Tribute of Respect

To the Editor of the Pratt City Herald:
     DEAR SIR:—Allow me space in your paper to say a word in behalf of our noble President, William McKinley, who has been shot down by a cowardly anarchist, and who has died, past [sic] on to glory with our Heavenly Father where there is no sorrow of pain.
     My fellow countrymen, let us look for one moment at our noble President. As a man and not as a president nor as William McKinley but as a God loving man. Listen to the words that he spoke when the cowardly Pole shot him and the people wanted to lynch him, and when the good negro knocked him down. Listen to the voice of our President: “Let no one hurt him.” Listen again when he called for Secretary Cortelyou and said: “Be careful of my wife and don’t let this be exaggerated to her.” And again when the angry mob was about ready to take the murderer’s life, he raised his head when the blood was trickling down his body from the shots of the cowardly Pole and said: [“]Let no one hurt him, my Christian friends.”
     When Mr. McKinley knew the hour had come for him to meet the God he loved he asked for his wife. He clasped her and she kissed him. He said, “be brave, the time is come, we must part from this world. It’s God’s will and not ours. Goodbye all, goodbye.” And in his dying hour he sang “Nearer, my God, to Thee[.]” But thank God while Mrs. McKinley, his beloved wife, cannot again meet him here she shall meet him in glory. That we know, because she has always been a devoted Christian from her childhood. I call this fulfilling the word of God.
     McKinley represents the man with the five talents; he gained five more to them and the Lord said: “Thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things, enter thou into the joys of thy Lord.” McKinley will be placed on his right hand and our Savior will say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom of heaven prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” They shall embrace each other in heaven where there shall be no more parting. May God, the giver of all good gifts, strengthen her in this sad time that she may be able to stand it, is my humble prayer, and that as Christians we may follow the example of our noble President, then God will be glorified.     Amen.

JACK THOMAS.     

     Pratt City, Ala.