The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-04

WASHINGTON, Dee. 3,-President
Koosevelt's first message was read TO
both houses of congress today, and was
listened to with rapt attention. The
message was unusually long, and over
two hours We're consumed in the read
ing 1t is as follows:
10 the Senate and House of Representa-
IiNeS:
The congress assemblies this year under
the shadow of a great calamity. On the
9Th of September President Mckinley was
shot by an anarchist While attending the
Pan-American exposition at Bunalo ana
died in that city on the 18th of that
month.
OF the last seven elected presidents he is
the third who has been murdered, ana the
bare recital of this fact is sufhclent to
justify grave alarm among all loyal
American citizens. Moreover, the clrcum.
stances of this, the third ASSASSINATION or
an American president, have pecullariy
sinister slgnincance. Both President Lln-
coin and President Garfield were killed by
aSSaSSinS of types unfortunately not un-
common in history, President Lincoln
Falling a victim to the terrible passions
aroused by four years of civil war ana
President Garfield to the revengeful van
ity of a disappointed ofiiceseeker PreSl-
dent Mckinley was killed by an utterly
lepraved criminal belonging to that body
of criminals who object to all govern
ments, good and bad alike, VINO are
against any form of popular liberty II 1t
is guaranteed by even the most just ana
liberal laws and who are as hostile to
the upright exponent of free people S
sober will as to the tyrannical and ire
sponsible despot.
TIE OBJECT OF THE BLOW.
President Mckinley was a mad of mod
crate means, q 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 aSsaSslnated, but
the honest toll which IS content with
moderate gains after lifetime OF unre-
mitt ing labor largely in the service OF the
nublfc Still less was power struck at
in the sense that power is irresponsible
or centered in the hands or any one III
dividual. The blow was not aimed at
tyranny or wealth. 1t was aimed at one
of the strongest champions the wage
worker has ever had, at one OF the most
faithful representa- tiFes of the system OF
public rights and representative govern
rlent who has ever risen to public once;
President Mckinley filed that political
office for which the entire people vote,
and no president, not even LIncoln hlm-
self was ever more earnestly ANXIOUS 10
represent the we'll thought out WlsheS OF
the people. His one anxiety in every
crisis was to keep in closest touch with
the people, to find out what they thought
and to endeavor to give expression 10 TO
their thought after having endeavored TO
guide that thought Alright He had JUST
been reelected to the presidency pc
cause the majority of our citizens. the
majority of our farmers and wagework-
ers believed that he had faithfully up
held their interests for four years. They
felt themselves in close and intimate
touch with him. They felt that he rep
resented so we'll and so honorably all
their ideals and aspirations that they
wished him to continue for another four
years to represent them.
And this was the man at whom the as
sassin struck! That there might be
nothing lacking to complete the Judas
like jnfamy. of his act he took advantage
of an occasion when the president was