The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-09-16

nome Will nOJ Oniy oubBoot 'ho oPO"
dearest on earth to him, but Will re-
call more vividly than anything else
could the love and devotion which
made it the typical American home.
IDEAL OF PEACE.
'His ideal of home was one OF
peace and comfort, not extravaganza
and display. The American home,
he declared, where honesty, sobriety
and truth preside, and n simple.
everyday virtue without pomp and
ostentation is practiced, Is the nur-
sery of all true education 1t is In
homes such as this that the people,
bereft of one of their own, mourn his
departure. 1t was in the upbuildins
of such homes that William Mckinley
found the highest duty of constructive
craftsmanship and the true safeguard
of Republican institutions. One who
knew and loved him. and had seen
the beauty of his home life has well
said. From the front porch of q
cottage covered with vines, Sonder
at Canton, the outline sketch of two
lives has been thrown, so beautiful
in =. ,ir loyalty to one another, that
good men everywhere stand in silence
before it, while the womanhocd of the
world, seeing the knightliness of love
which alters not, draw near, from
stations high and low, to salute the
picture with the benediction of theii
tears
WHO shall speak adequately of the
gentleness and kindness of this strong
man? Cardinal Newman has said:
1t is almost a definition of a gen.
tleman to say that he Is one who
never inflicts pain. If that be tho
test. he was indeed one who wore
without reproach the grand old namt
of gentleman
HIS GOLDEN RULE.
william Mckinley never con-
sciously wronged a fellow-being. IL
was his rule not only to refrain from
inficting pain but to scatter JOY
wherever he could. He would step
aside from march of retreat to as
sure a weeping mother, who loved the
union, that defeat was but for day
and would be turned into victory.
Steadfast in his friendship he wouln
not swerve from loyalty for the gilt
tering prize of the presidency. En-
fore, during and after the war, no
word of impatience ever escaped him.
and he met the people with a smile
of welcome and a word of encourage
ment. He would turn from the most
important affairs of state to give a
flower to little child, or to say d
kindly word to some visitor for whom
he could do no more. Resentments
he had none. He believed life was
too short to give any of his time to
cherishing animosity. Sensitive to
criticism, no one ever heard him ut
ter an unkind word OF another. He
met calumny with silence and unfair
criticism with charity. His was the
gospel of cheerfulness. His presence
was sunshine, never gloom; his en-
couraging word dispelled doubt an6
nerved others to their duty.
80 gentle, kind and true had been
this life that not even his slayer
could strike at him. With THIS gen.
tleness what mighty strength Death
meets all on equal terms. The man
as he is then stands unveiled, With
so much to make life dear, this gen.
tie man did not falter when the sum-
mons came Looking forward to re-
tirement in the home he loved, sure
of the affection of his countrymen,
and the respect of the world, holding
the hand Of his loved companion
whose welfare had ever been the first
purpose of his life, and whose return
ing strength had made his last sum
mer one of the brightest, he entered
the valley of the shadow of deatl
with no murmur at his fate, leaning
on the rod and staff which had COM
forted his fathers, died as he had lived
in humble submission to the will of
God.
HIS MEMORY WILL LIVE.
Now while he was thus in dis
course, his countenance changed his
strong man bowed under him, and
after he had said: Take me for
come unto thee, he ceased to be seen
of them
He lives in the love of his coun-
trymen. His character will grow
brighter with the years: the noble
ness of his life, the sublime heroism
Of his death shall never perish from
the memory of men. He will live in
the thousands of homes where com
fort and domestic peace reflect the
wisdom of his statemanship. He will
live in the beneficence Of his example
at every hearth where succeeding
generations shall recount the strength
and beauty of his character and tell
again the story of his life.
If the youth of the country learn
from his life that the surest founda-
tion of success is upright character
and that the path of duty is indeed
the way to glory, then may this great
life live beyond its too short living
with praises and thanksgiving that
such a character was given to the
world"