The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-24
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By JAY e. HOUSE
tFrom Philadelphia Public Ledger.)

frivolous. It may be they stress too
strongly the uneventful detail of their
authors existence. And so it is deem
ed fitting and proper to clothe the re-
actions to this calm, middle western
Sabbath, if not in tears and Iamen-
tation, at the least, with dignity and
restraint. This is Pilgrim week with
the Old Home Towners. Yesterday
industrial city which stands on the site
of the country village which was Will
liam McKinley's home. Tomorrow, if
all goes well. we shall touch the hem
of that other small Industrial city
made famous by Warren Gamaliel
Harding. Later in the yeek-how
much later no man can foretell. since
nobody know whether the weather in
Illinois will be fair or foul-we shall
cross at Springfield, the ineffaceable
the consciousness Of his adopted
state.
William Mckinley lies in a wood
land cemetery on the edge of Canton.
Over his rises a pile of stone and ma
sorry as ugly as if somewhat less pre-
tentious than the one on Riverside
drive in which all that was mortal of
Ulysses S. Grant is enshrined. The
home of William Mckinley, the typi-
cal two -story frame house of the typi-
cal middle western citizen of parts
and consequence thirty or forty years
ago, is a hospital where black-robed
Sister of Charity do deeds of mercy.
Canton talks in terms of steel ingots
as Akron talks in terms of rubber
burning rubber these last few years
and for the most part has fogotten
William Mckinley. His name seldom
is mentioned. A considerable seq
ment of the city's population, particu-
larly those who came from the Bal
gans and the countries of Central Eu
rope. never heard of him, and are
not likely to do 50 at this late date.
The man has been dead twenty years.
1t is too much to expect in the rush
to get to the motion-picture theater in
time for the first show, with the price
of gasoline what it is. that many per-
in man who has been dead twenty
years, A few of the old-timers still
talk of Major Mckinley" or the
Major" He never was President
Mckinley to this town. He was
Major Mckinley" and is to this day.
William Mckinley was twice elected
president of the United States He
was one of the three chief executives
shot down by asSassins in cold blood.
He was governor of Ohio and had a
long and honorable career in congress
His name was inscribed on a tariff
bill which caused his party a good
deal of trouble and sent it down to
defeat in one election. But chiefly
the thing for which William Mckinley
is rernembered-the muted, half-pa-
thetic note in his character which
gives him enduring fame-was the
fact that he was a devoted husband.
He will be remembered for that when
his works are dead ashes in the bowl
of the ages. william Mckinley was a
who came up to Canton
from Niles to study law. Here he met
and married Ida Saxon. He had
neither money nor family prestige.
His wife had both. In the later years
of his married life-thruout his career
in the greater public service-she was
a Semi-invalid. But neither his devo-
ton nor his attention to her ever fall
tered. Public life made persistent and
continuous demand upon his time and
the kind, patient, loving, tranquil and
attentive husband. Everything else
was secondary to the ties which bound
him to his own hearthstone. And he
got in return the perfect faith. the
healing touch, which every man needs
to bring out the best that is in him.
L dedicate no moral to this idyllic
1 merely observe that from
the day of their marriage until the day
of her death, William Mckinley was
his wife's hero. And he became pres
ident Of the United States. If there
- q 4OoSOAA hC1 Z LUZ JULIET WIVES, lar
be it from me to prevent them from
testing it, altho it is agreed in adv. ice
of any practical - cation of the les
son that not every husband can be
president of the United 1'ltes. Wives
who try out the pin tacitly suggested
herein must be reasonable in their am
billions.
Every man who rises above the dead
level Of our national life takes a few
of his stronger friends with him. VIII
liam Mckinley had a friend. His
name was William R. Day. President
Mckinley made him an associate JUS.
tice of the supreme court of the
United States. At the time there was
some talk that the president had ap-
pointed country lawyer to that dig
nified and exalted position. But the
talk ceased as soon as the country
came to know Justice Day and it never
was repeated. Adelaide and 1 called
on Justice Day in his old home in Can
ton this morning. She is by way of
being related to him by remote ties of
blood and marriage, and am very
proud of the fact. 1t gives SO to
speak, talking point when other gen.
tlemen begin recounting their vanities
in my presence. But the thrill I got
from my casual visit was one quite
apart from the brief glory which
quasi with a justice of the
supreme court of the United States re-
fleets Justice Day was sitting on the
porch of the old home in the old home
town looking out upon the busy street
which passes by. He has a house in
of course. but he told us
that twice every year-in June and
September-he cones back to the old
house to stay three or four weeks.
The old home tie is the real thrill of
this marvellous country. The recur-
rent tug at the heartstrings which
draws men back to the soil from
which they grew is the handspring of |
Americas greatness.
In the town of MassiIlon, adjacent
70 Canton, altho all of Massillon will |
hate me for thus linking thier town |
win mated rival. I read today an |
Industrial lyric which seems worth re- |
Deating. The lyric was written by a |
gentleman named Frank c. McLain. |
Eleven or twelve years ago Mr.. Nc |
Lain began manufacturing lockwash-
Frs on borrowed capital and in a very
small way The business of manufac- |