The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-27
REED AND M'KINLEY.
An Estimate of the Two Men by Viii
liam Allen White.


The day Mckinley died. Reed and a
mutual friend and the editor of the
Gazette happened to meet at luncheon
in the Century club in New York city.
Reed was big with the philosophy Of the
hour. His rival was dead; the race
had been run. Reed was out of it; the
book was closed on his ambition. He
knew it. After a simple meal had been
put away, Reed pushed back his chair
and began tie talk. For three long
hours he discourSed most beautifully
upon life, it's uncertainty, its real re-
wards, and it's accidents and its empti-
ness; upon death and immortality, and
God and all his ways and works. It
was a kind of funeral Grafton the like
of which few men are privileged to hear.
At the end of it all the big man threw
back his head and looked up at the
great oak rafters of the room for long
while and then let his hands fall heaV-
ily on the short arms of the chair as he
sighed Hi no! what does it all meang
where is it going? who are we? what
is this unfathomed mystery we call life
God knows! l don't"
The greatest calamity that could have
befallen America was to have had Tom
Reed elected president when Mckinley
was elected. He would not have allowed
America to go to war with Spain. He
would have been impeached by con-
gress and war declared in spite of him.
From an intellectual standpoint Reed
would have been right; but there is
force in this world stronger than brains;
there is a destiny of. nations as well as
men, and when we would put our own
little wills in its way, something out
side ourselves-call it destiny or raco
tendency or God-intervenes ana
brushes the chess men aside and plays
it's own game. Human wisdom is so
limited; brains count for so little; the
thing which seems wrong often brings
great events right; planning and schem-
ing and looking ahead avail nothing.
IL -
that we would have done and see how
foolish are our desires-even the wisest
of them in the light of the days that
come-when we see what calamity
would have followed our prayers full
fillment, we gain faith in the moving
spirit outside ourselves that "doeth all
things we'll" Human wisdom counts
for little; learning counts for little No
man can tell what a day will bring
forth Faith is the beginning and end
of all philosophy.
The wise men of the country. if they
could, would have made Reed presi-
dent they feared Mckinley. They
could not see the kind of a man needed
for the events that were coming. Reed
in the White House would have been a
national disaster. The destiny of mil
lions of human creatures in the islands
of the sea, would have been changed
from that which looms ahead of them
today. But the sanity of the people
chose Mckinley There seemed to be
pIeSCleHce III IL AncIS was A11S- ME-
Kfnley was the common average man;
he had his ideas and his courage, which
was average and human, his viewpoint,
his education, his aspirations for Amer
lea, were these of the average Amer
lean; and so were instinctively those
which should reflect all the people, and
the peoples destiny was safe with him.
Perhaps in Reeds life, which would
have been embittered save for his buoy
ant philosophy-he saw these things.
and recognized that he was born out of
! time Certainly he had in him the
making of a great man. But his day
was not come. God rest his soul till its
appointed tfme,-Emporia Gazette.