Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-09-18
The tribute to the traits and mem

ltorlal columns OF the Baltimore Sun,
and has received such high COM
mendstion in this section we repro
duceit:
The death of President Mckinley,
after the optimistic and cheering re-
ports which have come from his bed
side day after day, is scarcely less of
a shock to the country than was the
announcement of the murderous at
tack upon him. The false hopes
upon which the public has been fed
serve, indeed, to intensity the gener-
al grief aud depression and add the
pang of bitter disappointment to the
original burden of regret and sorrow.
Many persons of experience and
conservation, it is true, accepted the
daily bulletins issued at Buffalo
with considerable allowance for the
possibility of human error, but the
physicians and surgeons in stten-
dance on the President were men of
eminence in their profession and
tone of their bulletins was so conf
dent and bouyant that the great ma
Jority of people were led to believe
that the danger point had been pass
ed and that the recovery of the dis
tinguished patient was in all proba-
biIty but a matter of few weeks.
The fall from this height of hope is,
as we have said, a second blow
scarcely less severe than the first,
and invests the momentous tragedy
with deep pathos that touches
every heart. The physicians will
doubtless be the objects of criticism
In many quarters, but whether their
explanations, are entirely satisfacto-
ry or not, 1t should be remembered
that the issues of life and death are
IN higher hands than theirs, and
that they exerted all their skill and
intelligence in the struggle against
death. The melancholy termination
of the shows that medical and surgi-
cal science still fights in the dark
In many cases against its old antago-
mist Death, and that there are still
many things connected with life and
disease undreampt of In its philoso-
ply. If the President was not to re-
cover, it was unquestionably best
both for him and the country that
he should have passed away after his
brief illness of little more than
week, rather than have been doomed
to linger on in suffering two months
and half, like President Garfield.
Both he and the country are saved
the protracted agony of suspense and
pain which would have been involv-
ed in long and vain contest with a
fatal wonnd, and we have the salts
faction of knowing that he has
been saved the torture of lingering
death, the keen pangs of hope deferr-
ed and the WEAKNESS of mind and
body that Cypress the sufferer who
is forced to pass slowly through the
valley of the great shadow,
Little more than 10 months ago
William Mckinley seemed one of
the favorite sons of fortunes. Re-
elected to the chief Office of the ma
tiou by an overwhelming electoral
vote after one of the most tremen-
dous struggles IL our political annals
and a campaign involving issues of
wide consequence, he rode conspic-
nous on the crest of that great wave
Of victory as one of the most impor-
tant and significant figures of con-
temporsneous history. Identified
with new and far-reaching policy
Of government that placed us among
the national diotators of the world
and the representative of a new re-
glme Of aspiration that stretched out
It's hands for power and business de-
velopment TO the uttermost ends Of
the earth, no other ruler among men
seemed to stand on so glorious sum-
init of possibility as an architect of
national greatness and molder of
national density. His future APP
peared full of nothing but greatness
and good fortune, while that of his
Presidential rival suggested only pol
itical obscurity and failure. And
yet If he had been defeated last No
vember and his Democratic rival
elected, he would have been alive to-
day and Mr.. Bryan would have prob
ably been the victim of the undis-
eliminating anarchist, whose muir
deous creed knows no distinction of
party or form of government. This
would seem to be the very mockery
of fate. And yet it was not a fate
which Mr.. Mckinley would have
been willing to escape at the sacrifice
OF what ne considered his duty in
his county. Now that he lies silent
in the calm radiance of death the
passions and prejudices of "life's
little day" give away to a broader
charity and to keeper insight and
and we see face to face the soul
which we saw as through a glass
darkly during the storms of faction
and the of party rivalry. Duty and
destiny were favorite words of Mr..
Mckinley, and we can cheerfully
COnCede now that thau oaDoa froY,,