The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-27

ficers of the army and navy who have
received thanks of congress. the ambas-
sadors and other diplomatic representa-
tives of foreign countries, the senators
and representatives in congress, togeth-
er with a large number of distinguished
guests, John Hay, McKinley's secretary
of state, pronounced a eulogy upon his
dead chief Four times before national
memorial services for presidents VINO
have died in office have been held in ti,is
hall two of them, like this in commem
Grafton of chief magistrates who have
fallen by the hand of assassins. George
Bancroft, the historian pronounced the
eulogy on Lincoln, and Blaine was Car
fields orator.
@1t was eminently fitting that the last
public ceremonial of sorrow for the Ia
mented Mckinley should take place in
the forum which had echoed his voice,
in the arena where he won his spurs.
By strange coincidence today was the
twentieth anniversary of that on which
Blaine, in the same hall. delivered his
eulogy upon the martyred Garfield, and.
stranger still, the subject of today'S
memorial service was the chairman of
the committee that had charge of the
arrangements on that occasion. Who
then could have dreamed that the man
who escorted the then president of the
United States and the orator of the day
to their places was destined to be hon
ored like Garfield. with the highest place
in the gift of his country was to meet
his sad fate and was himself to be the
next martyred president above whose
open grave the nation would bow its
head.
CONTRASTS.
Only one little year ago less five days,
at the head of an imposing civic and
military procession Mckinley passed
triumphantly along Pennsylvania ave-
nue. for his second inaugural Six
months later the tragedy occurred
at Buffalo, and another but different
sort of procession tenderly bore his
body through the streets to the rotunda
of the capitol, where the brief funeral
grafton was delivered over his coffin
and the tributes of the nations of the
earth about his bier bespoke the uni
versal sorrow. Today once more with
uncovered head the nation paid its last
tribute of respect and publicly ex-
pressed it's living grief.
Again the broad avenue was filled
with vast Gro wdS, as they We're a year
ago. Then the streets were a sea of
glinting bayonets and waving plumes,
and the air was filled with the music
of hundred-tongued resplendent bands.
Today all was changed The procession
was unorganized. No martial music
lightened the feet of the throng.
No cheers rent the air. The only page
ant was the Gathering troop of cavalry
escorting Prince Henry and his party to
the capitol and carriages here and there
conveying officers in uniform or diplo-
mats in court costume to the place
where the eulogy was to be delivered.
That was the extent of the outward
spectacle. For the people, the event was
one for the mind and heart rather than
for the eye and ear. But notwithstand-
ing the fact proclaimed in advance. that
admission to the hall of representatives
and even to the capitol itself was to be
restricted to these holding cards, the
people congregated in .unnumbcred
thousands about the great marble pile
upon the hill While the ticket holders
besieged the great bronze doors to the
entrance of the rotunda and even lined
the portico and steps leading to it the