The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-27
HAYS EULOCY.
Secretary of States Tribute to
McKinley's Memory.
Delivered Before Congress in
Joint Session of Both Houses.
OTHERS REMEMBERED.
Feeling Reference to Presidents
Lincoln and Garfield.
Neither of the Three Had an
Enemy in the World.

Washington, Feb. 27.-Before a joint
session of the two houses of congress
today Secretary Of State John Hay de-
livered the following eulogy upon the
late President Mckinley:
For the third time the congress OF the
United States are assembled TO commemo-
rate the life and the death OF a presI-
dent slain by the hand OF an asssassI ii 4
be attracted to the features which reap
Of these awful crimes the uselessness. the
,1hscr,rifr the insicnificance of the Grim
final. the blamelessness-sO far as in our
sphere Of existence the best Of men may
b held Ma r1eless-of the VICTIM Not one
OF our murdered presidents had an enemy
eminent rIiriTv Of life that no pretext
could be given for the attack of passional
crime: they were all men Of democratlc
instincts who could never have oTIe1oed
the most jealous advocates OF equal1ty ;
they were OF kindly and generous nature,
70 whom wrong or injustice vas ln1possl-
hle: OF moderate fortune. whose slender
means nobody could envy They were men
Of austere virtue, OF tender heart- or e nal7
nent abilities, which they had devoted
with single minds 10 the. good Of the re,
public If ever men walked before Sea
and man without blame, 1t was these three
rulers of our people. The only temptation
TO attack their lives offered was their gen
tie radiance-tO eyes hating the light that
was Offense enough
The stupid uselessness of such an in
fanny confrOnts the common sense OF the
world One can conceive how the death
of a dictator may change the political con
of a narrowing line of kings may bring IN
an alien dynasty But in a well ordered
the state feels no tremor- Our beloved and
revered leader is gone-but the natural
process OF our laws provides a successor.
Identical in purpose and ideals nourished
by the same teachings. inspired by the
lection as well as BY high loyalty to
carry to completion the immense task
iron severity every manifestation OF that
hideous crime which his mild predecessor
fngs of celestial wisdom have no date:
the words that reach US over 1000 years
world has ever known. are true 70 the life
today: They know not what they do,
ruler was as deadly as blind hate could
make it; but the blow struck at anarchy
What world OF insoluble problems such
an event exciteS in the mindt Not merely
it presents a paradox not to be cornpre-
hended. Under system of government
It's existence only by its benefactions; I'M
der a social order SO purely democratic
opportunities universal that even con-
ditions are as changing as the winds
where the laborer OF today IS the capital
ist OF tomorrow: under laws which are the
result OF ages of evolution, SO uniform and
the same rights and privileges a. the art
1san. we see the same hellish growth of
the footsteps of benevolent uOnarchS and
blOod-stained despots. How many cOun-
of a kindred sorrow. I will not speak OF
those distant regions where assasSina ton
enters into the daily life OF government
But among the nations bound TO by
the ties Of familiar intercOurse-Who can
forget that wise and mild autOcrat who
had earned the proud title OF the liberia
ftor2 that enlightened and magnanimous
citizen whom France still mourns2 that
brave and chivalrOus king of Italy who
only lived for his peOple2 and, saddesJ Of
all that lovely and sorrowing empress,
whose harmless life could hardly have ex-
cited the animosity of a demon; Against
that devilish spirit nothing avails-neither