The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-03-13
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HE following is the full text OF
the eulogy on the life and
character Of William McKin-

ne 1OliOWibS 10 thc I'll ASAt Va
the eulogy on the life and
character Of William McKin-
ley, delivered at the invitation
of congress, by his intimate personal
and political friend, Secretary Of State
John Hay, during the memorial serv-
ices held in honor of the late president
In the hall of the house Of representa-
tives, Washington, Feb. q, 1902:
For the third time the congress Of the
United States Is assembled to commemo-
rate the life and the death OF president
slain by the hand of an assassin. The
attention Of the future historian will be
attracted to the features which reappear
with startling sameness In all three or
these awful crimes-the EseleSSnesS, the
utter lack Of consequence Of the act. the
obscurity, the insignifcance of the GRIM
inal, the blamelessnesS, SO far as In our
sphere Of existence the best of men may
be held blameless Of the victim. Not one
of our murdered presidents had an enemy
in the world. They were all OF such pre-
eminent purity of life that no pretext
could be given for the attack Of passional
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 impossi-
BILE; 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 re-
public. If ever men walked before God
and man without blame, 1t was these
three rulers Of our people. The only
temptation to attack their lives offered
was their gentle radiance-to eyes hating
the light that was offenSe enough.
The StnDid uSeleSSneSS OF such in
fanny 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 extinc-
tion OF a narrowing line OF kings may
bring in an alien dynasty. But in a well
ordered republic like ours the ruler may
fall but the state feels tremor. Our
beloved and revered leader is gone but
the natural process of our laws provides
us a successor, identical in purpose and
ideals. nourished by the same teachings.
inspired by the same principles. pledged
by tender affection as well as by high
loyalty to carry to completion the i'm
mense 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 wis
| dom have no date. The words that reach
us over 1000 years out OF the darkest hour
of gloom the world 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 anarchy was deadlier still.
AssAsslNATIoN's VICTIMS.
| What a world of insoluble problems
| such an event excites in the mind! Not
| merely in it's personal, but in Its public
| aspects, 1t presents a paradox not to be
| comprehended. Under a system OF gov
| ernment SO free and so impartial that we
recognize its existence only by its benefac-
| tions; under a social order SO purely DEM
| ocratic that classes cannot exist in IT. ar
fording opportunities SO universal that
| even conditions are as changing as the
| winds, where the laborer of today Is the
/ capitalist Of tomorrow: under laws which
| are the result of ases of evolution, SO uni
| form and so beneticent that the president
| has Just the same rights and privileges a:
| the artisan. we see the same hellisf
| growth of hatred and murder which dog:
| equally the footsteps Of benevolent mon
| archs and blood stained despots. How
| many countries can join with us In the
| community of kindred sorrow? / will
not speak OF those distant regions where
| assassination enters into the daily life O
| government, but among the nations bount
to us by the ties of familiar intercourse
who can forget that wise and mild auto
| crat who had earned the proud title O
the Liberator. that enlightened and mag
! ma nimous citizen whom France still
| mourns, that brave and chivalrous KIM
| Of Italy who only lived for his people. and
saddest OF all. that lovely and sorrowinl
| empress, whose harmless life could hard
| ly have excited the animosity OF a demon
| Against that devilish spiri: nothing avails
| neither virtue nor patriotism, nor age no
| youth. nor conscience nor pity. We can
| not even say that education Is SufHcien
| safeguard against this baleful evil TO
| most of the wretcheS whose crimes hav
so shocked humanity in recent years ar
! men not unlettered who have gone from
the common schools. through murder. t
| the SCaffOld.
THE PROBLEM OF ANARCHY.
Our minds cannot discern the origin no
conceive the extent of wickedness so per
verse and so cruel, but this does not ex
| empt us from the duty of trying to contrc
and counteract 1t.
| This problem of anarchy is dar
! | and intricate, but It ought to be With
| the compass of democratic government
| although no sane mind can fathom tn
mysteries of these untracked and orbitles
| natures. to guard against their aberra
TONS to take away from them the hop
OF escape. the long luxury Of scandalou
days in court. the unwholesome sympath
of hysterical degenerates and SO by dt
grees to make tn. crime not worth CON
mitting. even to these abnormal and dis
torted souls.
1t would be presumptuous for me In tn
presence to suggest the details of RENE
dial legislation for malady SO mafgEan
| That task may safely be left to the SKI
| and patience of the national congress
-. which has never been found unequal
any such emergency. The country b,
lleves that the memory Of three murdere
comrades of yours. all Of whose voice
still haunt these walls will be sufficieI
| inspiration to enable you to solve eve
this abstruse and painful problem. whio
has dimmed SO many pages Of histor
with blood and with tears
Before an audience less sympa thet
than this l should not dare to speak
that great career which we have met
commemorate. But We are all his friend
and friends do not critcise each other
words about an open grave.
A TYPICAL AMERICAN.
I The life Of William Mckinley was fro
| his birth to his death typically America
! There is no environment. l should sa
| anywhere else in the world which cou
| produce just such character. He WI
born into that way of life which els
where Is called the middle class. b
which in this country Is so nearly unive
d sal as to make of other classes an almo
V negligible quantity. He was neither III
r nor poor, neither proud nor humble. !
, knew no hunger he was not sure or sat-
i flying. no luxury which could enerva
= mind or body. His parents were soof
God fearing people. intelligent and u
right. without pretension and witho
humility. He grew up in the company
n boys like himself. wholesome. honest 81
O respecting. They looked down on nobod
:. They never felt 1t possible they could
n looked down upon. Their houses were I
homes of probity. piety. patriotism. Th
learned in the admirable school readers
fifty years ago the lessons Of heroic a
splendid life which have come down fro
) the past. They read in their weekly new
l' | M anars the story of the worlds s nrogre.