The World’s Sympathy

Not in this country alone but from every part of the civilized world have poured messages of sympathy, words of appreciation of Mr. McKinley’s worth and character, and denunciations of the crime of the wild and vicious assailant. King Edward, the Emperor William, and the Queen Regent of Spain, our so recent enemy, employ identical language in expressing their horror at the “dastardly attempt;” cable messages have thronged in from every quarter of Europe. The English and Continental press unite in presaging future united or at least simultaneous action by the nations of the world to combat the common danger, Anarchism. American statesmen and preachers in numbers urge that National legislation at least try to frame measures which may distinguish license from liberty. There has been a notably general expression of the belief that our Presidents should no longer be exposed to the danger—to say nothing of the tax on strength—involved of necessity in shaking hands with immense crowds of people. Another significant statement brought out is that from Scotland Yard, London, to the effect that there has been a steady stream of European Anarchists flowing toward the United States for the last year. The utterances and the prayers from the pulpits of the country were of course unanimous in abhorrence of the crime and in sincerity of longing for the preservation of the President’s life. In Westminster Abbey Canon Duckworth said: “Within the walls of this very abbey, which is as much beloved by our brethren across the sea as by ourselves, we are daily offering prayers to God that in his mercy he will spare the precious life that is so cruelly threatened. We do not forget that outburst of sympathy which came to us across the Atlantic a few months ago on the occasion of our great national sorrow. Now we offer to our brethren in their sorrow sympathy which is no less tender than true.” The Pope declared: “Mr. McKinley is a model man and President. Whoever strikes such a man is a madman or a depraved offender.” President Eliot, of Harvard, in an interview said: “Anarchists are enemies of social order, and with a seeming disregard of their own lives will strike at rulers of nations on every occasion, not caring if the ruler has come in his position by the fortune of birth or because of election by his countrymen. . . . We in the United States are particularly open to the attacks of assassins because of the freedom of approach to our high officials.”