PRESIDENT McKINLEY.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 946, 17 September 1901, Page 2

PRESIDENT McKINLEY.

Fanaticism in its cruellest, blindest, and mostfruitless form has claimed another victim. It has laid low the head of the greatest democracy, and a personal factor in the peace of great nations. The cause of the grief of a mighty continent, of the heartfelt sympathy of the civilised world, is a puny, abject wretch, mentally and physically feeble —yet how strong to change the aspect of history, how mighty to plunge a nation in the deepest mourning! Blind tool of a bestial fraternity whose lairs are the foul nests of the world's human garbage, whose unholy lust is for the blood of the mighty and the noble, the assassin has wrought the wicked work planned by the most devilish evolution of later times. But the sacrifice of so noble a life is so fruitless, so undeserved. One can dimly understand how, in the stunted growth of perverted intellects, monarchy may appear an evil demanding the removal of its outward visible representatives. But in this case the head of the people, one of the people, a citizen among citizens, is struck down by the insensate fiend. President HcKinley was truly one sprung from the masses. His only aristocracy was the aristocracy of intellect, industry and perseverance ; and his nobility the nobility of Christian character. His death could not change the aspect of politics nor deter the nation from striving after the ideal of which he was the chosen exponent. No sovereign succession is disturbed by his death; no reigning family thwarted. The compassing of his end was the simple batcher; of a Christian man.

And this is the pity of it. Placed by the will I of the people at the head of the nation, his nominal term of office would have been of comparatively brief duration. Had he been found wanting at its termination the will of the people would have determined his relegation to private citizenship. One would have thought that the democratic institutions of America would have laid down lines of the least resistance to Anarchistic principles. l)ut apparently it is not so. Anarchy is the fa'tid madness of blood thirstiness. Its red, dripping hand is against law, order, and civilisation. It is the outpicturing of demoniacal ferocity, cultured in the dank, darksome cells of minds diseased, and fed upon all that is unholy and all that is unlovely even in the lowest stratum of human existence. By the death of President McKinley the cause of humanity has been robbed of an unswerving ally ; the British Empire of a true, loyal, and courageous friend, and the world of the counsels of a wise and prudent participant in its weightiest affairs. Martyred in the cause of duty to his country, the spirit of the departed statesman will remain with the American nation, spurring it forward to larger national growth, and toward the attainment of the ideals his noble life and peaceful death typified. Words of sorrow cannot adequately express the grief and the horror at the cutting short of so splendid a career ; nor can they but faintly manifest the great loss the world, the counsels of the mighty, has sustained.

Correspondents toourYoungFolk's Column 1 are reminded that the time for receiving orders for badges expires on the 30th of the present month. The news has been received with unfeigned regret in all parts of the colony of the death of Mr M. J. Scobie Mackenzie, which occurred at Dunedin on Sunday morning. Born in 18*15, he came to Australia when 16 years old, and was engaged in pastoral pursuits in the back blocks of Victoria and N.S.W. He came to this colony in 1870, and entered Parliament in 1884. The cold nor'-west gale which prevailed from Saturday afternoon until early yesterday morning, culminated about 11 o'clock in a fall of snow. This, however, did not lay long, as the sun shone out brightly in the afternoon. In the evening rain showers fell, and the weather generally was quite a reverse of the mild spring days experienced for some weeks past. . Burns, a well-known Dunedin citizen, died suddenly on Sunday morning. He was the son of the late Rev. Dr Burns, and a descendant of the Scottish poet. He was the promoter of the Mosgiel woollen factory, which was afterwards taken over by a company of which he had been a director ever since.

After the telegraph office closed on Saturday morning, Mr James Allen modified his charges against the Premier and withdrew the following portion of his speech " Since that ship (the Tagus) left Albany five or six of these men were dead. Who bad the responsibility ? The Premier was afraid to offend the people of Invercargill, even though to please them he had to sacrifice the lives of men who had been serving their country. The hon. gentleman had taken tho responsibility of the lives of these men upon his own shoulders. Who had the responsibility of all the sickness and breakdown in health of all these men by sending them by a cold route?" He would modify another phrase to this : "He (Mr Seddon) would have to answer to the House and country for declining to accept the advice given by the doctor," and would withdraw the statement that " these men had been sacrificed to political exigencies." \ Much interest is being shown in the football match to be played at Gore to-morrow afternoon between an " Old Buffers " team and the Excelsior first. Following are the teams " Old Buffers ": Lynch, Kyder, C. Moloney, Millar. Ireland, Martin, Donaldson, Fraser, Lock, Burrows, Tinnock (2), J. Dickson, T. Taylor, F. Robins; Excelsior: Cull, Ussher, McLennan, Oliver, Cahill, Hendriek, Donaldson, Blue, Campbell, Miller, Kidd, Stewart (2), Whittingham, Robson. The match starts at 3.30 o'clock.

Attention is called to an alteration in the date of the annual meeting of the Gore Cricket Club, which has now been fixed for Friday evening at the Criterion Hotel At the Gore Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening, the Kev. P. Ramsay preached a sermon in answer to one by the Rev. J. L. A. Kayll on the subject " The Church and Prohibition," choosing as his text Acts xxv. and 11: "I appeal unto Ciusar." He strongly combated the argument that the teaching of Christianity was opposed to the Prohibition movement, and said the statement was a violent censure on the faith of the 120,000 men and women in this country, besides the mighty hosts in England and America who supported no-license. Was it not possible that the 120,000 might be right and he (Mr Kayll) the solitary unit, wrong ? The nolicense movement was supported mainly by men and women who claimed to be true Christians. It lived, moved, and had its being in the faith of Jesus Christ. It was a striking fact that all the worst classes fn the community--ail the agencies of darkness and the devil—were opposed to the no-license movement. They were told to await God's good time for the suppression of the drink traffic. The Scriptures gave no authority for that. The people had created the traffic, and upon those who were Christians worthy of the name was placed the onus of destroying it. t?e combated the contention that the Church had no mission in politics, and said religion was for this life as well as for that which was to come, and it was the mission of all who were in earnest to get rid of every evil in the world by every legitimate means. The preacher concluded by quoting statisticsshowing the decrease in crime in the Clutha district since the advent of no-license, and said Christ had placed his approval on the methods of the reformers.

0. R. Buchannn, dentist, visits Wyndham on Thursday, 2(>th September, Mataura on Thursday, 3rd October (II to 12 at Cameron's), and Tapanui on Monday, 7th October. Feeling reference to the death of the late President McKinley was made in the Gore churches on Sunday evening. At Ho'y Trinity Church, the Rev. J. L. A. Kayii said it was not long since the great American nation had joined with ours in common gri< f over the death of Queen Victoria. Now dralh had come suddenly and robbed the United States of its much-loved head. The death of President McKinley was rendered all the more pathetic, all the more awful, feeing it was compassed at a time when he was giving evidence of his love for his people, his hand< outstreched to greet them. The policy of President McKinley had made for peace and contentment at home, and his friendship for Great Britain had cemented more strongly than ever before the ties of blood and common tongue between these two nations. At the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. P. Ramsay commended the bereaved widow and the American nation to the sympathy and prayers of all. He deplored the agencies which were at work in the world to destroy the outward symbols of law and order, and prayed that these might ultimately bo put to confusion and shame.

City Cycle Works.— I The Cheapest and Best House in Gore for Cycle Repairs and Accessories. We are Direct Importers, and can sell Cheaper than others. Bells from fid. Frame Protecters Is (id. Pump Connection 9d. Oil from Gd. Ladies' Skirt Holders from Is. Chains from 7s Gd. Handle bars from 15s. Saddles from Bs. Tyres (twelvemonths guarantee) 22s Gd. Tubes Bs. Ou'.fits yd. We have a very Large Stock of Gas Lamps from 15s; Carbide Is per lb. The heaviest eyelist in Gore (weight 18 stone), rides Bri tain's Best Bicycle—the " Budge-Whitworth." Also Agent for " Sterling," (built like a watch), Yellow Fellow, Waverley, and Earls.—Bkn. McKnight, Cycle Importer and Repairer. Inspection Invited.—[Advt]. Mr McAdoo's company of Jubilee Singers gave a delighful entertainment at the Gore Town Hall last night, there being a large attendance. Members of the talented organisation appeared in solos, duets, and quartettes, as well a3 in the negro choruses with which their name has been for so long associated. Needless to say, all the items were given with true artistic taste, and were fully appreciated by the audience, which was very liberal in its demand for encores. The company appears at Mataura this evening, and as this is its farewell tour in the colony, residents of that centre are reminded of a golden and final opportunity. The Gore branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union meet in the Town Hall on Saturday, 21st inst., at 2 o'clock. All members of the branch should make a point of being present, as the business is of much importance in view of the early meeting of the Otago conference in Dunedin. Wade's Worm Fuji are most effective ami not unpleasant; children thrive after takiwj them. Price, U.

A trial o( Stories' Lowdown Pennsylvania combined drill waa held at Mr Cato's (arm, Otakarama, recently, Then those present were pleased with the remarkable case with which the drill waa bandied. A description of the machine will prove of interest to farmers. Its height is only 3ft, thus enabling the driver to handle the manure with great ease. The quantities are altered by means of a lever, and the machine will sow from 001b to 701b per acre. The grain sower consists of two parts, and sows accurately and never bruises a seed. The machine will also sow grass seed, and a ridging attachment may also be put on if required. y A singular procession passed through vie streets of Qisborne a few days ago, when a flock of 150 turkeys, driven by men on horses with dogs, passed along. They had come 27 miles in three days, crossing a river and several streams, and were being takon to auction, where they realised from 4s to 4s (id each. The Levin branch of the N.Z. Farmers' Union is in favor of the Union making a levy on its branches to test a case of insurance under the Employers' Liability Act, should occasion occur, in the event of the Act not being repealed.

An extraordinary hailstorm occurred at Pukehou, near Te Aute, recently. Fences were buried in hail drifts, and in one locality the hail was banked up to a height of 8 feet. The hailstorm was confined to a small area, and other portions of the district enjoyed fine weather at the time. Two women, Miss Alma Steel and Mrs Flora Morrison, living together in a cottage in Simpson street, East Melbourne, were fearfully burnt as the result of a kerosene lamp exploding. Mrs Morrison was seated at a table when the lamp exploded, and was almost instantly a mass of flames. She frantically rushed into the back bedroom, and, coming into contact with Miss Steel, set her clothes on fire. A constable and another man heard the frightful screams of the women, and rushed into the cottage, desperately endeavoring to stifle thoir llaming clothes. They experienced great dilliculty in doing so, however, and in a very few minutes the charred features of the wretched women made them unrecognisable. Almost lifeless, they were conveyed to the Melbourne Hospital, where they died. The Balfour branch of the N.Z. Farmers' Union meets in the Balfour l'ublic Hall on baturday, 21st September, to elect a delegate and discuss rules, the platform and any new business the branch may want brought forward at the Otago conference on the Ist October. It would be well that every member should make it a point to be present at this meeting, as the business, as will be seen from the above, is very important. There will be a meeting in Adams' Hall, Mataura, on Friday, the 27th September, at H o'clock to take into consideration tho question of the proclamation of the Waimumu stream a flood channel. Landowners, dredgeowners, dredge hands and all parties interested are requested to be present, when the matter will be fhoroughly discussed.

The Riversdale branch of the N.Z. l'armers' Union meets in the Athemcum Hall on Saturday, 21bt inst., at K.IIO p.m. to eleet officers and transact general business. The approaching conference of the Otago branches of the Union should also be taken into consideration, so that ltiversdale may be represented in the central body's deliberations, which are likely to be of a very important character.

The tenth annual ball given by the bachelors of Waikaia will be held in Bell's Hall, Waikaia, on Friday, 20th September. This annual event has come to be looked forward to in the district with pleasurable anticipations, and no pains are being spared to make this year's ball as successful as its predecessors.

The Gore Young Men's Society closes its winter session by a concert at the Town Hall to-morrow evening. The programme provided is one of unusual merit, and the contributions will include a pianoforte solo by Miss Dewar, songs by Mrs Blue (Invercargill), Miss Johnston, Messrs T. C. Irving (Invercargill), Cookson, W. Wright, and J. W. S. Ni. hoi, comic numbers by Messrs Jamie and Christie, a duct by Messrs Matheson and Irving, and recitations by Mr P. A. Eadie (from the Noith Island) and C. Evison. The entertainment will be brought to a close by an intensely funny sketch, in two acts, entitled " The Gore Municipal Electric Tramways."

Ratepayers are reminded that a poll on the proposal to raise a loan of £7ooo for various works in the Borough is to be taken on Fiiday next. Gore branch of N.Z. Farmers' Union meet 21st inst.

N.Z. L. and M. A. Co. have potatoes for sale. Gore Soroush Council intend to sue for overdue rates and rents. Football match Old Buffers v. Excelsior tomorrow. Scotch conceit by Presbyterian choir oil October 1. D'Arcy M. Ford continues his sale of drapery on Thursday afternoon. Buggy cushion lost. Note the different places where trout fishing licenses can be obtained. W. McGruer ,and Co., drapers, make a grand display of their spring and summer novelties on Friday evening. General meeting of Balfour branch of N.Ji. Fanners' Union on 21st inst. Public meeting re Waimuniu sludge channel at Mataura on 27th inst. N.Z. Farmers' Union Ilivcrsdalc branch meet on 21st inst. Waikaka bachelors' ball to be held on 20th inst.