The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-05-31
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Mckinley in Hour of Great Per-
sonaI Misfortune.
BY E. J. EDWARDS.

William s. Hawk, president OF the
Ohio Society of New York city, one
of the largest OF the state organiza-
tons of the metropolis, was for many
years as intimate personal friend
as william Mckinley had. The init
macy began in Canton. Ohio, which
was the boyhood and early manhood
home OF Mr.. Hawk. How close that
intimacy was may be judged from the
fact that Mr.. and Mrs. Mckinley In
vited Mr.. Hawk and his family to be-
come their personal guests at the
White House at the time OF McKin-
ley's Inauguration as president Prob
ably no one now living had better
opportunities for observing Mckinley
in the privacy and the charm OF his
domestic life, or Of learning what
McKinley's real personal character
was. than had Mr.. Hawk.
Il always knew that Mckinley had
strength enough OF character to meet
courageously, without flinching, any
emergency, however. serious; / was
perfectly prepared for the fortitude
he displayed after he was laid low
by the assassin's bullet His conduct
at that time was exactly what l would
have predicted" said Mr.. Hawk re-
Gently.
But I think, after looking back
over my years of close intimacy with
him. that possibly the finest example
of his courage, OF his ability to stand
up against most grievous emergency
and embarrassment, occurred at a
time when he was guest at my homo
in New York city.
MCKINLEY was then governor of
Ohio. He looked forward to- the flu
ture with confidence; he felt assured
that the setback he had received
through HIS defeat for congress was
only temporary. He was In the best Of
health and spirits. He was never
more buoyant And then, suddenly,
there came dispatch from Ohio In
forming him Of the disastrous failure
of business associate.
Il was with him when the message
came. He did not finch when he read
1t. Yet knew from his attitude the
thought that was dominating his
mind: this failure would make 1t nee
essary for him to give up his cher.
ished public career--he would have to
+, begin life all over again---he would
have to make determined efforts to
meet the obligations which his asso-
ciate had assumed. for. whatever the
law might say about some Of them,
| nevertheless there was a moral re-
sponsibility attached to all Of them.
1T was at this moment that Mrs.
Mckinley, to whom Mckinley had
shown the dispatch, declared that he
must take all Of her personal for
tune, or so much OF It as was neces-
sary, In order TO meet these obliga-
tons Immediately. McKinley's only
reply was that 1t was incumbent on
| them to pack up their things immedi-
ately and take the first train for
Ohio. And he said 1t smilingly and as
calmly. outwardly. as though no great
shadow had settled down upon him,
as though his cherished political am
billions had been realized instead of
| shattered
AN hour or two later he babe me
goodby. knew that he was going
back to Ohio confident that his public
career was ended and with the full
knowledge that he must begin all
over again--that he had actually to go
to work to earn an income sufficient
to support Mrs. Mckinley and him
self. Yet in his countenance could
pot detect the slightest hint of resent
ment. the slightest trace Of sorrow, or
any indication whatsoever of the
crushing sense of disappointment that
he must inwardly have felt In his be.
lief that all his high hopes of a pub
lie career had been shattered.
Fortunately. as is we'll known,
there were friends who were able TO
finance Mckinley out OF his difficult
ty; and how great was McKinley's
happiness when he found that It was
not necessary for him to give up his
public career no one need to be told"
(Copyrtght 1911 by r. ] Edwards Ar