given to a national candidate. His popular majority over Bryan was 849,455, and his majority over all competitors was 446,719 out of a total vote of 13,969,770. In the electoral college McKinley received 292 votes to 155 for Bryan.

McKinley's friends also carried largely increased majorities in both the Senate and House, and the new Congress chosen to meet on the first Monday in December 1901, that would have been the first under his second administration, was more heartily in accord with the President and the general policy of his administration than any President of the past commanded, with the disappointments of four years to engender opposition. He was re-inaugurated with most imposing ceremonies, and he was thus newly commissioned by the people by a vote of confidence so great and comprehensive that he had every assurance of a most serene and successful administration of his second term in his high office.

The only important event after his second inauguration was his journey to the Pacific, accompanied by his devoted but fragile wife. A tour covering the heart of the different sections of the whole country was planned, and a special train, with every possible comfort and care provided for his invalid wife, started on its journey to the South. The train was stopped at the leading centres of population along the entire route, and the journey was one continued. ovation to the honored President of the nation. The fatigue of the journey proved too great for Mrs. McKinley, and in San Francisco it was abruptly ended by her very critical illness, during which her life was despaired of for some days. The authorities and people of San Francisco joined the President and members of the Cabinet in devoting themselves wholly to the care of the beloved woman who so long hovered on the shore of the dark river; but she finally recovered sufficiently to be brought home, and the journey from the Pacific to Washington was made with the utmost speed and popular demonstrations avoided as much as possible.

During McKinley's journey to the Pacific he delivered a succession of speeches largely or wholly extemporized, which proved his

wonderful versatility and forcefulness as a disputant and orator. No purer, nobler or better lessons could be given in our schools for the study of our youth than the speeches delivered by McKinley from the time he left Washington until he reached San Francisco. There was not a trace of offensive partisanship in any of them. They were dignified, patriotic, eloquent and chivalrous without exception, and were more carefully studied and approved by the American people than any popular deliverances ever made by a President. When Mrs. McKinley's health improved the President went with her to spend the Summer at their quiet home in Canton, Ohio, where they were universally beloved by their neighbors; and only the sense of public duty to which President McKinley ever responded, induced him to leave his charming home and home circle to visit the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo. He was welcomed there as he had been in every part of the country, not only by overwhelming numbers, but by the heartiest applaudits of the people without distinction of party, and his address delivered at the Exposition will stand in literature among the choicest productions of American statemanship.

The speech in its entirety exhibits the most careful and intelligent comprehension of the aims, duties and destiny of our free government, and it will certainly be accepted as a guide, not only by his immediate successor, but for rulers of all parties who may be charged with the destiny of the great republic of the world.. His closing paragraph will stand side by side with the immortal deliverance of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. It is as follows:

"Who can tell the new thoughts that have been awakened, the ambitions fired and the high achievements that will be wrought through this Exposition? Gentlemen, let us ever remember that our interest is in concord, not conflict, and that our real eminence rests in the victories of peace, not those of war. We hope that all who are represented here may be moved to higher and nobler effort. for their own and the world's good, and that out of this city may come, not only greater commerce and trade for us all, but, more

essential than these, relations of mutual respect, confidence and friendship which will deepen and endure.

"Our earnest prayer is that God will graciously vouchsafe prosperity, happiness and peace to all our neighbors, and like blessings to all the peoples and powers of earth.'

On the day following this address, the President yielded to the general desire for a public reception, so that the great mass of people present should have an opportunity to take him by the hand, and while thus receiving the multitude on the afternoon of Friday, September 6th, Leon F. Czolgosz, a young anarchist, approached him with his right hand covered by a handkerchief as if protecting a wound or sore, and extending his left hand to the President, speedily twice fired the pistol concealed in his right hand and two bullets entered the body of the victim. Additional shots would have been fired by the murderer had he not been struck and captured by those immediately about him. The President bore himself most courageously, but finally fell into the arms of his friends, while the murderer was hastened away to prison.

The Emergency Hospital of the Exposition happened to be not only very complete in its equipment, but had connected with it surgeons and physicians of the ripest experience, and the President had the promptest and best treatment known to the profession. After the examinations had been made and an operation performed to aid in healing the breaches in the walls of the stomach, the physicians were hopeful that the distinguished patient might recover. The country was appalled by this third assassin who aimed at the life of the President of the Republic without having suffered any real or imaginary wrong from his victim, and intense anxiety was exhibited every hour of the day and night for the bulletins which came from the bedside of the people's ruler. Day after day the reports were hopeful because no specially unfavorable features were developed, and four days after the wounds had been inflicted, the whole country rejoiced at the official reports from the surgeons in charge that the President was taking

food in the natural way and enjoying it and his strength rapidly increasing. Only one day later the shadows again gathered and the hearts of the millions of American people were bowed in woe by the report that most dangerous symptoms had suddenly developed and that the life of the President was trembling in the balance. From that time no hopeful report came from those who watched the tread of death where it would strike a great nation in its dearest hopes and affections, and finally, on Saturday morning, September 14th, at 2.15 A.M., the unconscious effigy of life that dimly flickered in the socket, quietly vanished in the darkness of death, leaving the last sweet utterance of President McKinley imperishably crystallized in the memory of all-"It is God's way. His will be done, not ours."