Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-10-01
N'kINLEY
Continued from page Il y


pie and thong htful Kindness toward
every human being, great or small,
lofty or humble with whom he was
brought in contact, which so endear-
ed him to our people. He had to
grapple with more serious and COM
pick problems than any president
since Lincoln, and yet, while meet,
ing every demand Of craftsmanship,
he continued to live a beautiful and
touching family life, a life Is very
healthy for this nation to. see in its
foremost citizen; and now the wo-
man who walked in the shadow ever
after his death, the wife to whom
his loss was calamity more crush
ing that 1t could be to any other hui
man being, lies beside him here in
the same sepulcher. 3
There is "a singular appropriate
ness in the inscription on his monu-
ment. Mr.. .Cortelyou whose: relations
with him were of such close intim-
acy, gives me the following informa
ton, about it: On the presidents
trip to the Pacific slope in the spring
of. 1901, President Wheeler of the
University of California, conferred
the degree Of LII. D. upon linn
in words so well chosen that
they struck the fastidious taste of
John Hay, then secretary of state,
who wrote and asked for a copy of
them from President Wheeler. On
the receipt of this copy he sent the
following letter to President McKin-
ley, letter which now seems filled
with a strange and unconscious pre-
science: NJ 81
Dear Mr.. President: President
Wheeler sent me the inclosed at my
request. You will have the words
in more permanent shape. They
seem to me remarkably well chosen,
and stately and dignifed enough to
serve long hence, please God-as
your epitaph. & s
Yours faithfully,
John Hay
university Of California,
Office of the President. 49,
"By authority vested in me by the
regents of the University of Cali
fornia, confer the degree of Doctor
of Laws upon William Mckinley, pres
ident of the United States, q states
man singularly gifted to unite. the
discordant forces of the government
and mold the diverse purposes Of
men toward progressive and salu-
| tary action, a magistrate whose poise
OF Judgment has been tested and
indicated in a succession Of nation
al emergencies; good citizen, brave
soldier, wise executive, helper and
leader of men, exemplar to his peo-
pie of the virtues that build and
conserve the state, society and the
| home. 5.. NJ gs53 $#
Berkeley, May 10, 1901.
It would be hard to imagine an ep-
itaph which a good citizen would be
more anxious to deserve or one which
would more happily describe the
i qualities of that great and good cit
izen whose life we here commemor
ate. He possessed to a very extra
/ ordinary degree the gift of uniting
i discordant forces and securing from
them a harmonious action which told
4 for good government. From purpos
es not merely Diverse but bitterl.
Il conflicting, he was able to secur,
i healthful action for the good of tn.
4 state. In both poise and judgmen
he rose level to the several emergen
1 cies he had to meet as leader Of tn,
nation, and like all men with the roo
of true greatness In them he grew
/ to steadily larger stature under tn
| stress of heavy responsibilities. H
was a good citizen and brave sol
der, a chief executive whose wis
q dom entitled him to the trust whicl
a he received throughout the nation
He was not only a leader Of men blu
prominently helper of men 70
one of his most marked traits wa
! the intensely human quality OF hi
J, wide and deep sympathy. FINAL.
i he not merely preached, he was. tina
| most valuable of all citizens in
& democracy like ours, a man who j
the highest place served as an III
Il conscious example to his people /
!, the virtues that build and conserV
i alike our public life, and the founds
! ton Of all public life the intimat
i life Of the home.
i Many lessons are taught us by hi
q career, but none more valuable tina
q the lesson OF broad human synlp;
i thy for and among all Of our either
i Of all classes and creeds No otht
president has ever more deserved
4 Iiiave his life work characterized
Il II ;ner,iryss words a 81 feffly "a YsIsifsH q