CHAPTER XXVII Memorial Tributes HAT William McKinley was a great man, his acts will show when history has recorded his deeds. It is to his honor TH to say that political opponents have rated his abilities more highly than his political supporters, and that European observers have rated them more highly than have Americans. Posterity will ratify the higher judgment, and history will rank President McKinley more highly than his contemporaries have done, not only as an astute politician, but also as a popular leader and a broad-minded and cautiously progressive statesman. His death was felt as a personal loss by thousands who knew him only through his public life, and by the entire Nation as a great public calamity. The world itself turned into mourning and joined in expressions of sorrow and grief. With these expressions are many noble tributes of distinguished men and women in all walks of life, and also of the newspaper press of the country where editors speak from the vantage ground of closest knowledge of events. We give only a few of the many memorial tributes which have been uttered. His Characteristic Virtues BY CARDINAL GIBBONS "In the annals of crime it is difficult to find an instance of murder so atrocious, so wanton and meaningless, as the assassination of Mr. McKinley. Some reason or pretext has been usually assigned for the sudden taking away of earthly rulers. Balthasar, the impious king of Chaldæa, spent his last night in reveling and drunkenness. He was suddenly struck dead by the hand of the Lord. How different was the life of our Chief Magistrate! No court in Europe or in the civilized world was more conspicuous for moral rectitude and purity, or more free from the breath of scandal, than the official home of President McKinley. He would have adorned any court in Christendom by his civic virtues. 66 The Redeemer of mankind was betrayed by the universal symbol of love. If I may reverently make the comparison, the President was betrayed by the universal emblem of friendship. Christ said to Judas, Fiend, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss? The President could have said to his slayer. Betrayest thou the head of the nation with the grasp of the hand? He was struck down surrounded by a host of his fellow-citizens, every one of whom would have gladly risked his life in defense of his beloved chieftain. "The domestic virtues of Mr. McKinley were worthy of all praise. He was a model husband. Amid the pressing and engrossing duties of his official life he would from time to time. snatch a few moments to devote to the invalid and loving partner of his joys and sorrows. Oh, what a change has come over that afflicted woman! Yesterday she was the first lady of the land. To-day she is a disconsolate and broken-hearted widow. Let us beseech Him who comforted the widow of Nain that He console this lady in her hour of desolation. "The strongest shield of our Chief Magistrate is the love and devotion of his fellow-citizens. The most effective way to stop such crimes is to inspire the rising generation with greater reverence for the constituted authorities, and a greater horror for any insult or injury to their person. All seditious language should be suppressed. Incendiary speech is too often an incentive to criminal acts on the part of many to whom the transition from words to deeds is easy. Let it be understood, once for all, that the authorities are determined to crush the serpent of Anarchy whenever it lifts its venomous head. "What a beautiful spectacle to behold prayers ascending from tens of thousands of temples throughout the land to the throne of mercy! Is not this universal uplifting of minds and hearts to God a sublime profession of our faith and trust in Him?" His Memory Will Live ARCHBISHOP IRELAND The nation mourns. Well may she mourn. She has lost her Chief Magistrate whom she loved so dearly, in whom she so willingly reposed her pride. William McKinley is now dead; his memory will live down the ages, as that of one of the most worthy to have been the President of the Republic of the United States. "I knew him closely; I esteemed him; I loved him. "He was the true man, honest, pure of morals, generousminded, conscientious, religious. He was the noble citizen, proud of being a son of the people, brave on the battlefield in his country's peril, zealous of its glory, unswervingly loyal to its honor and its interests. "He was the typical President of the Republic, large-minded in his vision of the questions bearing upon the country's fortune; resolute in using his authority for what seemed to him its best weal; ready as the leader of a self-governing people to hearken to the popular voice, and, so far as principle and conscience permitted, obey its behests, even to the sacrifice of his personal view. Political opponents differed from him in matters of public policy; they did not, they could not, mistrust his sincerity, or his spirit of justice and patriotism. "William McKinley is now dead-stricken down by the hand of a vile assassin. This makes the nation's sorrow doubly deep, for to sorrow is added shame--shame before her own eyes, before those of the world, that in this land of civil liberty there should have been found a man so overwhelmingly bad as to murder her President, to murder him who served so well his fellow-man, to murder him who cherished so tenderly the free institutions of America-shame that within her own borders the majesty of the Republic should have been outraged and its name disgraced, the honor of humanity assailed and its most sacred rights imperilled. "In our hour of sorrow we turn to the God of nations and commend to Him our country. In His mysterious designs He judges best to take from us our friend, our President, despite our earnest prayers that we be allowed to retain him among the living. We murmur not against His holy will, which we know to be wisdom. and goodness, but in compensation for our great loss we pray that peace be given to the nation, that blessings descend upon our people." History has no Precedent SENATOR JOSEPH B. FORAKER Senator Foraker said in part: “In the vigor of robust manhood; at the very height of his powers; in the possession of all his faculties; in the midst of a great work of world-wide importance; in the enjoyment of the admiration, love, and affection of all classes of our people to a degree never before permitted to any man; at a time of profound peace, when nothing was occurring to excite the passions of men; when we were engaged in a celebration of the triumphs of art, science, literature, commerce, civilization, and all that goes to make up the greatest prosperity, advancement, and happiness the world has ever known; surrounded by thousands of his countrymen, who were vying with each other in demonstrations of friendship and goodwill, the President of the United States, without a moment's warning, was stricken down by an assassin, who, while greeting him with one hand, shot him to death with the other. |