A Noble Demonstration of Sorrow by Citizens, Clergy and Schools. Services and Decorations.
Norwood’s tributes to our martyred President, William McKinley, have been numerous and elaborate, and have reflected great credit upon the town. The stores in the entire business section of Washington Street, from Railroad Avenue to Cross Street, have nearly all displayed mourning decorations. Some window decorations have been remarkably beautiful and artistic and worthy of individual mention. The post office decorations are especially elaborate. Many private residences displayed flags at half-mastand portraits of the dead President.
Public observances have also been fitting and impressive. The general memorial service was held yesterday afternoon in the Universalist church. Especially creditable and helpful to higher citizenship were the exercises in the public schools, to which we devote, considerable space.
IN THE SCHOOLS
|The memorial exercises for the late President McKinley, held at the High school Wednesday noon, were highly creditable to the school and the addresses given by local orators were unusually excellent. Principal N. A. Cutler presided in a very happy manner. The exercises opened with the singing of the “Battle~Hymn of the Republic.”
In introducing the first speaker Principal Cutler said that it was only on special occasions, and he might say only on occasions of special sadness or solemnity, that the school felt called upon to invite prominent citizens to make addresses. It was an occasion fitting for commemoration and be felt it proper that he should introduce as the first speaker one in a manner associated with Mr. McKinley in that great organization, the Grand Army of the Republic.
Rev. Geo. W. Nead, commander of Geo. K. Bird Post, then spoke of the fact that Mr. McKinley and himself grew up as boys in the same State and quite early in life enlisted in the service of their country, Mr. McKinley in the 23rd Ohio regiment, under Col. Hayes, afterwards President of the United States. Some time later Mr. Nead enlisted in the 65th Ohio. Mr. McKinley had had a very fine war record and through hl* own bravery had risen to be major of his own regiment. He spoke of Mr. McKinley’s loyalty to his wife and his faithfulness to his home. The foundation of the government is the home, and it holds a close relationship to the school and the church. Mr. McKinley was a close student of the life of Abraham Lincoln and, like Mr. Lincoln, believed in trusting the people. Mr. Nead alluded to the late Comrade Dearborn’s remarks to the schools prepared for last Memorial Day, and called up a quotation from Mr. McKinley which Mr. Dearborn had culled for that occasion.
Rev.W. B. Eddy spoke of the influence of death or bereavement in endearing the heart to old and familiar objects. Mr. McKinley will be more to us a* the years go by than he was when on earth. Today we shall endeavor to go in spirit on that train which carries his remains to his old home and his last resting place. But our chief sympathy will go out to William McKinley as a citizen and as the first citizen of this great republic. We can note some of the qualities which made him great and can strive to emulate them. To imitate him in honesty, in justice and in character is to pay him the highest tribute we can. If America had been wholly filled with that honor, that true citizenship, that regard for human life which is required of the true American, that terrible deed at Buffalo would never have been done. It devolves upon us to let our lives stand for order, for government, for honor. What is anarchy? Anarchy is a theory which believes in the overthrow of all government. True citizenship is to obey the call of honor and duty, to live as high and noble a life as duty calls on us to live. Look on the bier of our dead President and see what laziness and greed and selfishness, disorder and chaos can do. “The Star Spangled Banner” was then sung.
Rev. Ft. Troy said that we all of course deplored the death of President McKinley, but there seems to be one good result to this dire catastrophe. It brings us more closely together as a people than any other event could have done. It makes us feel that however much we may differ in our ideas or our politics, we are all Americans. He had talked with an Englishman while abroad who had said to him, “Your country cannot last, there is too much of self, too much of division and strife in it. Men of the same political party hardly agree together.” He had replied, “Yes, there is a great deal in what you say. We do differ. But you will find that in any trying time we shall forget everything except the fact that we are American citizens: Fr. Troy said that he felt that that time had come. In this common national calamity we are one. There is no discordant note. It is not as president of the Republican party or of the Democratic party that we honor Mr. McKinley. It is as President of the United States. Another lesson is that we should respect the office of the President of the United States. We should recognize the fact that he is the president of the whole American people. We should recognize the fact that as the head of this republic, he is the representative of Almighty God. No man who recognizes the fact and respects government or religion will attempt to bring the president’s office into contempt or hatred. No num is a good citizen who does this, whether he be an anarchist or a college professor. A legitimate criticism is not out of place. But no man, no newspaper has the right to bring the presidential office into contempt or hatred. If he has this right then you will have what you had in Buffalo.
Rev. Fr. Troy spoke of the need of a respect for law. You could conduct no society, you could not conduct even a baseball game or a football game without some law. We should know that there is an authority over us. That authority is Ged’s law. When you boys and girls grow up and vote or hold office take your consciences with you. It was the proud boast of a man in ancient times, “I am a Roman citizen.” It should be a prouder boast for any man of today to say, “I am an American citizen.
George W. Cushing, chairman of the school board, spoke briefly of his horror, 36 years ago, at the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He asked the young people to consider the characters of the two men, McKinley and Czolgosz. Men like Czolgosz are the result of governments which have had no such thing as freedom for thousands of years. Much depends on surroundings, on environment. He urged upon his hearers the duty of living for higher aims and the best ideals of character.
The singing of “America” brought the exercises to a close.
AT THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH.
Yesterday’s funeral service at the Universalist church, held at a little after 3 p.m. to correspond with the time of the last sad rite* at Canton, O., was attended by a congregation of some 500 or 600 people, in which all the churches in town were represented. Grandly impressive music was furnished by the choir of the Central Congregational church, Boston, accompanied by Organist and Director Burdett. Mr. McKinley’s favorite selection, “Lead, Kindly Light,” was among the choir’s selections. His other favorite, “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” was sung by choir and congregation at the close of the service.
The decorations in the nation’s mourning colors, black and green, were simple, artistic and strongly impressive. The pulpit was draped entirely in black, over this was flung a rich silk American flag, and over the flag a transparent black veil. Above all and to one side was a green wreath set with white carnations, the only white effect in the whole decoration. The back of the pulpit platform was draped in squares of black, like paneled walls of an antique mausoleum. On each of these panels, seven in number, was a green wreath. At one side of the pulpit platform was a grouping of tall palms and tropical plants, also of green.
Organist B. F. Colburn played the preludes and postlude, including Chopin’s “Funeral March,” selections from Mendelssohn, and all the music of the day excepting the accompaniments for the quartette. As the clergy and orator of the day entered the audience room the sympathetic notes of “The Sweet Bye and Bye” sounded from the organ. Rev. George W. Nead, pastor of the Baptist church and commander of Geo. K. Bird Post, G. A. R., read the proclamations of President Roosevelt and Governor Crane and invoked the Divine blessing. Selections from the Psalms, the Gospels, the Epistles and the Apocalypse were read by Rev. E. C. Ewing of the Congregationl| church. After a selection by the choir Rev. W. B. Eddy offered prayer.
The funeral oration was delivered by Hon. Francis O. Winslow and was in his best vein. He spoke of the fact that a father of the people had been stricken down in death and that this assembly, like thousands of assembles held today all over the land, had come to give expression to their grief and sympathy with the home he has left behind.
“If our eyes were clear enough and our ears strong enough, we could see all over the land flags at half-mast and hear the booming of cannon and the knelling of bells. We could see one whole people under the spell of one impulse, the stopping everywhere of trains of cars, an entire great nation hushed in awe and bowed in grief.
“All J over the world this grief has moved men’s hearts,[and the echo of our mourning is returned to us from Spain and Germany, from Italy, from England, and from lands which we had hardly felt cared for us. Today in old St. Paul’s cathedral solemn chants are sung, and in that place which Americans love to visit, in Westminster Abbey, where the ashes of so many men of genius and greatness repose, words of eulogy of President McKinley are spoken.”
Mr. Winslow spoke of the death of President McKinley as an event which obliterated for a time party distinction, and of the gratifying fact that North and South are united in their grief and the nation one as never before in its history. “There is no imperia) crown borne to that grave today. The only sceptre and the only crown are found in the love of a grateful people.”
Mr. Winslow dwell at length on McKinley’s career as a boy, a young soldier, a man, a husband and a Christian, and upon the fact that he who is borne to his grave today will live in history beside the great presidents, Washington and Lincoln. The lesson of the lives and the words of men like Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley is one of loyalty to duty, loyalty to morality, loyalty to country and loyalty to Almighty God. The bene- | diction was pronounced by Rev. W. B. Eddy.
The comrades of Geo. K. Bird post occupied seats in the centre of the church. The services occupied not more than an hour and a quarter and were extremely fitting and impressive.
The bell tolled at the moment of benediction, ending fittingly the solemn service. Leading citizens and businessmen, representing all the churches acted as ushers and committees.
(All articles originally published in the Norwood Messenger)