New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-02-28

mortal men. II to the spirits OF the just mace
perfect is permitted the consciousness OF earthly
things we may be sure that his faithful soul
is now watching over that gentle sufferer who
counts the long hours in their shattered nome IN
the desoate splendor of his fame.
man possessing the qualities with when
nature had endowed Mckinley seeks political
activity naturally as a growing plant seeks
light and air. wholesome ambition. rare
power of making friends and keeping them;
faith, which may be called religious, in his
country and its institutions; and. flowing from
this, belief that a man could do no nooler
work than to serve such a country-these were
the elements in his character that drew him
irresistby into public life He had from the
beginning a remarkable equipment a manner
of singular grace and charm; a voice of ringing
quality and great carrying power. Vast as
reached their utmost fringe without apparent
effort. He had an extraordinary power of mar
shalling and presenting significant facts so as
TO bring conviction to the average mind. His
range of reading not wide he read only
what he might some day find useful. and what
he read his memory held like brass. Those who
knew him well in those early days never
forget the consummate skill and power with
which he would select a few pointed facts and,
blow upon blow, would hammer them into the
attention of great assemblages in Ohio. Jael
drove the nail into the head of the Canaanite
rarely resorted to the aid OF wit or humor. Yet
/. never saw his equal in controlling and con-
vincing a popular audience by sheer appeal to
their reason and intelligence. He did not fatter
or cajole them but there implied COM
pment in the serious and sober tone in which
he addressed them. He seemed one of them; in
heart and feeling he one of them. Each
artisan in great crowd might say: That is
the sort OF man would like to be, and under
more faVoring circumstances might have been.
He had the divine gift of sympathy. which
! though given only to the elect. makes all men
their friends.
HIS CAREER IN CONGRESS-
! So it came naturally about that in 1S76-the
beginning of the second century of the repub-
1c-he began, by an election to Congress. his po-
this chamber was his home 1 use the word ad-
visedy. Nowhere in the world he so in
harmony with his environment as here; no.
where else did his mind work with such full
consciousness of its powers. The air of debate
| was native to him; here he drank delight or bat
| tie with his peers In after days. when ne drove
| by this stately pile, or when on rare occasions
| his duty called him here he greeted his old
haunts with the affectionate zest of a child or
the House; during all the last ten years of his
life, filed as they were with activity and glory
he never ceased to be homesick for this Hall.
! When he came to the Presidency there not
a day when his Congressional service was not Of
use to him. Probably no other President has
been in such full and cordial communion with
Congress, If we may except Lincoln alone. Nc
composition, it's methods, it's habits of thought
He had the profoundest respect for its author
ity and in1exible belief in the ultimate recti-
surely an Executive courts disaster and ruin by
assuming attitude Of hostility distrust to
the legislature; and, on the other hand, McKin-
ley's frank and sincere trust and confidence in
Congress were repaid by prompt and loyal sup
port and cooperation. During his entire term
of office this mutual trust and regard-so essen
tial to the public welfare-was never Swallowed
by a single cloud.
He was Republican. He could not be any
thing else. A Union soldier grated upon Clay
Wing. he necessarily believed in the American
systen'-in protection to home Industries; in
strong, aggressive nationality; IN a liberal con-
struction of the constitution. What any self
reliant nation might rightly do he felt this ma
ton had power to do, if required by the COM
mon welfare and not prohibited by our written
charter
Following the natural bent of his mind he de-
voted himself to questions of finance and reve-
nue.. to the essentials of the national house
keeping. He took high rank in the House from
the beginning. His readiness in debate his
mastery of every subject he handled. the bright
and amfable light he shed about him, and, above
all, the unfailing courtesy and goodwill with
which he treated friend and foe alike-one of
the surest signatures of nature born to great
destlnes-made his service in the House a path
way of unbroken success. and brought him at
last 10 the all important post of chairman of
Ways and Means and leader of the majority.
OF the famous revenue act which. in that capac-
ity, he framed and carried through Congress,
IT Is not my purpose here and now to speak.
The embers of the controversy in the midst of
which that law had its troubled being are yet
too warm to be handled a day like this. I
may only say that it was never sufficiently
tested TO prove the praises of its friends the
criticism of it's opponents. After brief ex-
istence it passed away, for time, in the storm
| that swept the Republicans out of power. Nc
klniey also passed through a brief zone of
| shadow; his Congressional district having been
! rearranged for that purpose by a hostile legis-
| lature.
AS GOVERNOR OF OHIO.
Some one has said It is easy to love our enc
|
| friends. The people whose malevoent skill had
| turned Mckinley out of Congress deserved well
of him and of the republic. Never was Nemesis
more swift and energetic. The Republicans of
| Ohio were saved the trouble of choosing a Gov
ernor-the other side had chosen one for them
| A year after Mckinley left Congress he was
made Governor Of Ohio and two years later he
was reelected. each time by majorities unhoped
| for and overwhelming He came to fill a space
| in the public eye which obscured a great por-
ton Of the field of vision. In two national con-
ventions the Presidency seemed within his
reach. But he had gone there In the interest of
others, and his honor forbade any dalliance with
temptation. So his nay nay-delivered with
a tone and gesture there was no denying His
| hour was not yet come.
| There was, however. no long delay He be-
came from year to year, the most prominent
| politician and orator in the country. Passion
ately devoted to the principles Of his party he
was always ready to do anything, TO go any
| where, to proclaim its ideas and to support its
candidates. His face and his voice became ia
| miiar to millions of our people, and wherever
| they were seen and heard men became his
| partisans. His face cast in classic mould:
| you see faces like II in antique marble in the
| galleries OF the Vatican and in the portraits of
| the great cardinal statesmen of Italy; his voice
| was the voice of the perfect orator-ringing
vibrating tireless, persuading by it's very sound
by its accent of sincere conviction. So prudent
! and SO guarded were all his utterances so lofty
| his courtesy, that he never embarrassed his
| friends and never offended his opponents For
several months before the Republican National
| Convention met in 1896 1t was evident to all
| who had eyes to see that Mr.. Mckinley was the
| only probable candidate of his party Other
names were mentioned, Of the highest rank in
| ability, character and popularity; they were
supported by powerful combinations; but the
nomination of Mckinley against the field was
| inevitable.
| FIRST ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY.
The campaign he made will be always memo
raoie in our political annals. He and his friends
1 q ffrf teen