The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-09-15
FIRST STATUE
TO M'KlNLEY|
UNVEILED WITH IMPOSING cERE-
MONIES At TOLEDO.
HANNA SPEAKS BRIEFLY
Senator Fairbanks, Orator Of the Day,
Pays Eloquent Tribute to the
Murdered President.

Toledo, Ohio, Sept. I4.-Toledo is
en- fete today over the uneviling of the
Mckinley statue, the first memorial to
the late president erected in Ohio.
a naval parade on the river,
which included the United States gum
boat Michigan and the training ships
Yantic and Hawk, and a procession led
by a battalion of United States infan-
try. the statue, which stands 'front.'
ing the court house, was %uneviled by
Miss Dorothy Bonner. Colonel j.. C..
Boner, president of the memorial as
ISOLATION, in a brief address presented
the monument to the county, and Hen
ry Conrad, president of the board OF
county commissioners, accepted the
trust for the county.
Senator M. A. Hanna was then in
troduced as honorary president of the
day, and made a brief extemporaneous
address. A d%edicatory poem by Theo-
dore McManus was read by the auth
or and the orator Of the day, Senator
Charles w. Fairbanks, of Indiana,
was introduced. The senator said:
Fairbanks Speech.
"Tne place of William Mckinley in
history is secure We are not too
near the events of which he was a
part correctly to measure his proper
lions, nor do we look with too partial
eyes upon what he did. We know
the great share he bore in the signiti-
| can't events through which he passed
and we have faith to believe that the
Judgment of his contemporaries will
be confirmed by history, when, with
impartial hand, she shall record the
deeds of men.
"You honor yourselves in honoring
him. You make the future your debt
or by erecting this statue in comment
oration of his life and services, for,
like his immortal prototype, Abraham
Lincoln, he belongs to the ages
Hither the lovers of American instl
buttons will come in the unnumbered
years before us, and derive new nope
and new inspiration. Similar monu
ments will rise in other lands to which
people not of our race will pay thell
homage. The people of Cuba, whose
liberty was secured through his genius
and craftsmanship, will erect monu
ments in his honor. So, too, the PEG
ple of Porto Rico and the far-of
Philippines will raise enduring memo
rails to pe%rpetuate to the ages th'
memory of the president who carrle'
to them the blessings OF republican
government.
ut seems but yesterday that Wi
liam Mckinley stood among us a
: the very zenith of his power. He pos
sessed in full degree the atfectlon
and confidence of his countrymen, an
his name was a b%eneficent infuenc
throughout the world. Without war;
ing the cruel bolt fell. We stoo
! speechless in the midst. OF the uncon
mon sorrow. Our great and believe
leader. by some mysterious provldenc
e fell in the plentitude of his strengtl
9 upon the day of his funeral, ruie'
e and peoples in many foreign lane
q united in impressive memorial serS
3 oas and the flags Of all nations WEI
: in mourning.
u "Throughout this great repupl
p trade stood still, commerce was qul
E and by some impulse steamships al
railroad trains stood and the Peep
"a uncovered in the streets or knelt
G tho s]anctuaries. Who knows but Tn
or the Divine Master, through this u
u snea1xable tragedy, sought to lmpfl
'e forever upon the hearts OF man. NJ
le ;h,a We men can live and how beautlfl
thew can die. Against the dark bae
De grond of two years ago stand In shal
Gu or outline than we're otherwise pos
BILE, the high and noble achievemer
and the majestic personality OF Q
of the greatest Of Americans"
After the singing Of America
OF the audience, Reverend A. M. Hy
W pronounced the benediction' VIM
closed the services.
I'LL
si- p.;..d Erono the Dead.