Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-28

resent the people Of the Islands and putting
forth their claim with certain specious-
ness which deceived no small number Of
excellent men here at home. and which af-
forded to yet others a chance to arouse q
factious party spirit against the President
or course, looking back. 1t Is now easy to
and wicked to abandon the Philippine
archipelago and let the scores of different
tr1bes-Christian. Mohammedan and pagan,
IN every stage OF standardization and Ash
attic barbarism-turn the Islands over into
a walter of bloody savagery, with the alb
soiute certainty that some strong power
would have to step in and take possession
put though now 1t Is easy enough to see
that our duty was to stay in the islands. to
put down the instruction by force of arms
ana then to establish freedom-giving civil
government 1t needed genuine statesman
snip TO see this and to act accordingIy at
the time Of the first revolt
A weaker and less far-sighted man than
PRESIDENT Mckinley would have shrunk
from a task very difficult in ITSELF and GER
tain to furnish occasion for attack and mic
representation no less than for honest mis-
Understanding. But President MCKINLEY
never hinched. He refused to consider the
lnoagnt OF abandoning our duty In our new
possessions. While sedulousy endeavoring
to act with the utmost humanity toward
the lnsurrectionists, he never faltered in
the determination to put them down by
interest and honor and for the sake of the
interest of the islanders, and particularly of
the great numbers of friendly natives, in
cluding those most highly civilized, for
whom abandonment by US would have
meant ruin and DEATH
His Policy INDICATED.
Again his policy was most amply vindi-
Gated. Peace has come to the islands, to-
gether with greater measure of individual
liberty and self-government than thew have
ever before known. All the tasks set us as
a result Of the war with Spain have so far
been well and honorably accomplished, and
as a result this nation stands higher than
ever before among the nations of mankind.
President McKinley's second campaign
was fought mainly on the issue of approve
ing what he had done in his first admins
tration, and specifically what he had done
as regards these problems springing out of
the war with Spain. The result was that
the popular verdict in his favor was more
overwhelming than 1t had been before
No other President in our history has seen
high and honorable effort crowned with
more conspicuous personal success. No
other President entered upon his second
term FEELING such right to profound and
peacefui satisfaction. Then, by q stroke of
horror 30 strange in its fantastic niquity
as to stand unique in the black annals of
crime, he was struck down. The brave
strong, gentle heart was stilled forever and
word was brought to the woman who wept
that she was to walk thenceforth alone in
the shadow. The hideous fnfamy of the dead
shocked the nation to it's depths for the man
thus struck at was in peculiar sense the
champion Of the plain people, In a peculiar
sense the representative and the exponent
Of those ideals which, If We live up to them,
Will make, as they have largely made, our
country blessed refuge for all who strive
to do right and to live their lives simply
and well as light Is given them. The ma
ton was stunned and the people mourned
with sense Of bitter bereavement because
they had lost a man whose heart beat for
them as the heart Of Lincoln once had beat
We did right TO mourn. for the loss
was ours, not his. He died in the golden
fullness Of his triumph. He died victorious
In that highest Of all. kinds Of strife-the
strife for an ampler, juster and more gen.
erOus national life For him the laurel; but
woe for those whom he left behind; woe to
the nation that lost him. and woe to man
foul that one among them should strike at
so notable a life.
Gathered to Honor His Memory.
We are gathered together tonight to re-
call his memory, to pay our tribute Of re-
spect 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" We can
honor him best by the way we show in ac-
tual deed that we have taken to heart the
lessons Of his life. We must strive to
achieve, each in the measure that he can.
something Of the qualities which made
President Mckinley leader Of men. a
mighty power Tor go0d-n1S strength, his
courage, his courtesy and dignity hAs sense
Of justice, his ever-present kindness and
regard for the rights Of others. He won
greatness by meeting and solving the is
sues a. they arose-not by sinking them
meeting them with wisdom. with the exer-
cise Of the most slnillful and cautious judy
ment, but with fearless resolution when |
the time OF crisis came. He met each |
crisis on it, own merits; he never sought |
excuse Tor Sinking task in the fact that |
1t was different from the one he had ex- |
pected to face The long public career, |
nlisket In the ranks and closed when A =