The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-03-06

L vi GuCt Oull u lllllO olC COIiS ESQ "
the United States are assembled to
commemorate the life and death of a
president slain by the hand of an as
sassin. The attention of the future
historian will be attracted to the fea-
lures which reappear with startling
sameness in all three of these awful
crimes; the uselessness, the utter
lack of consequence of the act; the
obscurity, the insigniicance of the
criminal; the blamelessness-so far
as in our sphere Of existence the best
of men may be held hlameless-of the
victim. Not one of our murdered
presidents had an enemy in the
world; they were all Of such present.
nent purity of life that no pretext
could be given for the attack of pas
SIGNAL CRIME; they were all men OF
democratic instincts, who could
never have offended the most jealous
advocates of equality: they were Of
kindly and generous nature, to whom
wrong or injustice was impossible;
of moderate fortune, whose slender
means nobody could envy. They
were men of austere virtue, of tender
heart, of eminent abilities, which
they had devoted with single minds
to the good of the republic. II ever
men walked before God and men
without blame, it was these three
rulers of our people. The only
temptation to attack their lives Of
fered was their gentle radiance--to
eyes hating the light that was offense
enough.
The stupid uselessness of such an
infamy affronts the common sense of
The world. One can conceive how
the death of a dictator may change
the political conditions of an empire;
how the extinction of narrowing
line of kings may bring in an alien
dynasty But in well-ordered re-
public like ours, the ruler may fall,
but the state feels no tremor. Our
beloved and revered leader is gone
but the natural process of our laws
provides us a successor Identical in
purpose and ideals, nourisheG by the
same teachings, inspired by the same
principles, pledged by tender affec-
ton as well as by high loyalty to
carry to completion the immense
task committed to his hands, and to
smite with iron severity every mani
festation of that hideous crime which
his mild predecessor, with his dying
breath, forgave. The sayings Of
celestial wisdom have no date; the
words that reach US, over two thou
sand years, out Of the darkest hour
Of gloom the word has ever known,
are true to the life today: They
know not what they do. The blow
struck at our dear friend and ruler
was as deadly as blind hate could
make it; but the blow struck at an
archy was still deadlier.
Insoluble Problems.
What world of insoluble problems
such an event excites in the mind
Not merely in it's personal, but in its
public aspects, it presents paradox
rot to be compre hended. Under a
system of government so free and So
impartial that we recognize its exist
ence only by it's benefactions; under
a social order so purely democratic
that classes cannot exist in it, afford
ing opportunities so universal that
even conditions are as changing as
the winds, where the laborer of to-
day is the capitalist of tomorrow;
under laws which are the result of
ages of evolution, so uniform and so
benefcent that the president has
just the same rights and privileges
as the artisan; we see the same hell
ish growth of hatred and murder
which dogs equally the footsteps of
benevolent monarchs and blood
stained despots.
Our minds cannot discern the orr
gin, nor conceive the extent of
wickedness so perverse and so cruel;
but this does not exempt US from the
duty of trying to control and coun-