The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-28
NOBLE TRIBUTE
 PAID M'K|NLEY
Roosevelt Speaks at Banquet
 Given in Canton
JUDGE DAY TOAST MASTER
Demonstration Given the President as He Entered the Banquet HaI-Per- sonaI Friends of the Lamented
 Mckinley Present.

Canton, O., January 27.-President
 Roosevelt tonight participated in noble
 tribute to the memory of the late Presi-
 dent Mckinley. He was the principal ora
 tor at a banquet given under the auspices
 of the Canton Republican league in com
 memoration of the birthday of Mckinley. | Surrounded by friends neighbors and | business and political associates of the | dead President he pronounced a brilliant and eloquent eulogy upon the life and
 works of McKenley
 The banquet was held in the Grand Opera house, seats being removed, the
 pit and the house entirely rehoored for
 the occasion. The interior of the building
 was beautifully decorated with flags and flowers. The floral decorations were par
 ticularly elaborate. A select orchestra of | twenty-five pieces furnished exquisite 1 music.
 | As the President entered the banquet
 hall, the assemblage rose and cheered him heartily The demonstration was a personal tribute to the President, which he acknowledged with evident pleasure. As soon as the President and party were seated. the doors of the balcony and gallery were opened and in a few min utes both were crowded.
 The material part of the banquet was not concluded until 10 o'clock. Judge Day, as toastmaster, then introduced President Roosevelt who spoke in part as follows:
 Mir. Roosevelt's Speech.
 MT. Toastmaster and Gentlemen: T throughout our history and indeed throughout history generally, it has been given to only very few thrice-favored Ia Ea i'm Inc crises faced by their several generations that thereafter each stands as an embodi- ment of the triumphant effort of his generation. President Mckinley was one of these men.
 Ut was given to President Mckinley to take the foremost place in our political life at a time when our country was br ought face to face with problems more momentous than any whose solution we have ever attempted, save only in the revolution and in the civil war. and it vas under his leadership that the nation solved tfese mighty problems alright Therefore he shall stand in the eyes of History not merely as the first man of his generation, but as among the greatest | figures in our national life, coming sec end only to the men of the two great crises in which the union was founded and preserved
 A Great Task.
 "No man could carry through success 1 fully such a task as President Mckinley undertook, unless trained by long years | of effort for it's performance. | No other President in our history has l seen high and honorable effort crowned
 with more conspicuous personal success. No other President entered upon his sec
 ond term feeling such right to profound
 and peaceful satisfaction. Then by a
 stroke of horror, so strange in it's fam | tastic iniquity as to stand unique in the | black annals of crime, he was struck | down.
 "we are gathered together tonight to | recall his memory to pay our tribute of
 respect to the great chief and leader | who fell in the harness, who was stricken down while his eyes were bright with | "the light that tells of triumph tasted" l We can honor him best by the way we | show in actual deed that we have taken | to heart the lessons of his life"