Publication information
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Source: Railway Conductor
Source type: journal
Document type: letter to the editor
Document title: none
Author(s): McBee, Thos.
Date of publication: October 1901
Volume number: 18
Issue number: 10
Pagination: 789

 
Citation
McBee, Thos. [untitled]. Railway Conductor Oct. 1901 v18n10: p. 789.
 
Transcription
excerpt
 
Keywords
William McKinley; McKinley assassination (religious interpretation); McKinley assassination (personal response); society (criticism).
 
Named persons
William McKinley; Theodore Roosevelt.
 
Notes
The letter (below) is identified as being written at McComb City, Miss. It appears in a section of the journal titled “Fraternal” (pp. 786-97).
 
Document

 

[untitled] [excerpt]

     As this is being written on the day of President McKinley’s funeral I cannot close without some allusion to him. Why was he so beloved, and why does every good human being in this country so earnestly lament his demise? He was beloved while he lived because he was president of the whole people, regardless of party or locality. He was an impartial president and a wise one. To me the most lovable of his many good personal qualities was his tender care of and beautiful devotion to his invalid wife. He was was [sic] an honest, courageous, tender hearted, approachable gentleman of the highest type, and above all a conscientious christian. What a beautiful example to follow. We must believe that mankind will be better for his having lived as he did and died as he did. Who knows but that God took him when he did and the way he did, not only that his life might be an example to us and to posterity, but to bring this people and its law makers [sic] face to face in a vivid manner with the canker worm anarchy and their responsibility for its elimination?
     To my mind the enactment of such laws as will prevent any public expression either in the press or in public speech, which condemns our form of government or villifies [sic] the persons who make up our civil authority, would be a step in the right direction. He who will not yield a cheerful compliance to the will of a lawfully constituted majority is not a good citizen. Our Capitol is continually disgraced by members of the U. S. senate and house of representatives giving expression to sentiments of inflammatory nature, which are little short of treason. One great cause for discontent among the ignorant in our land is that unscrupulous politicians are allowed to appeal to their prejudices and inflame all that is base in their natures by false statements, which incites them to deeds of lawlessness. We of the south have seen much of this with the ignorant and superstitious negro. No man knows what kind of a president Mr. Roosevelt will make, and I have seen some expressions which smack of uneasiness, but he is now my president and I shall continue to hope for the best and believe that he should have the loyal support of every good citizen so long as he shall hold unimpeached his high office.

 

 


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