his last formal utterance on political themes, make for industrial peace and a compromise between those holding diverse economical opinions. Abroad the United States is universally respected as one of the world's greatest Powers, standing for international good will. The new head of the nation represents the spirit of the new American age, and by inclination as well as by his direct pledge will continue the policies which have been so successfully developed by President McKinley, and have received the popular approval at the polls. "Our Ship of State will not always find smooth seas, but it has weathered many a stormy cape in safety. The loss of three Presidents by assassination, and a Civil War which brought the nation to the severest test of its self-saving power, cautions us that the freest and most beneficent Government, formed to avoid the oppressions and wrongs of despotism, cannot expect exemption from peril. The nation has been sufficient for its self-preservation in the darkest hour. It faces the future as a strong man faces the duties and the responsibility of a new day." RESPECT AND ADMIRATION. Many civic bodies gave expression to their respect and admiration for Mr. McKinley by formally passing resolutions, accompanied by glowing speeches at the time of their adoption. One of the greatest demonstrations of this kind was by the Union League, of Philadelphia. One of the resolutions was the following: "That the Union League expresses unbounded admiration of his private character, which was a model in all of life's relations. A kindly man, whose genial presence prompted confidence that was never betrayed; a tender husband, whose loving devotion was a perfect type of marital life; an upright Christian, whose daily life and brave death is an inspiration, his untimely taking off has called forth the heartfelt sympathy of the civilized world." In speaking of the resolution United States Senator Penrose said: "For 2000 miles I have traveled across the American conti nent, starting the day on which the President died, and I shall never forget the extraordinary scene which was witnessed every mile of the route. Great crowds at every station, all classes and conditions, very many in the Western part of our great country of the opposite political party, and all in hushed expectation to receive the latest details of the President's death, all oppressed with a sense of humiliation and shame and indignation that such an event could have happened in free America. "Even while passing through the portion of country where the prosperity of the people has been affected by the decline in the value of silver there was sorrow and indignation at this dreadful event which has occurred in the history of our country. I came to the town which was his home and there were people from all over the United States, but particularly from the adjacent portions of Ohio, men had brought their wives and their children and had driven for miles. They thronged the streets and stood there until late in the afternoon that they might catch a passing glimpse of the hearse containing the body of their beloved President." WREATHS OF POETRY. Poets, in graceful verse, sang the praises of the martyred President, as will be seen from the following effusions: "Nearer to Thee,' with dying lips he spoke The sacred words of Christian hope and cheer, As toward the Valley of the Shadow passed ་ His calm, heroic soul that knew not fear. Thy will be done;' the anxious watchers heard Eternal Day for Night of sombre gloom. Statesman and soldier, fearing not to bear Rolled the deep accents of a nation's prayer. 'Dust unto dust;' in solemn state he lies Who bowed to Death, yet won a deathless name, And wears in triumph on his marble brow The martyr's crown, the hero's wreath of fame." It is fitting that we should find a place here for Walt Whitman's lines on the death of Lincoln: "Hushed be the camps to-day, And soldiers, let us drape our war-worn weapons No more for him life's stormy conflicts, Nor victory, nor defeat-no more time's dark events, But sing, poet, in our name, Sing of the love we bore him-because you, dwellers in camps, knew it truly. As they invault the coffin there, Sing as they close the doors of earth upon him -one verse, For the heavy hearts of soldiers." SENATOR FORAKER'S EULOGY. One of the most eloquent eulogies on Mr. McKinley came from United States Senator Foraker, who was long and intimately associated with him. The Senator said: "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 other man; at a time of profound peace, when nothing was occurring to excite the passions of men; when we were engaged in a celebraion 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, vying with each other in demonstrations of friendship and good-will, 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. "We can scarce realize that such a crime was possible, much less that it has been actually committed, and our sorrow is yet too fresh, our grief too poignant and our indignation too acute for us to contemplate it dispassionately or discuss it considerately. "But, while we can't now speak becomingly of the murderer and his awful crime, we can fittingly employ this hour to commemorate the virtues of his victim and to recount, in part at least, his great services to his country. "The allotted age of man is three-score and ten, but William McKinley was not yet 59 when his career ended. In these short years he did a wondrous work. In its accomplishment he was unaided by fortuitous circumstances. He was of humble origin and without influential friends, except as he made them. "He died proud of his work and in the just expectation that time will vindicate his wisdom, his purpose and his labors-and it will. THE CROWNING TRIUMPH. "What he was not permitted to finish will be taken up by other hands, and when the complete, crowning triumph comes, it will rest upon the foundations he has laid. "His great loss to the country will not be in connection with policies now in process of solution, but rather in connection with new questions. What he has marked out and put the impress of his great name upon will receive the unquestioned support of his own party and of the great majority of the American people. He had so gained the confidence of his followers and the whole country in his leadership that practically all differences of opinion on new propositions would have yielded to his judgment. "And when the dread hour of dissolution overtook him and the last touching farewell had been spoken he sank to rest murmuring 'Nearer, My God, to Thee.' This was his last triumph and his greatest. His whole life was given to humanity, but in his death we find his most precious legacy. "The touching story of that touching deathbed scene will rest on generations yet unborn like a soothing benediction. Such Christian fortitude and resignation give us a clearer conception of what was in the Apostle's mind when he exclaimed, 'O, death, where is thy sting? O, grave, where is thy victory?'" CHAPTER XXII. Personal Traits of Mr. McKinley-Reminiscences of His Boyhood-Anecdotes and Incidents-His Kind HeartAffection for Old Friends.--Never Swerved from the Path of Duty. LOYALTY to old friends, absolutely without regard to their worldly station, was a conspicuous trait of Mr. McKinley's character. It is related that at the second inauguration among the White House guests were Jack Adams, who runs the President's farm near Canton, and his friend, Mr. Alexander, a tinsmith from Minerva, Columbiana county, O. Mr. Adams came to Washington at the President's invitation, but had no idea of doing more than "eating one meal in the White House," as he expressed it. Here is Mr. Adams' own story of how he happened to be stopping at the White House during the inauguration week : "Just before the inauguration of 1897, Mr. McKinley asked me if I did not want to come to Washington. Well, I was pretty busy fixing up things on the farm just then, so I said no, I would come to the next one. The President laughed and said to remind him and he would send me a pass. I got it. When my friend Alexander and I went up to the White House the President held out his hand and said: 'I'm glad to see you,' and asked me about my health and my family and how everybody was doing. I told him I had just come to town and got a room. "He said: "Not a bit of it. You are to stay right here in the White House, you and your friend.' I said that I did not like to impose upon him, but he replied that it was no imposition, and that I must bring my grip and stay the week out as his guest, and he would see that I had a good time and do everything for me that he could do. He made out a ticket that passed us to the grand stand to see the parade, and also gave us seats at the Capitol and admission to the inauguration ball." A lady in Ohio has a souvenir of Mr. McKinley which she prizes very highly. It is a stanza written by him when twelve |