The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-04

Washington, Dec. 3.-The following IS
 the text ill full of the message of Presi-
 dent Roosevelt transmitted to congress
 to-day:
 To the Senate and House of Represen-
 tatives:
 The Congress assemblies this year un-
 der the shadow of great calamity. On
 the sixth of September President Me
 Kinley was shot by an anarchist while
 attending the Pan-American Exposition
 at Buffalo, and died in that city on the
 fourteenth of that month.
 Of the last seven elected Presidents, he is the third who has been murdered and
 the bare recital of this fact is sufficient to justify grave alarm among all Amer ican citizens. Moreover, the crcum-
 stances of this the third assassination of an American President, have q pe- culiarly sinister significance. Both President Lincoln and President Gar field were killed by assassins of types unfortunately uncommon in history; President Lincoln falling victim to the terrible passions aroused by four years of civil war, and President Gar field to the revengeful vanity of dis appointed office seeker, President Me- Kinley was killed by an utterly deprav- ed criminal belonging to that body of criminals who object to all govern- ments, good and bad alike, who are against any form of popular liberty if it is guaranteed by even the most just and liberal laws, and who are as hos tile to the upright exponent of a free peoples sober will as to the tyrannical and irresponsible despot.
 It is not too much to say that at the time of President McKinley's death he was the most widely loved man in all the United States while we have never had any public man of his position who has been so wholly free from the bitter animosities incident to public life. His political opponents were the first to bear the heartiest and most generous tribute to the broad kindliness of na- ture the sweetness and gentleness of character which so endeared him to his close associates To a standard of lofty integrity in public life he united the tender affections and home virtues which are all-important in the makeup of national character. A gallant soldier in the great war for the Union, he also shone as an example to all our people because of his conduct in the most sa- cred and intimate of home relations. There could be no personal hatred of him. for he never acted with aught but consideration for the welfare of others. No one could fail to respect him who knew him in public or private life The defenders of those murderous criminals who seek to excuse their criminality by asserting that it is exercised for politi- cal ends, inveigh against wealth and irresponsible power. But for this as- assination even this base apology can not be urged
 President Mckinley was man of moderate means, a man whose stock sprang from the sturdy tillers of the soil, who had himself belonged among the wage workers. who had entered the Army as private soldier Wealth was not struck at when the President was is content with moderate gains after lifetime of unremitting labor, largely in the service of the public. Still less was power struck at in the sense that power is irresponsible or centered in the hands . of any one individual The blow was not aimed at tyranny or wealth. It was aimed at one of the strongest cham : pions the wage worker has ever had; .
  tives of the system of public rights and representative government who has ever risen to public office. President Mckinley filled that political office for which the entire people vote, and no President-not even Lincoln himself was ever more earnestly anxious to rep resent the well thought-out wishes of the people; his one anxiety in every
 ;,, .J, the people--to find out what they thought and to endeavor to give express sion to their thought, after having en- deavored to guide that thought aright. He had just been reelected to the Pres idency because the majority of our citi- zens. the majority of our farmers and wage workers, believed that he had faithfully upheld their interests for four wears. They felt themselves in close and intimate touch with him. They felt that he represented so well and all their ideals and aspira.- tions that they wished him to continue v for another four years to represent them.
 And this was the man at whom the assassin struck! That there might be nothing lacking to complete the Judas ike 1nIamy OI HIS dct He look duVdn- tage of an occasion when the President was meeting the people generally; and as if to take the hand out stretched to him in kindly and brother ly fellowship, he turned the noble and generous confidence of the victim into an opportunity to strike the fatal blow. Ther is no baser deed in all the annals of crime. The shock, the grief of the country, are bitter in the minds of all who saw