohio,
or as President of the United States,
he displayed attainmentso OF the high
est order, lofty dignity, but no less
modesty.
His honesty of purpose, conceded
as well by opponents as by friends.
disarmed harsh criticism of official
acts even in his life time, and If he
had not the love of his political OPP
ponents, he had at least their respect
and confidence, the sweetest flowers
that may blossom from across the
partition wall.
He entered the White House. a
man, poor In the worldly sense OF the
word, which proves his honesty, as
the word is understood by the great
masses of mankind, but he leaves to
his countrymen legacy of immeas
urable wealth, the memory OF his
stainless private life, his splendid
record as a patriot and soldier and
his great achievements as q states
man, n life, which the youth of the
country may well set up as an ex-
ample for their imitation as the high
est type of American manhood.
He is now no more. TO Ohio the
sacred clay belongs. hut the name
and fame OF William Mckinley will
forever live In the pantheon OF
history"
The choir, with Mrs Jas. Goodwillie
director, then sang Nearer My God to
Thee" the audience arising and joining
in.
A prayer by Rev. S. N. Wilson fol-
lowed, and Mrs. S. G. Staples sang
solo from the 9th psalm. Rev. Faw-
cett then spoke, the substance of his
talk being as follows
Who shall voice the sorrow Of this
great occasion, while every home and
business place and school house and
church and public building is draped
in mourning for our president? All
words seem meaningless and our lips
seem dumb. The wall of the nations
grief is deep and universal. Such sor-
row our country never expressed before.
Yes, reEembeg Lincoln and | re-
member Grant and Garfield, the ma
tion's loved ones, but there is no paral-
lei here. In this cruel hand was held
the weapon that shot lis all. 1t seems
beyond comprehension that Almighty
God could permit so cruel and fearful a
| blow to fall upon the nation now. We
can reason how Booth and his villainous
companions could have strung them
| selves to the pitch of murder in those
stirring times. We can look with some
degree of mercy upon the disappointed
office-seeker who took Garfield's life {;
but we are overwhelmed and chagrined
when we contemplate the conditions
surrounding this foul murder.
How unspeakably cruel and ignorant
must be the teachings of the school
which will carry murder in its hand of
greeting and, taunted by neither hun
ger, thirst nor nakedness, will strike
down man in cold blood against whom
it pretends to charge no wrong. The
lamb whose bones are craunched by the
rayenous wolf, needless of its painful
bleating, is to be envied in comparison
with the unfortunate one who becomes
the object of anarchical hate.
And how shall we in the future pro-
tect our presidents That is not the
question at all-How Shall we protect
all public officials in the performance of
their duties? Not by special detectives;
uOb ny Vi buS vi
our state MALTA but by the aroused
and educated conscience of every citizen
who shall recognize that a blow aimed
at a representative of law and order
may be warded off as in self defense.
Lincoln fell at the ascent of Pisgah
while thick clouds almost obscured his
vision of the promised land. Mckinley
occupied a place among its fertile val
leys and walked to and fro among Its
palaces. While Lincoln. II he bad a
llucid moment after. the bullet struck,
must have been troubled as TO the fut-
ure; as Mckinley sung" Nearer, MyGod,
to Thee he knew that the strength,
courage and wisdom of the whole coun-
try wes on the side of the Grand Repub-
lie whose motto is Liberty and Union,
One and Inseparable."
Gladstone breathed the Lords prayer
as he died at ripe old age. Mckinley
whispered THY will be done" as he va
Gated the highest position in the gift of
men. The grand words OF Lincoln will
never be forgotten. The children of
the future will commit to memory the
lofty epigrams that Mckinley spoke at
Buffalo.
After Lincoln's assassination the
country fell into the hands of Andrew
johnson, whose fckle stubbornness
tempted an impeachment, but no one
fears that his party or any other party
shall ever seek to impeaeh the young
man upon whose shoulders the mantle
of the president falls.
This cruel blow shall make us more
careful OF the teaching of young men.
IT will make us careful tn define the diff