Evening star., 1901-09-19
MARTYRED PRESIDENTS.
Topic Discussed at New York Avenu
Presbyferfan Church.

Topic Discussed at New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church.
The memorial services today at the New
York Avenue Presbyterian Church taxed
the capacity of the edifice. The seats were
all occupied before the exercises began and
many stood until the close. Above the pull
pit was stretched a wide purple ribbon
bearing the inscription, Nearer, My God,
to Thee" The speaker of the day was
Rev. DR.. John Paxton, formerly pastor OF
the church, but now of New York. He
came to Washington especially for the oc-
casion. "It is Gods Way was DR.. Pax
toms theme. The speaker pointed out that
God slew Moses so that he could abide for
ever. and that 1t was the same with the
late President
The exercises were opened with the rendi-
ton of Chopin's funeral march. The Pres
idents proclamation was read by Gen. ii.
v. Boynton. This was followed by an an
them by the choir. Then there was reading
of the Scriptures by Rev. John l. French.
After selection by the choir, DR.. Paxton
offered prayer. Next Lead, Kindly Light"
was sung. DR.. Paxton thereupon delivered
his address. After he had concluded the
congregation Joined in the singing of
Nearer. My God. to Thee" DR.. Paxton
pronounced the benediction and the congre-
ton departed to the strains of Beethoven's
funeral march.
Before reading the Presidents proclama-
tion Gen. Boynton said:
We, citizens of a sorely stricken nation,
are assembled by virtue of a proclamation
by the President of the United States.
who, as his first official act calls upon his
fellow mourners throughout our land to
lift up their eyes unto the Lord of Hosts,
from whom cometh the help of all nations.
IL is mt time to recall the words of
second murdered President, when as a
private citizen, upon hearing of the assas-
slnation of our first martyr, he exclaimed:
GOD re1gns: and the government at Wash
ingtOn still lives"
This is our warrant for assembling
Funerai Service, Not Indignation
Meeting.
Don't misunderstood it." began Rev.
DR.. Paxton, this is a funeral service, not
an Indignation meeting to denounce an
archy-to curse assassins and to advocate
lawlessness in exterminating lawlessness,
as when Caesar fell and Marc Anthony
spoke The citizen criedz'O piteous spec
tac1e.' o, woful day. 20 most bloody
sight o traitors, villains, so fetch fire;
lets burn the honor of Brutus' Let us
lynch. burn, kill, slay and let not an an
archist live.
The passions have louder cry than
conscience. for the time" the speaker went
on to say, "and the clamor of the appe-
t1tes often silences and browns the still,
small voice of duty We become anarch-
ISIS IN our fierce rage against an outbreak
of anarchism."
Continuing, DR.. Paxton described in gra-
phic manner the occurrences of the I'd of
july, twenty years ago, which, he said he
remembered well. Shortly after 8 o'clock
IN the morning he entered the Pennsyl-
yania railroad station to take a train for
Brooklyn, having an engagement to preach
IN the latter city the following Sunday.
Guiteau saw the minister, but the minister
old not see Guiteau. DR.. Paxton observed
members of the cabinet and other promi-
nent persons, among them being the son
or the first martyred President. He pass
ed on to the train. Suddenly a woman
distracted, ran by, screaming:
The President is shot,
Inc speaker told of the actions of the
members of the cabinet. He noticed that
policemen were dragging a man aWay His
face was distorted with passion
Il recognized the man." explained Dr.
Paxton Il knew him for freak, a crank,
crazy man. Two Sundays before he had
handed me his card, bearing the name
Charles ]. Guiteau. He told me he had a
little business with the President and that
ne was a member of the national republi-
can committee He added that he did a
good deal of reaching himself, and offered
me his services for prayer meeting.
washington was bad place for i stall
wart that day, as the whole country has
been Tor an anarchist the past ten days"
commented DR.. Paxton.
Other Martyred Presidents
Proceeding, he said: "A woman stopped
over the body. l begged her to leave, ana
was the first to raise the head Of Garfield
from the floor. In this church the Sd Of
July prayer meeting for his recovery was
held Thus this historic church mad had
intimate relations with our martyred
presidents. Here Lincoln worshiped, un-
der Or. Gurley, of blessed memory. Here
was held the first meeting to pray for Gar
fields recovery, and here today l. who
twenty years ago led the meeting to dis
arm wrath, pray. for the President and
calm excitement In the public mind here
today l lead your meeting while We all
stand bowed at the open grave Of our last
glorious martyr. William Mckinley. IT is
the largest funeral that ever marched with
solemn tread to a grave in the annals Of all
history. The whole country is in the sad
rocession-S0, ,O0000 citizens from Maine
to California, from the lakes to rhe gulf
are shaking tears of pity from melting eyes,
in cathedrals, churches and chaDels while
they lay the body of our late great and be-
loved President to rest In Canton
so Major Mckinley has gone away from
u.s. He is in history now-not fact. He
has drunk the bitter cup of mortality He
is dead, you say. and lies in cold obstruc-
ton, dust in the viewless winds, never to
speak or laugh again? No more will his
plot of ground in Canton know his tread
Never will his neighbors say Good morn
ing to him. Never again will the fresh air
saturate his nostrils. nor the fourfold sea-
sons Of the Year delight him He is dead
dead to all the endeared and familiar as
Lights out. Taps have sounded 1t is
finished for him this strife we call a human
life.
Mortgage on Life.
Not SO at ALL, declared Dr. Paxton.
What you call death for our late Presi-
dent is only mortgage on life He was
never so much alive as now. Since they
say, Call no man happy till he dies 1 say
call no man alive till he dies, for then we
know how much the grave could keep OF
Moses. Jesus and Paul, of Caesar, Luther
Washington, Lincoln and Mckinley Some
men die all BARN and no manhood They
put all the faculties Of their brain into
BARN, amassing, accommodating, as Emer-
son says-and leaving nothing but stuff
no manhood, no sympathy. no helpfulness
no kindness. But William Mckinley has
only truly begun to live. He has ceased
from his labOrs. But what fault t-fndinp
husband will ever cease to blush as he re-
calls the unfailing devotion to his fragile
wife. Dead? Nay! He is alive forever.
Is 1t death to start tears In millions of
eyes, to clothe a land in mourning and set
a whole country back a day in its march
Of industry and toll? The verdict of all
this is, that Mckinley was a great man.
He did not do some things well, but all
things we'll
1T is Gods way" DR.. Paxton, continu-
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