Publication information |
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.