Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-02-27

e schools, through murder to the seal
e fold
, Our minds cannot discern the origi
! nor conceive the extent Of wickednes
so perverse and SO cruel; li't this doe
not exempt us from the duties of try
ing to control and counteract it. Thi
problem of anarchy is dark and intri
cate, but it ought to be within tn
compass of democratic government
, although no sane mind can fathom tn
mystery of these untracked and orbit
/ less natures-to guard against thei
alterations. to take away from then
the hope of escape, the long luxury o
scandalous days in court, the unwhol
some sympathy of hysterical degener
ates and so by degrees to make th
crime not worth committing, even t.
these abnormal and distorted souls.
1t would be presumptuous for me II
this presence to suggest the details o
remedial legislation for a malady 81
| malignant. That task may safely bt
left to the skill and patience of the
national congress, which has never
been found unequal to any such emer-
gency. The country believes that the
memory of these three murdered COM
rades of yours-all of whose voices still
| haunt these walls-will be a sufficient
inspiration to enable you to solve even
this abstruse and painful problem,
which has dimmed so many pages of
history with blood and with tears.
The life of William Mckinley was,
| from his birth to his death, typically
| American. There is no environment, I
should say, anywhere else in the world
which could produce just such char
acter. He was born into that way Of
life which elsewhere is called the mid
die class, but which in this country is
so nearly universal as to make of
other classes an almost negligible
quantity. He was neither rich nor
poor--neither proud nor humble: he
knew no hunger he was not sure of
satisfying, no luxury which could en-
ervate mind or body. His parents were
sober, God-fearing people; intelligent
and upright; without pretensions and
without humility. He grew up in the
company of boys like himself; whole
some, honest, self respecting. They
looked down on nobody: they never
felt it possible they could be looked
down upon. Their houses were the
homes of probity, piety, patriotism.
They learned in the admirable school
readers of fifty years ago the lessons
of heroic and splendid life which have
come down from the past. They read
in their weekly newspapers the story
of the worlds progress, in which they
We're eager to take part, and of the
sins and wrongs of civilization, with
which they burned to do battle. 1t was
a serious and Thoughtful time. The boys
of that day felt dimly, but deeply, that
days of sharp struggle and high
achievement We're before them. They
looked at life with the wondering yet
resolute eyes of a young esquire in his
vigil of arms. They felt time was
coming when to them should be ad-
dressed the stern admonition of the
apostle, Quit you like men; bel
strong
, At seventeen years of age, William |
Mckinley heard the summons Of his |
country. He was the sort of youth to |
whom military life in ordinary times
would possess no attractions His ma
ture was far different from that of the
ordinary soldier. He had other dreams
of life, it's prizes and pleasures, than
that of marches and battles. But to
his mind there was no choice or ques-
tion. The banner floating in the morn
ing breeze was the beckoning gesture |
of his country. The thrilling notes OF
the trumpet called him-him and none
the ranks. He was of the
stuff of which good soldiers are made.
Had he been ten years older he would
have entered at the head of company
and come out at the head of divis-
ion. He did what he could. He enlis-
ted as private; he learned to obey.
His serious, sensible ways, his prompt,
alert efficiency soon attracted the at
tention of his superiors. He was so
faithful in little things that they gave
him more and more to do. He was un-
firing in camp and on the march; swift,
cool, and fearless in fight. He left the
army with field rank, when the war
ended, brevetted by President Lincoln
for gallantry in battle.
William Mckinley gladly laid down
his sword and betook himself to his
books. He quickly made up the time
lost in soldering. He was admitted to
the bar and settled down to practice
q brevetted veteran of twenty-four-in
the quiet town of Canton, now and
forever famous as the
scene Of his life and his place Of sep
ulcher. Here many blessings awaited
him. High repute, professional sue
cess, and q domestic affection so pure,
20 devoted and stainless that future
poets, seeking an ideal Of Christian
marriage, will find in it theme worthy
of their songs.
In 1876 he began, by an election to
congress, his political career. Thereaf-
ter for fourteen years this chamber
was his home.
He was a Republican, he could not
oe anything else. !.
Following the natural bent of his
mind, he devoted himself to questions
# finance and revenue, to the essentials